Lukas Stiefelhagen grabs NXT Gen Cup clean sweep at Norisring

The third and final NXT Gen Cup race at the iconic Norisring street circuit delivered yet another thriller. Championship leader Lukas Stiefelhagen clinched his third consecutive victory, edging out Maxim Dacher by just 0.161 seconds to complete a clean sweep of the German race weekend alongside the DTM.

After winning both races on Saturday, Dutch talent Lukas Stiefelhagen lined up third on the grid for Sunday’s finale. Austrian driver Philipp Dietrich started from pole in his all-electric LRT NXT 1 and led the field into Turn 1, closely followed by Stiefelhagen and Race 1 podium finisher Patricija Stalidzane.

Championship leader Lukas Stiefelhagen made a decisive move on lap five to overtake Philipp Dietrich and take the lead. From there, the 18-year-old completed a dominant hat-trick of wins at the Nuremberg street track. With 90 points scored over the weekend, he extends his championship lead to 61 points.

”We worked together – Patricija, Maxim, and I – to build a bit of a gap, and I saved my push-to-pass for the final lap, which I think was the key to winning Race 3. Now leading the championship with a solid margin, I don’t really need to take any big risks. It feels great to head into the next weekend with a comfortable lead,” said Lukas Stiefelhagen.

German racer Maxim Dacher once again demonstrated his pace, climbing from the third row to join the battle at the front. He fought hard with Patricija Stalidzane for the final podium spot, and in a drag race to the finish line, Dacher clinched his second runner-up finish of the weekend. Stalidzane followed closely, securing her second third place at Norisring.

Maxim Dacher now shares second place in the championship standings with Philipp Dietrich, both tied on 132 points and trailing Lukas Stiefelhagen by 61 ahead of the penultimate round at the Nürburgring.

”Great race from P5 to P2. I missed the last lap board and didn’t use my push-to-pass — unlucky, but that’s on me. Still, a solid weekend overall with good points in the bag,” said Maxim Dacher.

”Two podiums — but it could’ve been three, maybe even a win — so I’m not completely satisfied. I think we had the pace to win every race, and we didn’t make it happen. I’m blaming myself and trying to figure out what was missing so we can get it right next time. We’ll keep pushing and keep collecting points,” said Patricija Stalidzane.

A close finish between the top three in Sunday’s race at Norisring.

Benjamin Mazatis completed his best-ever NXT Gen Cup weekend, taking pole position for Race 1, securing his maiden podium in Race 2, and finishing Race 3 fourth. 

Julian Würtele climbed to fourth in the standings following the Norisring DTM weekend, thanks to his second-place finish in Race 2. Just one point behind is Patricija Stalidzane, after securing double podiums across the weekend.

NXT Gen Cup newcomers Olav Vaa and Pit Venanzi rounded off their debut weekend with eighth and fifteenth place finishes respectively in Race 3.

NXT Gen Cup continues its electrifying third season in five weeks’ time, as the series heads to the Nürburgring to race alongside DTM on August 8–10.

Standings and results

 

2025 NXT Gen Cup calendar

25-27 April – Oschersleben – Germany
04-06 July – Norisring – Germany
08-10 August – Nürburgring – Germany
22-24 August – Sachsenring – Germany
19-20 September – Swedish Junior Championship – Mantorp Park – Sweden

 

About NXT Gen Cup
The NXT Gen Cup is the world’s first 100% electric junior touring car cup where young female and male drivers race the LRT NXT1, a fully electric race car based on the MINI Cooper SE road car - engineered and built by Lestrup Racing Team. The series races together with DTM and is organised through an “arrive and drive” concept, enabling the junior drivers to focus on driving and creating the foundation for a professional racing career.

 

About DTM
DTM is Europe’s premier and best-known racing series and celebrated its 40th birthday in 2024. As one of the most competitive racing series, DTM features seven prestigious brands in its anniversary season. The DTM has a German core, but a strong international fan base. Races are broadcasted live in 150 territories. The series is also a leader in sustainable motorsport. For the second season, all cars are powered by a sustainable fuel made of 50% renewable components. Not only the cars racing in DTM are in the centre of sustainable projects. For the events itself the ADAC as promoter of the DTM offers innovations like an initiative to reduce plastic waste and a digital carpool solution, which has been recognised and awarded by the FIA.

Next
Next

Lukas Stiefelhagen nets back-to-back NXT Gen Cup wins at Norisring