DTM | GT3 Regulation Shift For Post 2020 Season

Paul Jeffrey

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After a protracted and at times painful demise of the Class One regulations, ITR Chairman Gerhard Berger has confirmed the DTM will transition to GT3 style cars next year, bringing an end to the spectacular prototype touring car rules.
  • DTM will continue into 2021.
  • New rules will adopt 'GT3 Pro' regulations.
  • Audi and BMW leave ITR.

The king is dead, long live the king. After much negotiation and several false dawns, the German DTM series will be reborn next season, dropping the impressive but expensive Class One regulations in place of what the championship describe as 'GT3 Pro' rules - essentially moving the series away from their traditional touring car roots as a new era begins for the series.

DTM Middle.jpg


DTM has been in trouble for a long time, with the much hyped but ultimately doomed Class One regulations failing to attract or indeed retain manufacturers to the category, compounded by the news that Audi will be walking away from the championship at the conclusion of the current season.

With little in the way of fresh interest from brands in the immediate future, former Arrows, Benetton, Ferrari and McLaren driver Gerhard Berger has been working hard at the head of governing body ITR to find a way to retain the DTM name in modern motorsport - and that work has now born its first fruits, with an announcement on Saturday evening that from next year the championship will run to a modified GT3 specification, with a focus on customer teams supported in part by manufacturers where appropriate.


Berger himself is putting his money where his mouth is with confirmation that his own BMS outfit will take over responsibility for the series - something the 10-time Grand Prix winner is confident will help DTM reverse the slide it has experienced in recent years.

“During the past months, we have been discussing various strategic options for the future of the DTM in complex negotiations. Said Berger.​

"In the past days, I have had very constructive talks with Audi and BMW. Both manufacturers enable for me to take over the full responsibility for the future of a race series in which, for the moment, primarily GT cars will be running.​
That Audi and BMW are supporting a scenario for continuation is great news for all the employees and motorsport fans. In the future, no longer the factories, but independent professional privateer teams will be competing for victories on the platform. For me, it was important that both manufacturers commit to this concept, in order for the GT models of these brands to race here as well. I have this commitment. Therefore, I express my sincere thanks to the manufacturers: with their decision, they not only have contributed essentially to securing the jobs at the ITR and the DTM partners, but also enable fans and supporters to continue to enjoy top-level motorsport. Now, I am looking forward to working on a sustainable strategy for the future, together with our strong partners like Sat.1, one that will thrill the fans.”​
Berger has already confirmed the series will retain the current racing structure in place for DTM 2020, with sprint races forming the backbone of the new era - setting the series apart from more traditional platforms such as the ADAC GT Masters and GT World Challenge championships.

DTM Middle 2.jpg


As for the cars themselves, Berger has suggested that although GT3 regulations will form the basis, DTM hope to apply several changes to maintain a suitable difference between this category and established GT3 based series - with more power and an appetite to keep costs at a minimum some of the main drives behind the announcement.

Both Audi and BMW have reportedly committed to providing support to customer teams within the category, however, at this point Berger is remaining tight-lipped as to the prospect of other brands joining the grid - only going so far as to confirm he has received "interest" from manufacturers not currently competing under the DTM banner.

An interesting change, but a sad loss to see the end of what has been a spectacular era since the DTM returned in 2000 - it will be curious to see how this category continues and moves forwards in the years ahead.



Original Source: DTM

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DTM Footer.jpg
 
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That's what the world needs - one more GT3 series...
It was a one make series after this season... is that better? This brought Audi back on board, and at least there is a chance they can make something interesting. It was dead and buried otherwise. If it's a straight GT3 series, then yeah, probably a waste, but let's see what they create.

The previous model was clearly unsustainable... I'd rather them experiment than fold altogether. We're clearly in a period of unease in motorsport and the world economy in general. Racing fans will be in a lot better shape if racing series can make adjustments to weather the storm rather than just disappear.
 
The original DTM cars are more like prototype cars. It might have a "skin pack" like audi RS5 or AMG C63, but what underneath is completely irrelevant.

The new regulation, from my super unreliable fast reading, it seems that the new DTM cars will have a road car counterpart to base on, like GT3 cars.

