Audi AG has made a big decision to leave DTM after the 2020 season as it puts its focus onto FIA Formula E Championship and customer racing.
After Mercedes left DTM to focus on Formula E, the German touring car series were left with only Audi and BMW as their sole bearers of the championship. Aston Martin joined in through customer racing route but pulled out ahead of the 2020 season.
It left Audi and BMW as the two big manufacturers again but not for long as the former has made the big decision to leave DTM after the 2020 season, leaving the championship in a huge spot of bother with only one manufacturer in competition.
Audi has decided to focus on Formula E and customer racing, which means, they could still feature in the series but only through customer teams like Team WRT. The decision was taken in a board meet on Monday as COVID-19 pandemic has worsen the situation.
“Audi has shaped the DTM and the DTM has shaped Audi,” said Markus Duesmann, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG. “This demonstrates what power lies in motorsport – technologically and emotionally. With this energy, we’re going to drive our transformation into a provider of sporty, sustainable electric mobility forward.
“That’s why we’re also focusing our efforts on the race track and systematically competing for tomorrow’s ‘Vorsprung.’ Formula E offers a very attractive platform for this. To complement it, we’re investigating other progressive motorsport formats for the future.”
At the same time, Member of the Board for Development Hans-Joachim Rothenpieler, added: “We’re hoping that this currently difficult situation will improve soon and that we’ll still be able to contest a few DTM races this year.
“The fans would deserve this, and so would the ITR, our drivers as well as our teams and partners, who will now have adequate advance notice to reposition themselves for the time after 2020. Successful motorsport is – and will continue to be – an important element of Audi’s DNA.”
As mentioned, Audi is looking to compete in 2020 but it is unknown if the season will get going due to COVID-19 pandemic. In the years gone by, the manufacturer has had 23 championships won as it has helped in 11 drivers’ title victories too.
Audi has had 114 wins, 345 podium finishes, 106 pole positions and 112 fastest laps in all its years of competition and hopes to add more accolades before it bids goodbye. The move has, though, shocked ITR head Gerhard Berger.
Statement from ITR Chairman Gerhard Berger: pic.twitter.com/kEMJbrLZE7
— DTM (@DTM) April 27, 2020
Here’s the details on the updated calendar