Did Mercedes-AMG employ team orders? When race leader Lucas Auer—now eliminated from championship contention despite his DTM victory at Hockenheim on Saturday—deliberately allowed his fellow Mercedes driver Maro Engel to pass after the restart, suspicions arose. The Austrian dramatically slowed down in the Mercedes-Arena section, enabling Engel, who held a stronger position in the championship standings, to smoothly take the lead.
Since 2022, DTM regulations have explicitly banned manufacturer agreements and team orders. Notably, on lap five, Auer was recorded as 1.5 seconds slower than Engel in the second sector—a clear indicator that he had reduced his pace. “Friends like Lucas are always good to have around, of course,” Engel commented when questioned by Motorsport-Total.com about the incident.
“It’s no secret that we get along very well. He understands what’s at stake for me. He was a big help at that crucial moment,” said Engel, who has been sharing the Winward Mercedes with Auer in the GT World Challenge Europe since last year.
Team Orders Ban Prohibits Agreements and Instructions
The reality remains: if Auer genuinely allowed his better-positioned teammate in the championship race to pass him voluntarily, then no formal agreement can be established against Mercedes-AMG.
According to section 20.2 of the sporting regulations, team orders specifically prohibit “agreements between manufacturers or competitors (teams) and drivers which provide that the manufacturer or competitor may issue direct or indirect instructions to the driver for his conduct during a qualifying session or race which restrict the driver in sporting competition.”
Auer’s Explanation: Foot Problems Led to Cramping
A potential violation carries a fine of up to 250,000 euros. So how does Auer justify his actions? “It sounds a bit silly, but it was my decision,” said the Landgraf Mercedes driver following his first win of the season.
“I had such problems with my foot that I experienced cramps. I didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks—and it was the best way to handle the situation. I had some drama throughout the race.” The 32-year-old chuckles somewhat self-consciously. “Saying that out loud almost sounds a bit unserious, but it’s the truth,” he added.
He also acknowledged that this wasn’t the first time he’d experienced cramping in the early stages of a race. “I sometimes tense up during a heated first lap. Then there’s a red flag and we warm up again… I think everything came together at that moment. Normally, I’m not that susceptible.”
DMSB Examines Radio Communications Between Auer and Engel
The German governing body DMSB (Deutscher Motor Sport Bund), responsible for ensuring regulatory compliance, also observed the maneuver by the two Mercedes-AMG drivers and subsequently reviewed radio communications. However, as expected, no irregularities or directives were found in the transmissions that suggested a coordinated position swap.
While this isn’t conclusive evidence that no prior agreement wasn’t made behind closed doors, the DMSB can only take disciplinary action based on concrete evidence of a managed position exchange—and currently, none exists.
Ultimately, the incident had no impact on the final outcome: due to a problematic 16.4-second pit stop, Engel dropped back behind Auer, who went on to claim victory. Engel finished fourth and now trails by 22 points in the championship battle heading into the season finale. Only a significant collapse from Thomas Preining on Sunday could still see Engel crowned champion.
