So far, despite Valentino Rossi’s promise in 2019, DTM boss Gerhard Berger has not been able to persuade the ex-MotoGP superstar to start in the DTM. An ex-rival of Rossi’s is now knocking on the door at the DTM: Jorge Lorenzo is expected to be a guest in the paddock at the DTM weekend in Spielberg.
How did this happen? “It’s very simple: I was at the MotoGP and had coffee with Lorenzo,” reveals DTM boss Gerhard Berger in an interview with ‘Motorsport-Total.com’. “And he told me that he drives the Porsche Cup and would like to take a look.”
Berger, who is a self-confessed MotoGP fan, reacted promptly: “I then invited him to come over and said: ‘We’re happy if you come!’ And now he comes and looks at the DTM.”
Lorenzo is making progress in the Porsche Carrera Cup
The 41-year-old Spaniard, who won three MotoGP titles with Yamaha and retired at the end of 2019, made the switch from two to four wheels in 2022: He not only made a guest start in the Porsche Supercup in the Formula 1 supporting program in Imola, but also kicks at all races of the Italian Porsche Carrera Cup.
And it’s getting better and better: in the last outing in Italy, he finished eighth. “This is the best result of my racing car career,” he said happily on ‘Instagram’. “We’re getting closer every time.”
Berger on Lorenzo’s DTM ambitions
Could Berger imagine that Lorenzo also has DTM ambitions in the future? “I’m sure he’s asking himself: would that be something for me or not?” the Austrian replies. “But he has to look at that beforehand. And there’s no plan behind it. It really happened over a coffee.”
This coincides with information that ‘Motorsport-Total.com’ received from the Spaniard’s environment. Lorenzo has neither offers from the DTM nor is entry currently an issue.
Valentino Rossi is already much further along in his career on four wheels. The 43-year-old drove GT3 races while he was still active in MotoGP and since this year he has been concentrating fully on his engagements in the Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II with WRT in the GT World Challenge Europe.
Berger: Rossi knows where “the grapes are hanging” in the DTM
But after a year alongside team partners, wouldn’t it be time to switch to the DTM? “I can’t say,” Berger replies. “I hate to tell Valentino what to do.”
Apart from that, Rossi is “only good for the DTM if he gets involved and doesn’t follow behind. And that’s a must for him. That’s why nobody can judge better than him whether it’s something for him.”
Especially since he should already have an idea of where he stands after his GT3 outings alongside DTM drivers. “He drove with Nico Müller in Spa, for example,” said Berger. “So he has a fairly accurate comparison of where the grapes are hanging. You just have to look at his lap times at Spa. Then he knows where he is.”
Is the DTM still too early for Rossi? “Maybe, but he has to feel it himself,” says the former Formula 1 driver.