Güven Reflects On Historic DTM Championship

MUNICH — Ayhancan Güven was crowned the new DTM champion in spectacular fashion at Hockenheim.

The Manthey EMA Porsche driver not only made DTM history as the first Turkish overall winner, but also impressed with his determination under maximum pressure.

Güven looked back on those emotional days, talks about the role of his family, and reveals where the championship trophy currently stands.

“When I started racing 20 years ago, I didn’t really expect to become a professional racing driver one day,” Güven said. “After so much hard work, fighting for the DTM title is something I’ve long dreamed of. And then everything is decided on the final lap – I’ll remember those moments from the finale forever.”

Güven used a last-lap pass of Marco Wittman to earn the championship.

“I’ve seen it countless times, and every time I get goosebumps,” Güven said. “At first, it looks like an extremely risky overtaking maneuver, and at first, you don’t even think the attack will work. Perhaps that’s precisely why it became such a special moment. But from the start, I didn’t want to get involved in any calculations; I wanted to win the race at all costs.”

Güven was also the first driver to earn five wins in a season during the GT3 era of the DTM.

“We simply had an extremely strong overall package this year,” Güven said. “Five wins speak for themselves. I find it particularly impressive that none of these victories were achieved from pole position. That shows how well we did in the races – not just on the track, but also with the pit stops and strategy. A big thank you to the entire Manthey EMA team for that.”