Is DTM going to be a sports car championship? GT3 and Hypercars possible options
General
- GPblog.com
With the announced departure of Audi from the DTM after this season, the German touring car class will have to come up with something to keep interest among teams, drivers and the public. Although there is nothing official yet, people seem to be looking in the direction of sports cars for a solution.
Although the cars of the DTM were always very daring, a championship in which everyone drives the same BMW is much less interesting from a marketing point of view. That's why Gerhard Berger, chairman of organizer ITR, is looking for new manufacturers who can fill the gap of Audi (and previously Mercedes). Because at the moment they don't have the money to spare, they are looking at already existing formulas.
The GT3-class which is being raced all over the world is then a logical option. But also the LMDh (Hypercar class) which is planned for Le Mans in 2022 is mentioned by former racing driver Hans Joachim Stuck. DTM then wants to distinguish itself by being the only race class to organise sprint races with these cars.
DTM must remain a 'premium' racing class
In case GT3 cars are chosen, DTM will have to distinguish itself from the GT Masters, a German racing class in which many 'gentlemen drivers' also participate. This could then possibly be achieved by giving the cars more and only putting paid professional drivers in the cars. Berger says to Autosport.com that it is important that the DTM keeps its 'premium' status. A switch to the TCR model is therefore also out of the question.
Finally, a collaboration with the Japanese Super GT championship would be the most logical solution. The cars from that championship are very similar to those in the DTM and last season both racing classes already visited each other. However, the Japanese manufacturers have already indicated that they are not interested in filling in the gaps left by Audi.