DTM drivers call for penalties regarding deliberate Saturday race retirements
2 sources • 2 min read • Latest: Sep 2, 2026, 3:41 PM
Last updated Sep 2, 2026
Concerns regarding voluntary retirements during Saturday DTM races at the Nurburgring have triggered calls for regulatory action. Drivers report that participants are withdrawing early to preserve fresh tyre sets for Sunday’s events, as the current rule limits competitors to three sets for the entire weekend. A record-low twelve of 21 cars finished the Saturday race at the Nurburgring, while Sunday's race saw 16 finishers. Thomas Preining and Wittmann criticized the practice as detrimental to the sport and the fan experience. Preining suggested increasing the allowed tyre allocation to curb the behavior, while Wittmann proposed implementing penalties for drivers who park their cars unnecessarily. With the average finish rate consistently lower on Saturdays compared to Sundays across the 2026 season, drivers are urging series officials to address the incentive structure before the next calendar period.
- •Only twelve of 21 cars finished the Saturday race at the Nurburgring.
- •Drivers are retiring early to save fresh tyre sets for Sunday.
- •Thomas Preining and Wittmann advocate for rule changes or penalties to prevent intentional retirements.
- •Statistics show a lower average finishing rate on Saturdays across 2026 weekends.
- •New DTM-spec tyres have higher degradation rates, increasing the value of fresh rubber.
- 3:41 PMYahoo Sports — Deliberate DTM retirements on Saturday? “We need to think about penalties”
- 3:41 PMMotorsport.com — Deliberate DTM retirements on Saturday? “We need to think about penalties”
"Are cars being deliberately parked in the DTM on Saturdays? At the Nurburgring, six cars were already out of the Saturday race after eight laps - even though GT3 cars are not exactly regarded as unreliable. In total, only twelve of the 21 cars reached the finish, which is a new negative record. On Sunday, 16 cars finished. The reason is clear: at the Nurburgring, each driver has only three sets ...Keep reading
"Deliberate retirements on Saturday cause anger in the DTM: why the teams take this step and what ways there are to stop it
Sources
External links- Yahoo SportsSep 2, 2026, 3:41 PMDeliberate DTM retirements on Saturday? “We need to think about penalties”
Deliberate retirements on Saturday cause anger in the DTM: why the teams take this step and what ways there are to stop it
- Motorsport.comSep 2, 2026, 3:41 PMDeliberate DTM retirements on Saturday? “We need to think about penalties”
Are cars being deliberately parked in the DTM on Saturdays? At the Nurburgring, six cars were already out of the Saturday race after eight laps - even though GT3 cars are not exactly regarded as unreliable. In total, only twelve of the 21 cars reached the finish, which is a new negative record. On Sunday, 16 cars finished. The reason is clear: at the Nurburgring, each driver has only three sets ...Keep reading
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