Everything is set for the final decision of the DRM season 2026. On 6 and 7 November Marijan Griebel and Philip Geipel will fight for the title at the Lausitz-Rallye. The situation recalls the 2022 finale, when Geipel prevailed over his rival with only a one-point advantage.
Four years later Griebel initially holds the better cards. His sixth consecutive win at the Saarland-Pfalz Rallye gave the Skoda driver, together with co-driver Ella Kremer, the championship lead again. But Geipel and Jennifer Lerch answered in their Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 and secured important bonus points with the fastest time on the Power Stage.
Now both crews face a challenge that is clearly different from the previous rounds of the season. The fast and partly deep-rutted gravel roads of the Lausitz demand a different car setup and an adapted driving style.
"This rally is very special. I haven't driven on gravel for seven years, but Philip is in the same situation," Griebel explains. "I expect an exciting duel right until the end."
Geipel said: "We are perfectly prepared and go into the DRM finale with optimism."
Weigert on the verge of the DRM3 title
In DRM3 the decision could be considerably less dramatic. Timo and Jasmin Weigert arrive in a Renault Clio Rally3 with a comfortable starting position. Since their previous title rivals Leonard Weiss and Nick Hainke are no longer competing, Weigert has the title win in his own hands.
"We just need to get through, then we take the title," says the Renault driver, who at the Saarland-Pfalz Rallye recently drove cautiously after an early tyre damage.
DRM4 title: Pusch vs. Nierenz
DRM4 promises more excitement. Patrick Pusch and co-driver Tilmann Bößert lead the championship in an Opel Corsa Rally4 with a twelve-point advantage. Their pursuers Kilian Nierenz and Milena Raithel compete in an identical car.
Pusch already knows the demanding stages in the Lausitz and wants to defend his lead as far as possible without unnecessary risk. However, he does not want to be too cautious. "It would be dangerous to drive only tactically. That's why we do everything as always," explains the championship leader.
For Nierenz it will be a first. "I have never driven a gravel rally. But I have often watched in the Lausitz and dreamed of taking part myself," the Opel driver says. He is aware that it will be difficult to catch his title rival, but he intends to fight until the end.
