AMG DTM planning for 2026 uncertain

What's going on at Mercedes-AMG?

Mercedes-AMG is also on the starting list in the DTM in 2026. Yet it is unclear how many cars the marque will run with. In 2025, Lucas Auer led the championship for a long time. In the end, Auer and Maro Engel finished second and third respectively in the standings.

Sporting director Thomas Jäger said after the season at Hockenheim that Mercedes-AMG needs to regroup first. He expressed his hope that the brand will appear at the start with at least two cars. With that, the focus seems to be on the two Winward-Mercedes for now.

Status of the Landgrave team

The Landgraf team returned to the DTM in 2025 after a year's absence and immediately booked its two AMG victories of the season with Lucas Auer. Yet the team's future has not been definitively decided. According to sources, the Gensingen-based team has a multi-year contract with Mercedes-AMG, but that contract contains an option to be honoured by both parties.

That option does not seem to have been activated yet. Team boss Klaus Landgraf kept quiet shortly after the season, but did not sound disheartened. He praised his team and called its performance impressive. Landgraf said he wanted to spend time with his family, but did not leave the door closed for a continuation in the DTM.

What does this mean for the riders and 2026?

If Landgraf stays, it is obvious that drivers like Lucas Auer, Maro Engel and Jules Gounon will reappear in AMG cars. Junior pilot Tom Kalender also impressed at the season finale in Hockenheim and could support a place.

Winward is reportedly confirmed for 2026. Should Landgraf stay away, Mercedes-AMG would possibly enter the series with a smaller programme. Which one is eventually chosen depends on contract decisions, budget and Mercedes-AMG's strategic choices.

• Mercedes-AMG wants to run at least two DTM cars in 2026.
• Winward is set for 2026, according to information.
• The Landgraf team has a multi-year contract with a mutual option that has not yet been activated.
• Key drivers include Lucas Auer, Maro Engel, Jules Gounon and Tom Kalender.
• The season finale in Hockenheim played a part in the considerations.

To sum up: Mercedes-AMG will remain in the DTM, but the exact size of the programme for 2026 is not yet certain. A final decision on the Landgrave team is expected in the coming months.