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Wittmann Takes Pole as Auer Crash Upends Sachsenring Grid

Lucas Auer’s late qualifying crash deleted his best lap, leaving Thomas Preining a one-point championship leader and Auer set to start from the back.

Overview

  • Marco Wittmann secured pole at the Sachsenring with the fastest lap in a shortened closing phase of qualifying.
  • Thomas Preining finished second and collected two qualifying points that put him one point clear of Maro Engel in the title standings.
  • Lucas Auer lost the right-rear wheel before a slide into the barriers in the final minutes, triggering a red flag, having his best lap deleted, and being placed at the back of the grid.
  • Maro Engel qualified fifth on time but will start eighth because of a three-place penalty carried over from the Nürburgring.
  • Race implications are immediate: small qualifying points and deleted laps have reshaped a tight championship with only a few rounds left, and teams and stewards are investigating Auer’s reported component failure and the car’s repairability before the race.