If my understanding is correct, this will mean that we will see more diversity in DTM car engineering and manufacturers will have a chance to integrate their experience with this series into their road cars. This is likely to increase the chance of producing better road cars as well as to give other manufactures more motivations to join this sport, thus keeping it alive.

For example, I am interested to see what a Bentley DTM car will look like and how it performs under BoP.

From this view point, I don't see why it is a bad thing.
 
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Motorsports fans' future:

My uncle has a country place, that no-one knows about
He says it used to be a farm, before the Motor Law
Sundays I elude the ‘Eyes’, and hop the Turbine Freight
To far outside the Wire, where my white-haired uncle waits

Jump to the ground
As the Turbo slows to cross the borderline
Run like the wind
As excitement shivers up and down my spine
Down in his barn
My uncle preserved for me an old machine –
For fifty-odd years
To keep it as new has been his dearest dream
I strip away the old debris, that hides a shining car
A brilliant red Barchetta, from a better, vanished time
Fire up the willing engine, responding with a roar!
Tires spitting gravel, I commit my weekly crime…

Wind in my hair –
Shifting and drifting –
Mechanical music
Adrenalin surge –
Well-weathered leather
Hot metal and oil
The scented country air
Sunlight on chrome
The blur of the landscape
Every nerve aware
Suddenly ahead of me, across the mountainside
A gleaming alloy air-car shoots towards me, two lanes wide
I spin around with shrieking tires, to run the deadly race
Go screaming through the valley as another joins the chase

Drive like the wind
Straining the limits of machine and man
Laughing out loud
With fear and hope, I’ve got a desperate plan
At the one-lane bridge
I leave the giants stranded
At the riverside
Race back to the farm
To dream with my uncle
At the fireside…
 
To expound on what I said earlier... anyone objecting to this on the grounds that it isn't what DTM was or should be... they need to wake up, because that DTM was absolutely dead. That DTM was awesome, but it could not be sustained. It is no different than the LMP1 class in Europe, or the DPi class in the US, that will also cease to exist after this year. They were amazing classes to behold, and presented fantastic racing for many years, but, like DTM, have failed to be really viable for many years. Manufacturers have dropped like flies from LMP1 and DPi, just as they have from DTM year after year.

There is a message here. They were not sustainable. There are questions and doubts with the new GT3 adapted DTM, just as there are with the new LMh and LMDh classes. The takeaway is that we have amazing racing series that are trying to adapt to the changes, rather than just go away. As a huge race fan I look forward to what is to come, and I am thankful that there are people trying to keep it going forward.
 
For me compared to SuperGT these 2 are bit timid
With choice of tyre brand their GT3s are quicker as well :barefoot:
edit:
Also no tyre warmers, for mine should be mandatory for GT3 series
 
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Well, as mostly an open wheel enthusiast, no one should probably give my opinion much consideration. On the other hand, this is the internet and giving unfounded opinions is really about the most internet-y thing one can do, so...

I don't think it really makes too much of a difference, honestly. In terms of the racing style, the types of tracks you can run, the tech, etc, is there really that big of a difference between the current DTM spec and GT3? Speaking as a motosport fan who, not without reason, often feels somewhat nervous about the future of the sport we all love, if this makes DTM even the tiniest bit more sustainable long-term, I think you have to support it. Having a DTM series, whatever it may look like, still going strong in, say, 2030 seems to me to be a very worthy goal.
 
Motorsports fans' future:

My uncle has a country place, that no-one knows about
He says it used to be a farm, before the Motor Law
Sundays I elude the ‘Eyes’, and hop the Turbine Freight
To far outside the Wire, where my white-haired uncle waits


I strip away the old debris, that hides a shining car
A brilliant red Barchetta, from a better, vanished time
Fire up the willing engine, responding with a roar!
Tires spitting gravel, I commit my weekly crime…


Suddenly ahead of me, across the mountainside
A gleaming alloy air-car shoots towards me, two lanes wide
I spin around with shrieking tires, to run the deadly race
Go screaming through the valley as another joins the chase

Thanks for posting this. I was lucky enough to see Rush perform that song during their last ever tour. Best live band I’ve ever seen.
 

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