Audi stops DTM at the end of 2020

The German Touring Championship (DTM) will lose one of its two major manufacturers at the end of the 2020 season. Audi has in fact announced its withdrawal from competition this Monday, April 27 at the end of the day. 

According to Markus Duesmann, Head of Management Consulting at Audi AG, the company will refocus on electric competitions as the Formula E. “It’s a very attractive platform. We are also working on other innovative motorsport formats for the future. »

“We hope that this difficult situation will improve soon and that we will still have the opportunity to participate in some DTM rounds this year, completes Hans-Joachim Rothenpieler, member of the Development Board for Audi. 

The fans deserve (these races) and ITR also (the organizer of the DTM), just like our teams, teams and partners, who now have sufficient time to reposition themselves for post-2020. Motorsport is and always will be an important part of Audi’s DNA.”

To say that Audi's stop in DTM comes as a surprise would be a lie. Indeed, our special correspondent during the DTM Super GT Dream Race told in the n ° 2244 a proposal from Audi Sport, rejected, to provide a single engine to reduce costs.

“We proposed a common engine, Audi Sport director Dieter Gass then announced. The DTM is based on the sharing of standard elements. But the most expensive part (the engine. Ed.) is still developed in their own corner by each person. If we want to reduce costs significantly, this is the next – and only possible – step to take. » Asked about the subject, BMW Motorsport director Jens Marquardt replied: “There would then only be the silhouette of the cars that would differentiate one manufacturer from another? No, it seems complicated to me. »

The brand with the Rings has left its mark on the DTM in its 23 years of presence. No less than 11 driver titles have been won in Audi-badged vehicles. The adventure began in 1990 with the reference Hans-Joachim Stuck, succeeded the following year by the young Frank Biela with the imposing V8 Quattro.

After the hiatus in the second half of the 1990s due to exploding costs, the DTM was reborn in 2000 with a private presence from Audi. The Abt Sportsline structure took care of the development and entry of the Abt-Audi TT-R from 2000 to 2003, aboard which Laurent Aïello became the only French DTM champion in 2002. 

Then came the Audi A4 simultaneously with an official presence in 2004. The efforts paid off from the start with the emergence of Mattias Ekström (titles in 2004 and 2007), followed by the double of Timo Scheider in 2008 and 2009.

After a final coronation in 2011 for Martin Tomczyk, the A4 gave way to the RS5 coupe, synonymous with laurels in 2013 (Mike Rockenfeller) in 2017 then in 2019 with René Rast, this time with the turbo engine version instead of the V8. 

This last season was also a recital for the German brand with the largest lead noted between the champion and his runner-up in the entire history of the DTM (72 points), but also the Team and Manufacturer titles.