DTM Championship organisation ITR has confirmed that their 2022 season entry will total at least 25 GT3 race cars for the second season of the Championship run to GT3 rules with up to 30 cars looking possible.
In 2021, 19 cars were entered for the full season. “Compared to last year, DTM is in a considerably stronger position. Of course, we are very happy with that,” ITR’s director event & operations Frederic Elsner said.
Elsner also pointed out some changes in the regulations for the coming season:
The most significant changes and novelties in the regulations are related to the mandatory pit stop that now can also be made while the safety car is out.
After a hugely controversial final round to the 2021 season team orders are now forbidden. Teams and drivers who influence the race action by means of a team order, may face exclusion from the championship.
Pit stop procedure is also to change, the timed pit stop with tyre change, a maximum of two mechanics at each side of the car first have to change the wheels on the rear axle before the front wheels can be changed.
“As a result of these measures, the pit stop is fairer and safer for everyone and more thrilling for the fans,” Frederic Elsner opined. In future, a full-course yellow (FCY) will be possible as well with the opportunity to replace safety car interventions.
“However, in this case, the restart will be the already known DTM formation start,” Elsner emphasised.
The influence of Scot Elkins, the DTM’s new race director also becomes apparent in another change: “A new element at the start is that it is no longer the pole-sitter who gets the race underway, but rather the race director who releases the field with the starting light. And then, in future, swinging out of the starting grid formation is immediately allowed, too,”
One championship point will be awarded for the fastest race lap to make the battle for the fastest time during the races more intense.
To allow for better preparation for the races during the free practice sessions on Fridays, teams will have an additional set of tyres at their disposal from the second race weekend onwards.
The car categorisation, balance of performance (BoP), can now be changed at any time and until the final race to allow for adjustments if required. “In our multi-day workshop, we discussed all the areas and also taken into account the suggestions from the teams to make DTM even better and more exciting,” Elsner sums up. “The initial feedback from the teams concerning the changes in the regulations is invariably positive.”
