How the DTM has come back stronger from its Norisring nadir

OPINION: Questionable driving standards and farcical team orders meant the DTM's first season under GT3 regulations ended under a cloud. But the organisation has responded firmly by banning team orders and welcomed new manufacturers, making for an intriguing season ahead as new and returning names prepare for battle.

Rachit Thukral Mar 30, 2022, 3:03 PM

When 19 GT3 cars lined up at Monza in June of last year for the start of the 2021 DTM season, it appeared that series organiser the ITR had done everything right to re-invent a series that traces its history to 1984. While the manufacturers that had played such an integral role in turning the DTM into one of the most popular racing series in Europe were gone, a strong cast of drivers and customer teams meant that there was genuine interest in how the new era of the series would pan out.

As the season wore on, more and more people started to approve of the direction the DTM had taken, as attested by impressive crowd numbers at venues such as Assen. Races were genuinely entertaining, a thrilling four-way title scrap was brewing between drivers from as many different manufacturers, and there weren’t too many major issues to complain about once Monza's BoP gripes were addressed - save for some unnecessary crashes and the presence of the odd pay driver on the grid.

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Author Rachit Thukral

Rachit Thukral has been working for Motorsport Network from its early days in 2016. Initially recruited for the Indian edition, he was promoted to Motorsport.com’s Global team in mid-2019.

Over the years, he has held a wide variety of roles, ranging from covering Super Formula and SUPER GT in Japan to junior formulae in Europe.

More recently, he has directed his focus to sportscar racing, particularly WEC, DTM and IMSA. He also has experience in reporting on Formula E, Dakar and MotoGP.

Rachit also plays an active role in the day-to-day running of Motorsport.com in his post as News Editor.

Prior to joining Motorsport Network, he worked at the autoX magazine from 2014-15. He started his career in motorsport journalism by launching the website RachF1.com during his teen years.