Dieter Gass: “We remain focussed on the championship fight”

The 2016 DTM season has entered its final leg and the parties involved are already looking at next year. For Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport, there are a number of key issues still to be resolved and that will have an impact on the immediate future of the series.

One of the main novelties for the 2017 season is the much rumoured downsizing from eight to six cars for all manufacturers, bringing the grid to 18 vehicles. Talks among all parts involved in the DTM are ongoing, with a meeting taking place yesterday at the Nürburgring. “I won’t talk about what happens next year, whether there we’ll have six or eight cars. I wasn’t at the meeting, I don’t know what was discussed and I will not make a statement over this matter” Dieter Gass told TouringCarTimes.

Cost cutting is the main dish on the menu and, apart from the possible reduction in the number of cars, speculation is also growing as to what calendar changes can be expected for next year. Dieter Gass said: “At the moment there are discussions ongoing, but no conclusions yet. It’s key for us, as manufacturers, to visit important markets, but there has to be an agreement from all parts involved. For example, when we decided to go to Russia, it was an important growing market for all three manufacturers. Now the situation is more complicated there. Hungary is another example: we all have production plants there, so it’s important for us to visit.”

“Another important issue is the interest from the local organisers and also the public in the DTM. It’s important that, if we go outside Germany, we don’t see empty grandstands, but rather we go to places where the public wants to be at a DTM event. As manufacturers, it’s important that we get a return for our investment in the series, and we have to make sure the balance in the DTM is right for us” added the Head of DTM at Audi Sport.

2017 will bring a new cycle of homologation for DTM cars, and the new technical regulations are still being negotiated among the manufacturers: “It’s difficult to say what the new rules will be about, but one important aspect is the aerodynamic development. We are hoping for the regulations to be ready soon. Still, once the new homologation is in place, there will be a new freeze for a few years.”

The new cars will still have to mount the current V8 engines, with the new 2-litre ones now delayed until 2019. Dieter Gass said: “Probably, the introduction of the new engines is a bit too late for us, but that’s what we have to work with.”

“All in all, 2017 is still in the future and we have to look at the present. Our focus remains to continue scoring as many points as possible to win the championship this year”, concluded Dieter Gass.