2021 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters

The 2021 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters is the thirty-fifth season of premier German touring car championship and also twenty-second season under the moniker of Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters since the series' resumption in 2000.

2021 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
Previous: 2020 Next: 2022
Support series:
DTM Trophy
Porsche Carrera Cup Germany
René Rast is the reigning Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Drivers' Champion.

In April 2020, Audi Sport announced that they would not be continuing their DTM full-factory programme beyond the end of the 2020 season.[1] BMW also exited the series as a factory entrant after 2020 season.

Rule changes

After two seasons raced under "Class One" formula, the series will officially transitioned to GT3-based "GT Plus" formula as a part of cost-efficiency program.[2] The move from Class One to GT Plus means the factory team format will be repositioned to a privateer team format, in order to attract more manufacturers to join the series. The Class One format cars and 2.0 litres (122 cubic inches) turbocharged inline-4 engines that were used since 2019 will be permanently retired. Despite the transition to GT Plus format, Hankook will remain as the series' official tire partner until 2023.[3]

For the first time since 2001, the series will no longer utilise standing starts for the commencement of races.[4]

Teams and drivers

All teams competed with tyres supplied by Hankook.

Manufacturer Car Engine Team No. Driver Rounds Ref.
Audi Audi R8 LMS Evo Audi Typ 42 5.2 L V10 Abt Sportsline TBA TBA TBA [5]
TBA TBA TBA
Ferrari Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 Ferrari F154 3.9 L Turbo V8 AF Corse TBA Alexander Albon TBA [6][7][8]
TBA Nick Cassidy TBA
TBA Liam Lawson TBA
Lamborghini Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo Lamborghini 5.2 L V10 Team Rosberg TBA TBA TBA [9]
TBA TBA TBA
McLaren McLaren 720S GT3 McLaren M840T 4.0 L Turbo V8 2 Seas Motorsport TBA TBA TBA [10]
TBA TBA TBA
Jenson Team Rocket RJN TBA TBA TBA [11]
Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo Mercedes-AMG M159 6.2 L V8 GruppeM Racing TBA TBA TBA [12]

Team changes
  • Hong Kong sports car team GruppeM Racing will join the series for the first time by fielding Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo cars.
  • Anglo-Bahraini sports car squad 2 Seas Motorsport also will join the series for the first time by fielding two McLaren 720S GT3 machines.
  • British sports car team Jenson Team Rocket RJN also will join the series by fielding one McLaren 720S GT3 machine.
  • Italian sports car team AF Corse will also join the series with backing from Red Bull by fielding two Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 machines.

Entering DTM

Former Red Bull Formula One driver Alexander Albon and former Formula 3 driver current and Red Bull Junior Team member Liam Lawson will enter the series with the Red Bull backed AF Corse. Lawson will contest the full season combining it with an entry in the Formula 2 Championship, while Albon is scheduled to compete in selected races where they don't clash with Formula One Grand Prix weekends due to his commitments as Red Bull Racing's test and reserve driver. Former Super Formula, Super GT, and current Formula E driver Nick Cassidy will enter where Albon is unable to attend.[7][8]

Leaving DTM

Robert Kubica will leave the series after one season.[13]

Race calendar

A preliminary nine-round, eighteen-race calendar was announced on 6 November 2020; four rounds were to be held in Germany, with the remaining five held across Europe.[14][15][16]

Igora Drive, Monza and the Norisring – all of which were scheduled to hold events in 2020, before their respective cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic – returned to the calendar, and the Red Bull Ring will hold a round for the first time since 2018. All circuits that held events in 2020 will return in 2021, with the exception of Spa-Francorchamps; Anderstorp and Brands Hatch will also not return, after their rounds were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Igora Drive was cancelled and DTM published a new calendar for the 2021 season.

Round Circuit Location Race 1 Race 2
1 Autodromo Nazionale di Monza Monza, Lombardy 19 June 20 June
2 Norisring Nuremberg, Bavaria 3 July 4 July
3 EuroSpeedway Lausitz Klettwitz, Brandenburg 24 July 25 July
4 Circuit Zolder Heusden-Zolder, Limburg 7 August 8 August
5 Nürburgring Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate 21 August 22 August
6 Red Bull Ring Spielberg, Styria 4 September 5 September
7 TT Circuit Assen Assen, Drenthe 18 September 19 September
8 Hockenheimring Hockenheim, Baden-Württemberg 2 October 3 October
Sources:[14][15][16]

References
  1. Klein, Jamie (27 April 2020). "Audi announces decision to quit DTM after 2020". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  2. Thukral, Rachit (20 September 2020). "DTM future secured with support from Audi and BMW". motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  3. "Tyre supply deal with Hankook extended until 2023". Touring Car Times. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  4. Dagys, John (26 October 2020). "Standing Starts Abandoned; Driver Aids Retained for GT3 Era". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  5. Lloyd, Daniel (17 December 2020). "Abt to Maintain Series Presence with Audi GT3". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  6. "Red Bulls DTM-Comeback mit Ferrari: Die Hintergründe von Bergers Coup". Motorsport-Total.com (in German). Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  7. "F1 exile Alex Albon to compete in DTM with Red Bull backing". www.motorsport.com. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  8. Thukral, Rachit (2 February 2021). "Red Bull reveals DTM plans for Albon as Cassidy joins line-up". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  9. Thukral, Rachit (23 December 2020). "Team Rosberg becomes second ex-Audi squad to confirm DTM stay". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  10. Lloyd, Daniel (10 December 2020). "2 Seas Motorsport Announces Two-Car McLaren Entry". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  11. Lloyd, Daniel (18 December 2020). "Jenson Rocket RJN Becomes Second McLaren Team to Join". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  12. Dagys, John (24 November 2020). "GruppeM Commits to DTM with Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  13. Watkins, Gary (28 January 2021). "Kubica rules out DTM return, will target full-time LMP2 move". Autosport. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  14. "More than just a race series: DTM as the core of a motorsport event platform with five pillars". Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters. ITR e.V. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  15. Thukral, Rachit (6 November 2020). "DTM opts for spec-GT3 cars from 2021". Autosport. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  16. "2021 DTM calendar confirmed with nine race weekends". TouringCarTimes. Mediaempire Group AB. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
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