That is certainly one way to handle a podium finish. As Motorsport.com reports, newly crowned DTM champion Thomas Preining gave a wonderfully tongue-in-cheek excuse after letting Manthey teammate Ricardo Feller past on the final lap at Hockenheim, claiming a sudden foot cramp was to blame for yielding the position.
Preining had already done the heavy lifting by securing his second DTM title with a third-place finish, though he had been running a strong second until those closing moments. The Austrian's humorous explanation carried a clear echo of Saturday's action, where Landgraf driver Lucas Auer let fellow AMG driver Maro Engel past using the exact same phrasing. With official team orders and manufacturer agreements strictly banned under DTM regulations since 2022, drivers clearly have to get creative when assisting their brand stablemates.
Starting the final race of the year down in seventh on the grid, Preining wasted no time carving through the chaos. The 28-year-old admitted he was not even in full attack mode, simply trying to navigate what he jokingly called the "carbon midfield" without getting collected. That clean approach paid off instantly, launching him up to fourth on the opening lap before he eventually snatched third and later cleared fellow Porsche driver Buus for second prior to the first round of pit stops.
Manthey's strategy saw them bolt on used tires for that initial stint, a calculated gamble designed to keep fresh rubber in reserve for a potential late safety car. That insulation proved immensely helpful, with Feller running an identical strategy right behind him. Having his teammate as a buffer made the afternoon significantly calmer than dealing with a swarm of Mercedes drivers, even if the title contender still had to keep his wits about him.
Feller gladly snapped up the gifted position on the final lap, pocketing 20 points for second instead of the 16 he would have earned for third, though the swap ultimately had no bearing on the overall standings. As the Swiss driver admitted, he took the place without fully knowing why his teammate moved aside. Now, the pair can celebrate a championship season together—and perhaps help sort out that mysterious foot cramp.
