DTM seems doomed as Audi pulls out

The DTM looks doomed in its current format following Audi’s announcement on Monday that it will quit the series at the end of 2020, meaning only BMW remains.

Rumours have abounded over the winter – since before the coronavirus pandemic – that Audi was weighing up its DTM future. Its missive blamed the current crisis, as well as saying that Audi would concentrate on Formula E and its customer racing projects. It added: “We’re investigating other progressive motorsport formats for the future.”

DTM chief Gerhard Berger – previously stung by Mercedes’ end-of-2018 pullout and the one-year-and-out Aston Martin project – then issued a statement that pulled few punches.

“I deeply regret Audi’s decision to withdraw from the DTM,” said Berger. “While we respect the board’s position, the short-term nature of this announcement presents ITR [the DTM promoter], our partner BMW and our teams with a number of specific challenges.

“Given our common association, and the particular difficulties we all face during the COVID-19 pandemic, we would have hoped for a more united approach. This decision worsens the situation, and the future of the DTM now very much depends on how our partners and sponsors react to this decision. Nevertheless, I fully expect Audi to undertake its planned exit properly, responsibly and in full partnership with ITR.”

German motorsport folk hero Hans Stuck, the 1990 DTM champion and former president of the DMSB governing body, had already advocated the series switching to GT3 cars. “Are these very special [DTM] cars really the right way, or couldn’t we change cars from a certain year on and use GT3 cars for example?” he said.