Photo: DTM Media

Dani Juncadella believes DTM matches F1 for driver quality

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Force India Formula 1 reserve driver and Mercedes DTM racer, Dani Juncadella, believes the quality of drivers in DTM now equals that of Formula 1.

In 2013, when Juncadella came into the DTM after taking the European Formula 3 title the previous season, he ran a split programme between his DTM drive with Mercedes, and development driver duties with the Stuttgart marque’s Formula 1 team.

He also drove for Williams at the Silverstone Young Driver Test in July 2013, in light of the Grove squad agreeing to use Mercedes engines from the 2014 F1 season.

In 2014, Juncadella will continue with Mercedes in the DTM and is also Force India’s reserve driver.

“I’m pretty sure overall the quality of driver in the DTM is as good as F1,” Juncadella told TouringCarTimes. “Obviously in F1 you have two, three, or four drivers who are the best and considered as top of the class in motorsport.

“However, I think if you look overall, in the DTM there are no rubbish or pay-drivers like in F1, because that’s what’s happening there.

“It’s really tough to say that the best 22 drivers are going to be in Formula 1 because there’s no ranking like in other sports such as tennis or golf.

“If there’s never a ranking, you’re never going to have the best drivers in Formula 1 and I think the DTM is taking a whole bunch of them, because you see young guns arriving like myself, (Roberto) Merhi, (Antonio Felix) da Costa, (Marco) Wittmann, and (Nico) Müller.”

“The future [of the DTM] is looking really good.”

Juncadella added he believes the increasing costs and politics of Formula 1 are pushing young drivers to look elsewhere to race, and the DTM is a valuable career alternative.

“The DTM is a good place for young drivers to look to the future. Everything [in Formula 1] is taking a lot of money, trust, and everything is getting political.

“GP2 is very expensive, so I think young drivers are trying to find another way.

“When a young driver jumps in to the DTM like Paul di Resta did; he was champion after 4 seasons and was competitive from the beginning.

“I think everyone noticed this and that’s the reason why everyone is having thoughts about the DTM.

“The teams also want young drivers because they can make a long-term plan or contract with us.”