​Good news for Maximilian Paul: The DTM pilot who sustained serious injuries at the Norisring on Saturday—fractured tibia and fibula as well as a lumbar vertebra fracture—has left the hospital in Nuremberg, according to his team principal Gottfried Grasser. “Max has been discharged and is now going home to recover,” the Austrian stated when contacted by Motorsport-Total.com. Adding an optimistic note, Paul’s partner Patricija Stalidzane, who shared the Konrad Lamborghini with the 26-year-old Dresden-born driver at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, posted a Friday Instagram photo with the hashtag #FREEMAX. The image shows Paul standing independently at the main entrance of the South Campus of the Nuremberg Clinic, his left leg bandaged below the knee but without a cast, and he is holding his crutches aloft rather than leaning on them.
A few days earlier, Maximilian Paul had already appeared in a hospital bed with a confident expression, accompanied by his father Tobias Paul, signaling that the young racer is beginning to recover after surgery. “I’m taking a break for the time being to look after my body and my health, and I’ll be back in full force soon,” he said on Monday. “I’ll be in hospital for the next few days, after which I’ll be heading to rehab.” A full return to racing remains unlikely for now, given the severity of the injuries and the extended recovery required. After the accident there had been speculation in the DTM paddock about a possible return at season’s end, but such a comeback would be surprising under the current circumstances.
Questions remain about whether his car can be repaired in time for the upcoming DTM weekend in two weeks at Oschersleben. An initial assessment suggested that the most damage was to the front of the vehicle, which could be repaired, though timing remains uncertain. “Hard to say,” team boss Grasser commented, noting that parts availability is a key factor. He will also need a replacement driver for Paul. Grasser himself is set to return behind the wheel in the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo2 at the ADAC GT Masters weekend at the Nürburgring.
Meanwhile, BMW factory driver Kelvin van der Linde, who was struck by Paul’s car on the Nürnberg accident and sustained bruising, is already plotting his own comeback. The South African driver has been with Red Bull for two and a half years and has access to the Austrian energy drink manufacturer’s Athlete Performance Center in Thalgau near Salzburg. The renowned facility specializes in data-driven performance diagnostics and rehabilitation after injuries, and it remains a potential resource for Van der Linde as he recovers. This support underscores the broader commitment to accelerating safe, evidence-based return-to-competition plans for drivers following serious incidents.