Six reasons to watch DTM in 2023 after ADAC takeover

Gerhard Berger’s decision to shut down the ITR and sell the brand rights of the DTM at the end of last year came as a shock to many, including those that were part of the championship. However, it has brought the DTM under the umbrella of ADAC, Germany’s premier automobile club, and it can only take the series to greater heights in the coming years.

ADAC has been treating the DTM as its prized possession ever since the takeover was completed and it was even ready to demote GT Masters as a second-tier category as part of its ‘DTM Endurance’ plans, although it did have to backtrack on that idea in the face of opposition from teams and drivers.

ADAC is keen on growing the DTM in its core German-speaking markets and has made a number of changes that should make it more attractive to fans as well those competing in the championship.

Combine that with a strong line-up of teams and drivers, there are plenty of reasons for fans to tune in for this weekend’s opening round at Oschersleben.

Rene Rast in a BMW

René Rast, Schubert Motorsport BMW M4 GT3

Photo by: Alexander Trienitz

Rene Rast is easily the DTM’s biggest and the most recognisable star and the three-time champion will be back on the grid this year, except this time in BMW colours.

Rast’s success has been synonymous with Audi so it would be almost unnatural for fans to see him represent a rival brand, but it will be interesting to see how he will fare in the BMW M4 GT3.

Rast did take some time getting used to the Audi R8 LMS GT3 again following a 2021 sabbatical that followed the DTM’s move away from Class 1 cars, but once up to speed he was able to challenge for race wins and the championship again - eventually ending up a strong third in the standings behind Sheldon van der Linde and Lucas Auer.

To make matters more interesting, van der Linde will be his team-mate at Schubert Motorsport this year and Rast will have to come up with his best in order to give the South African a run for his money.

Following pre-season testing, Rast was unsure if he will ever be able to fully gel with the M4 GT3, but it would be foolish to even think that he would struggle to adapt to the car this year.

A championship assault is unlikely as he will be forced to miss the Zandvoort round due to clashing commitments with McLaren in Formula E, but the 36-year-old can be counted on to be a potent contender for victories and podiums on a regular basis.

Last Audi season?

Ricardo Feller, Team ABT Sportsline Audi R8 LMS GT3

Photo by: Alexander Trienitz

Despite the best efforts of customer racing boss Chris Reinke and new motorsport head Rolf Michl, there is growing evidence that suggests Audi will shut down its customer racing division at the end of 2023, meaning it could be the last season in which cars from the Ingolstadt-based manufacturer will race in the DTM.

Audi’s GT3 programme has been on a steady decline in recent years with several of its big-name factory drivers jumping ship, and a decline in its annual budget has only made things worse.

However, fans of Audi will get to see its ultra-successful R8 LMS GT3 in the DTM for at least one more season this year and they will be hoping that the German manufacturer can depart the series on a high.

Abt Sportline will lead Audi’s charge in the DTM following the demise of Team Rosberg, with the German team running a pair of cars this year for factory driver Ricardo Feller and Kelvin van der Linde, the latter now competing independently of Audi and signing directly with Abt.

The rebranded Attempto Orange1 team will expand to two cars this year for Mattia Drudi and Patric Niederhauser, while Luca Engstler will pilot the fifth and the final Audi on the grid this year for his family-run Engstler Motorsport team.

The R8 LMS GT3 received a second Evo upgrade package only last year and one can expect it to be reasonably competitive against its rivals, particularly in the hands of Abt duo Feller and van der Linde.

Jack Aitken among fresh faces

Jack Aitken, Emil Frey Racing

Photo by: Alexander Trienitz

Nine drivers will be making their DTM debuts at Oschersleben this weekend but one name that will stand out from the rest is Jack Aitken. A one-time race starter in Formula 1, Aitken will drive a Ferrari 296 GT3 for Emil Frey Racing. 

Having already proven his credentials with Emil Frey in GT Masters and GT World Challenge Europe in recent years, and further underlined his capabilities in prototypes with Cadillac in the IMSA SportsCar Championship this year, Aitken will surely be worth watching out for this season. Missing Zandvoort won’t be ideal for his rookie campaign, but Aitken hopes to be in a position to challenge for victories towards the end of the season. 

Rising Mercedes young driver Jusuf Owega also has the potential to create headlines and, having been given the chance to drive for last year’s title-winning GT Masters team Landgraf, he will have the right people around him to allow his talent to shine.

Elsewhere, Tim Heinemann will make the step up to DTM after winning back-to-back titles in the GT4-based DTM Trophy, and will be a part of a six-s