Championship Heats Up AS TRUCK RACING AcTION CONTINUES AT Lausitzring
The 2025 Goodyear FIA European Truck Racing Championship continues at full throttle as it heads straight from Misano to the DEKRA Lausitzring.
Round two of the eight-event calendar brings the grid to Eastern Germany for a three-day motorsport spectacle alongside the DTM, promising fans an adrenaline-filled weekend.
After a dramatic start to the season in Italy, reigning champion Norbert Kiss showed why he remains the benchmark. Despite a steering failure sidelining him from the first qualifying session, the Hungarian dominated with four straight race wins, walking away from Misano with the maximum points haul.
The chasing pack is going to have to reel him in fast if they want to stop him from becoming the first seven-time champion in the series.
Jochen Hahn was right on his heels throughout the Misano weekend, showing strong pace, but a mix of penalties and late-race incidents kept him off the top step.
Meanwhile, René Reinert made a seamless return to the championship after a three-year absence. Behind the wheel of Kiss’s former truck — the battle-proven “Balu senior” — Reinert wasted no time re-establishing himself as a serious contender in the Titan class, making it clear he’s back to fight, not just fill the grid.
Steffi Halm is establishing herself as a top-tier competitor this season. She left Misano with two overall podiums, some fantastic defensive driving as well as grand overtakes. Is she a dark horse of the season, or was Misano a one-off? Time will tell, but Halm is clearly not here to play it safe in 2025.
While Kiss leads the charge, the Titan class battle is anything but predictable. Reinert in fourth is just five points ahead of Sascha Lenz in seventh — a tight spread that shows the fight is on. This level of competition is set to rage all the way to the season finale in Jarama.
Not everyone had a weekend to remember. Race 4 ended in disappointment for both Antonio Albacete and Luke Garrett after a heavy collision caused major repairs. But thanks to the hard work of both teams, the full 16-truck grid is set to race again in Lausitz.
In the Chrome class, Mark Taylor made himself a quick favourite and impressed with two wins, but two DNFs left the door open for Clemens Hecker to claim the points lead after a stellar and consistent weekend, topped off with a class victory in Race 4. With just six points separating the top five, the Chrome class is shaping up to be one of the tightest battles on the grid this season.
One to watch is Bradley Smith, contesting a full ETRC season for the first time. Despite early setbacks in Misano, he sits fourth in the standings and has shown clear signs of potential once he finds his rhythm.
Steffen Faas had a challenging return to the 2025 championship season, as he debuted a brand-new Freightliner on the grid under the tankpool24-Racing banner. He left Misano without points and without a classified finish, but early-season struggles are part of the game with a new machine. For Faas and the team, every lap this weekend will be a step forward in development.
With the trucks joining the DTM on a packed three-day schedule, action kicks off on the morning of Friday 23rd May.