{
  "id": 13515057,
  "title": "Illegal DTM team orders at Mercedes-AMG? Auer offers curious explanation",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/illegal-dtm-team-orders-at-mercedes-amg-auer-offers-curious",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-10T19:51:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/illegal-dtm-team-orders-mercedes-195157012.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The DTM race at Hockenheim sparked speculation of team orders when leader Lucas Auer allowed his fellow Mercedes driver, Maro Engel, to overtake him after the restart. Auer, now out of title contention, slowed significantly, giving Engel a clear path to take the lead. The DTM regulations prohibit team orders and manufacturer agreements, which came into effect in 2022. At lap five, Auer was found to be 1.5 seconds slower than Engel in the second sector, suggesting he may have been instructed to slow down.\n\nEngel, who is still in contention for the title, commented on the maneuver to Motorsport-Total.com, stating that Auer and he have a close friendship and that he knows what is at stake for Auer. The DTM's sporting regulations clearly state that agreements and instructions between manufacturers or competitors and drivers are prohibited, carrying a potential 250,000-euro fine for a breach.\n\nAuer's explanation for his decision was that he was experiencing cramps in his foot, causing him to get cramps and preventing him from taking any unnecessary risks. He admitted that it wasn't the first time he had experienced cramps in the early stages of a race. The DMSB, the German governing body responsible for enforcing the regulations, investigated the incident by checking the radio traffic between Auer and Engel but found no irregularities or evidence of a managed position swap. Consequently, no action was taken, as there was no concrete proof of a team order agreement.",
  "summary": "After the restart, leader Lucas Auer lifted and let fellow AMG driver Maro Engel through: how the rule enforcers are handling it and what explanation the Austrian gives",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Motorsport.com",
        "title": "Illegal DTM team orders at Mercedes-AMG? Auer offers curious explanation",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/illegal-dtm-team-orders-at-mercedes-amg-auer-offers-curious-13515344",
        "published": "2026-10-10T19:51:57.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}