Zandvoort. Mercedes-AMG once again secured important points for the championship at the third round of the DTM 2024 in the Netherlands. At Circuit Zandvoort, Arjun Maini (IND) continued this season’s run of podium finishes. The Mercedes-AMG Team HRT driver finished third in Saturday's race. Maro Engel (GER) had already been on the podium for Mercedes-AMG Team WINWARD in Oschersleben as well as at the Lausitzring. With seven out of eight possible points-scoring results by the Mercedes-AMG Performance drivers at Zandvoort, Mercedes-AMG took first place in the DTM manufacturers' standings.
Second DTM podium for Arjun Maini
In qualifying on Saturday morning, the AMG Customer Racing Teams ensured a promising starting position with three cars inside the Top 10. Arjun Maini secured the best grid position. The Indian confirmed his impressive form with third place on the grid in the field of 20 DTM drivers. In the race, he maintained this position over the entire distance of 39 laps and made it onto the podium. It was Maini's second rostrum in the DTM after his second place in Saturday's race at the Norisring in 2021. Lucas Auer (AUT) and Luca Stolz (GER) rounded off the result for Mercedes-AMG in fifth and tenth place respectively. Maro Engel put in another determined recovery from 18th on the grid to finish eleventh.
Two Top 10 results in an eventful Sunday race
Due to a clash of dates with the prologue for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, qualifying for Sunday's race took place on Friday evening. Led by Maini in fifth place on the grid, three AMG Performance Drivers also finished in the top half of the grid in the first qualifying session of the weekend. In the race, Stolz, who started from eighth on the grid, was the best-placed Mercedes-AMG GT3 in fifth position. During the pit stop on lap 14, the HRT driver was inadvertently blocked by a competitor and lost valuable time, which prevented an even better result. Teammate Maini once again finished in the Top 10 in sixth place, while Maro Engel held on to ninth place until the closing stages. However, he lost this position in hard-fought duels and crossed the finish line in 13th place. Lucas Auer was involved in a collision on the opening lap through no fault of his own, which resulted in damage to his Mercedes-AMG GT3. Sunday's race was thus prematurely over for the Austrian.
Mercedes-AMG maintains championship lead in the ADAC GT Masters
Mercedes-AMG also continued their successful streak on the second race weekend of the ADAC GT Masters. In Saturday's race at the 4.259 kilometre Circuit Zandvoort, Tom Kalender (GER) and Elias Seppänen (FIN) celebrated their second victory in succession in the Mercedes-AMG GT3. The Finn took pole position for the LANDGRAF Motorsport duo in the first qualifying session. The reigning ADAC GT Masters champion then was in control of the first race from the start. He defended the lead during his stint and set the fastest lap of the race. After the driver change, Kalender drove to an unchallenged triumph for LANDGRAF Motorsport. In Sunday's race, Salman Owega and Mercedes-AMG Junior Driver David Schumacher (both GER) made it onto the podium. The driver pairing from the Haupt Racing Team finished third. The Haupt Racing Team is still in first place in the team standings after Zandvoort. Kalender and Seppänen continue to lead the drivers' standings.
