Why 26 knots was dangerous for a commerce raider

Did the Deutschland class's low speed make its design obsolete and its eventual fate predictable?

Its roughly 26-knot speed allowed many British capital ships, cruisers, and even Tribal-class destroyers to overtake it, a serious flaw for a commerce raider.

The Deutschland class had a top speed of roughly 26 knots, and even reaching that full speed was unusual. Refitted Queen Elizabeth-class battleships, British battlecruisers, almost every Royal Navy cruiser, and even Tribal-class destroyers could outpace the ships. The design fits more naturally among heavy cruisers, while its raiding mission demanded the ability to disengage from pursuers. The class could intimidate merchant shipping, yet it lacked the reliable escape margin that made a surface raider survivable against so many fleet units.