Deutschen Tourenwagen Masters
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DTM is the initials for the current Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, formerly known as Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (German Touringcar Championship), a motorsport series based in Germany, but with rounds held all over Europe. The championship is organized by ITR.
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History
The championship was started in 1984 under FIA Group A rules, but was extensively modified throughout the years, allowing "Evolution" models. In 1993 the Group A rules were abandoned in favor of a more liberalized 2.5-liter engine series, that allowed extensive use of electronics, ABS, four wheel drive, and carbon fibre chassis. Opel, Mercedes, and Alfa Romeo all fielded works team, Audi and BMW having abandoned the series.
DTM to ITC, and demise
Having expanded its horizons for the 1995 season to include several non-German rounds dotted around Europe (including rounds in Helsinki, Finland and Donington Park, England), the DTM made plans to morph into a completely international championship known as the ITC (International Touring-Car Championship) for 1996. The ITR governing body then sought approval and support from the FIA to begin the new series. In exchange for FIA support, the ITR let the organization take control over many aspects of the way the ITC was run: crucially, the financial side of the championship was revolutionized. A large proportion of the revenue generated by the championship went to the FIA, with the result that less went to the teams who subsequently complained of little return on their increasingly large investment in the high-tech series (this was further exasperated by the travel costs to the new international rounds in Suzuka, Japan and Interlagos, Brazil). The FIA also increased the price for television rights dramatically with the result that television coverage of the series disappeared from all European countries except Italy and Germany, prices for tickets to races were almost doubled, and access to the circuit paddock to meet the drivers (which had previously been a big hit with fans) was drastically reduced. The choices of circuits on which to hold rounds of the championship were also unsuccessful - the rounds at Magny-Cours, France and particularly Interlagos suffered very poor attendance. Questions were also raised by the manufacturers as to why they were racing in countries in which their cars were not actually sold (Alfa Romeos are not sold in Brazil, and neither Opels nor Alfa Romeos are sold in Japan). Opel and Alfa Romeo both left the championship after the 1996 season, leaving only Mercedes; the championship was consequently cancelled.
The new DTM
The DTM returned in the year 2000, but without Championship status, and the DTM initials now standing for Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (German Touring Car Masters). The cars had V8 engines and purpose-built chassis, which was in some ways more related to prototype racing (many drivers have in fact described the handling of the cars as closer to single seater racing cars than road cars). Alfa Romeo, who at the time were mounting successful campaigns in the European Touring Car Championship, did not return to the series, but Mercedes and Opel did accompanied by long-time absentee Audi. Unlike the previous incarnation which primarily used sedan models, the new DTM featured only 2-door coupés, with Mercedes using their CLK model, Audi using the TT and Opel using the coupe version of the Astra. The series adopted the format of the 1995 championship, with most rounds held in Germany with occasional rounds throughout Europe, but having learnt the lessons of the ITC disaster the ITR constantly strived to keep costs in the series from exploding to unreasonable levels, and to keep the championship firmly tied to its German roots.
The three constructors involved decided to switch to sedan bodies in 2004, the three models currently involved being the Audi A4 DTM, Opel Vectra GTS V8 and the Mercedes C-Klasse.
The drivers are a mixture of young and older drivers, including well known former Formula One drivers Bernd Schneider, Allan McNish, Jean Alesi, Heinz-Harald Frentzen and former two-time F1 world champion Mika Hakkinen. Others, such as Laurent Aiello, Tom Kristensen and Rinaldo Capello, have made their career racing sports cars and touring cars. However increasingly the DTM is being used by young guns such as the newly-crowned champion Mattias Ekström or Gary Paffett to jump-start their racing careers. One driver this strategy appears to have worked for is the Netherlands' Christijan Albers, who built a reputation by finishing 2nd and 3rd in the 2003 and 2004 championships and then graduated to Formula One in 2005.
The championship suffered a setback in 2004 when long-time also-ran Opel decided to pull out of the series at the end of the 2005 season, as part of a large cost-cutting operation in General Motors' European division. Initially the gap looked set to be filled by MG Rover, however their plans to enter the series were cancelled after the company collapsed in April 2005.
DTM Champions
- 1984 - Volker Strycek (D) BMW 635 CSi
- 1985 - Per Stureson (S) Volvo 240 Turbo
- 1986 - Kurt Thiim (DK) Rover 3500 Vitesse
- 1987 - Eric van de Poele (B) BMW M3
- 1988 - Klaus Ludwig (D) Ford Sierra
- 1989 - Roberto Ravaglia (I) BMW M3
- 1990 - Hans-Joachim Stuck (D) Audi V8
- 1991 - Frank Biela (D) Audi V8
- 1992 - Klaus Ludwig (D) Mercedes 190 Evo 2
- 1993 - Nicola Larini (I) Alfa Romeo 155 TI
- 1994 - Klaus Ludwig (D) AMG-Mercedes C-Klasse
- 1995 - Bernd Schneider (D) AMG-Mercedes C-Klasse
- 1996 - Manuel Reuter (D) Opel Calibra V6
- 2000 - Bernd Schneider (D) AMG-Mercedes CLK V8
- 2001 - Bernd Schneider (D) AMG-Mercedes CLK V8
- 2002 - Laurent Aiello (F) Abt-Audi TT-R
- 2003 - Bernd Schneider (D) AMG-Mercedes CLK
- 2004 - Mattias Ekström (S) Audi A4 DTM
External links
DTM official site (http://www.dtm.de/) Audi Sport (http://www.audi.com/motorsport) AMG-Mercedes (http://www.teamamg-mercedes.de/) Opel Motorsport (http://www.opel-motorsport.de/)