Lucas Auer stands for the DTM name like hardly any other driver in the current field. The Mercedes-AMG Performance Driver has been a permanent fixture in the sprint series since 2015. Lucas has completed 139 DTM races in this spell, 121 of them racing for Mercedes-AMG. He celebrated the first of his nine DTM race wins at the Lausitzring in 2016. The Austrian has been racing for Mercedes-AMG Team WINWARD since the start of the GT3 era in 2021. In 2022, he battled for the drivers’ title until the final weekend at Hockenheim and ultimately finished runner-up. He concluded the 2023 season with a pair of podium results and ninth place overall. In 2024, Lucas will once again challenge for the championship.

In 2024, you embark on your fourth season together with WINWARD. To what extent do you benefit from having been working together with the same team for such a long time already?
Lucas Auer: “To me, this is definitely an advantage. At high-performance level, continuity just makes you progress further. Everybody knows everyone else inside out. As a team, we win and we lose together. Therefore, we have also had our learnings from last year and we are able to implement our defined goals this season together. That is important.” 

In 2022, you were in contention for the title with WINWARD in DTM. How did you prepare for the new upcoming season in order to build on this?
Lucas Auer: “After 2022, some things have changed in DTM, among others the tyres and the regulations. Last year, we weren’t as successful in implementing these changes as other teams. During the winter, we have worked hard and we identified where our weaknesses are. Now, it is about turning this theoretical knowledge into practice and to convert this into results. However, I am confident that we will be doing a better job as a team in 2024.”

For 2024, you have rotated the race engineers within your team. Which effect does that have on your work?
Lucas Auer: “It is correct that there were internal changes. But at the end of the day, we are always working together as a team, irrespective of which engineer has been allocated to which driver. For me, not much is changing as I have been racing with WINWARD for such a long time and I am working together really well with all team members. Therefore, it isn’t a big transition for me.”

You do have a new teammate for this year, though. What is changing for you because of that?
Lucas Auer: “I really have known Maro Engel for ages already. He has had strong races all over the world with the Mercedes-AMG GT3, has won many races and I think that we will mutually benefit and take the team forward together. I'm looking forward to working with him and hope that this will be a really good season.”

Is the fact that you are racing in other series with WINWARD this year an advantage for you?
Lucas Auer: “Yes, it is. First of all, I am having more seat time in the car than last year. My accident in Daytona set me back in my preparations at the time. It feels like I've got more mileage under my belt now already than I did in the whole of last year. Competing in other championships always helps you to develop further, regardless of whether it's in endurance or sprint races. The team feels the same way, so I consider that as an advantage indeed.”

You are racing the “mamba” this year, a car that is very popular among the fans. Does the excitement for this car get across to you as a driver?
Lucas Auer: “The mamba is an icon in motorsport. Initially, I was slightly surprised at how many fans the car has. I’m delighted to be competing with this livery and I obviously want to make the mamba look good and perform properly.”

DTM is celebrating its 40th anniversary and you are part of this special year. What does the series mean to you?
Lucas Auer: “Happy Birthday! I'm already in my ninth year in the series and have experienced different eras. DTM is still something very special and it is a great honour for me to be a part of it. The best drivers, manufacturers and teams compete here at the highest level. When you make it onto the podium here, or even better, manage to win and compete for the championship, it's an incredibly good feeling. Being successful in the DTM demands everything from you and that's what makes the competition so cool.”

Did you realise that you are Mercedes-AMG’s most experienced driver in DTM?
Lucas Auer: “Yes, I was aware of that. But I also know that Maro has been around here for a few years, too. But I know the numbers and they also make me proud. DTM has been my sporting home from the very first moment and I'm delighted to still be part of it.”

Which moments from your DTM career do you remember in particular?
Lucas Auer: “I really like to think back to 2016, when I scored my maiden win in DTM with Mücke Motorsport at Lausitzring. I felt very comfortable in this environment back then, and the fact that we clinched this victory in the team’s home round was incredible and a moment for the ages.”

After this maiden win, you have racked up many more achievements in DTM, but you have yet to win the title. Is that your goal for this year?
Lucas Auer: “It definitely is. But the first thing is to strive for victories. The question of the championship then only comes up in the final third, whether you are in this fight. That depends not only on whether you are fast enough, but above all on whether you are consistent enough.”