In July it was announced that Mercedes have chosen to leave the DTM Series following the 2018 campaign.
The Stuttgart based manufacturer has instead decided to favour Formula E. BMW along with Audi is committed to the DTM and are pushing the organisers to develop a viable concept that would guarantee the survival of the series.
At the Nurburgring BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt spoke of his team’s position with regards to the series.
“After the announcement that Mercedes-Benz is going to leave the DTM at the end of 2018, we promised the fans that we would fight for the future of the DTM. We are working hard to do just that. We are involved in intensive discussions with ITR chairman Gerhard Berger and with manufacturers to develop a viable concept for the future, retain the DTM as an attractive and innovative platform and continue to provide fans with exciting motorsport in a top-level competitive environment.
“We support the introduction of the so-called Class One regulations and are prepared to equip DTM cars with extremely highly efficient and more powerful four-cylinder turbo engines and reduced aerodynamics. This would open the door for standardised, global regulations and allow the DTM to drive on the same technical foundation as the cars in the Japanese Super GT Championship, for example.
“This concept would secure the future of the DTM, open it up internationally, and make the whole platform more attractive. We would welcome it if other manufacturers followed and would also commit to the DTM.”
The DTM has existed in its current form since 2000.
Until 2007 Mercedes and Audi were joined by Opel but they left in an attempt for cost cutting operation, meaning the series ran with only two manufacturers who came together to agree the series should never be put in that position again.
