Dtm

Listen to this article The second campaign of DTM’s GT3 era will be remembered for a number of good storylines, but one race that grabbed headlines for all the wrong reasons was the opening leg of the Hockenheim finale. While all eyes were on the title battle out front, a number of incidents were recorded lower down the grid, with videos of a high-speed crash between David Schumacher and Thomas Preining in particular being circulated widely on social media. Such was the extent of the damage from the spate of incidents that seven cars were forced out the final race the following day, with some chassis even having to be written off completely. Driving standards in DTM have come under question repeatedly in the past and teams do factor in damage costs when preparing a budget for the season. But the number of accidents in 2022 were beyond most had expected, forcing Mercedes squad GruppeM to exit the series due to what it described as “unpredictable” cost of repairs. One way … [Read more...] about Why some DTM teams take crash insurance while others gamble

The second campaign of the DTM’s GT3 era will be remembered for a number of good storylines, but one race that grabbed headlines for all the wrong reasons was the opening leg of the Hockenheim finale. While all eyes were on the title battle out front, a number of incidents erupted lower down the grid, with videos of a high-speed crash between David Schumacher and Thomas Preining in particular being circulated widely on social media. Such was the extent of the damage from the spate of incidents that seven cars were forced out the final race the following day, with some chassis even having to be written off completely. Driving standards in the DTM have come under question repeatedly in the past and teams do factor in damage costs when preparing a budget for the season. But the number of accidents in 2022 were beyond most had expected, forcing Mercedes squad GruppeM to exit the series due to what it described as “unpredictable” cost of repairs. One way to tackle this problem … [Read more...] about Why some DTM teams take out crash insurance but others gamble

South African van der Linde pipped Mercedes driver Lucas Auer and Rast's Abt Audi to his first DTM crown last season, in a successful maiden campaign for the new BMW M4 GT3 and series newcomer Schubert, but the championship's future was then plunged into doubt when Gerhard Berger's ITR group sold rights for the series to rival German promoter the ADAC. After some uncertainty, the ADAC announced it would continue to run the DTM as a sprint series for single drivers alongside its existing ADAC GT Masters platform for two driver crews, enabling DTM teams to press on with plans for 2023. BMW Motorsport's announcement on Tuesday morning that Schubert will retain van der Linde and run newly-signed BMW factory driver Rast in all rounds aside from Zandvoort - which clashes with his McLaren Formula E commitments - coincided with the reveal that Project1 will enter the series as a BMW GT3 customer for the first time after running its products in the GT4-based DTM Trophy. The … [Read more...] about Van der Linde to defend DTM title with Schubert, Rast returns with BMW

Listen to this article Like Pierre Gasly before him, Albon found life difficult as Max Verstappen's teammate, especially given the Dutchman's particular driving style which the team had developed the car around. While the Thai driver was retained by the Red Bull family as Sergio Perez came in to replace him, a season in the DTM only made him more determined to prove his worth. Albon admitted being nervous going into 2022, but off the back of solid performance on track and signing a new multi-year deal at Williams, those early nerves made way for a sense of calm. "I’d say there's a sense of calmness with everything," Albon told Motorsport.com in an exclusive interview. "I guess the last two years, one of those years being very stressful, and the other one being nervous, and I guess gearing up for the year I didn’t know what to expect. "I’ve signed a contract which is maybe one of the best feelings, long-term. It's a privilege in Formula 1, if I’m honest. I’m feeling very … [Read more...] about Analysis: How Albon made the most of his second F1 chance with Williams

Listen to this article Gass, who was head of motorsport at Audi in 2017-20, will lead the British operation’s assault on the top category of the 2023 WEC as team principal of Hertz Team JOTA. He joins the reigning LMP2 champion team from Audi where he was moved into an undisclosed role after being replaced as head of its racing activities in November 2020 by Julius Seebach. Gass will oversee JOTA's Hypercar programme with a solo Porsche LMDh prototype to be driven by Antonio Felix da Costa , Will Stevens and Yifei Ye. JOTA’s 963 is set to make its debut at round three of this year’s WEC at Spa at the end of April, before which da Costa, Stevens and Ye will race an LMP2 Oreca-07 in the colours of new sponsor Hertz. Gass said: “Hertz Team JOTA is a new entrant into WEC’s Hypercar class, built upon long-term racing pedigree and an innovative approach to bringing new fans to the championship. “We have a strong mix of skill and youthful potential in our drivers, and an … [Read more...] about Ex-Audi boss Gass joins JOTA to lead WEC Hypercar programme

Listen to this article Kvyat and Bortolotti will share Prema’s second Oreca 07-Gibson with the previously-announced Doriane Pin, forming an all-rookie line-up in the LMP2 class of the WEC. The Italian outfit’s primary #9 entry will be crewed by one-time Formula 3 race winner Bent Viscaal, 20-year-old Romanian Filip Ugran and Juan Manuel Correa. Correa, who was announced by Prema in early January alongside Pin, will miss the opening round at Sebring due to a clash with Formula 2, with his place in the crew being taken by Lamborghini ace Andrea Caldarelli. Prema has decided not to retain any of the three drivers that were part of its first assault on the WEC in 2022, with Robert Kubica , Lorenzo Colombo and Louis Deletraz all dropped from the team’s line-up. Deletraz was recently announced as returning to the ELMS this year with the TF Sport-run Racing Team Turkey, while Kubica and Colombo are yet to reveal their racing programmes for 2023. The arrival of Kvyat … [Read more...] about Kvyat, Bortolotti join Prema’s expanded WEC line-up for 2023