BMW's Marquardt urges DTM to adopt Class 1 regulations

With the announcement last month that Mercedes will leave the DTM at the end of next season in favor of a Formula E program, BMW – which remains committed to the European-based touring series along with Audi – is pushing DTM organizers to match regulations with Japanese Super GT and similar GT categories. Such a move has been under consideration for some time, but BMW motorsport director Jens Marquardt launched a renewed push in that direction at this weekend's DTM round at the Nurburgring.

"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," Marquardt said in a statement. "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 standardized, 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."