Photo: DTM Media

Shanghai finale cancelled due to WTCC clash

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The planned Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters finale in Shanghai, China, has been cancelled due to a clash with the FIA World Touring Car Championship.
“The cancellation of the Shanghai race is regrettable, but due to the given situation, it can’t be changed for 2011,” said ITR chairman Hans Werner Aufrecht.

A statement from the DTM organisation read:

“The planned DTM race at Shanghai (China) will not be taking place this season. The DTM rights holder ITR e.V. and the Chinese promoter, Brilliant Culture Group (BCG) have agreed upon this.

As the motorsport authorities didn’t grant permission for the race to take place on the originally scheduled date of November 6th due to a date clash with the World Touring Car Championship in China, no suitable alternative date could be found together with the BCG.”

The WTCC races on the same weekend, November 5-6th, on the Chinese track Guangdong.

However the DTM organisation states that they intend to return to China in 2012.

“I am certain that this is not the end of our plans in Asia for the near future. Together with the car manufacturers and the BCG, we are putting our effort into having a race in China again from 2012,” said Aufrecht.

The DTM finale is instead going to take place at Hockenheim on the 23rd of October.