The number one of the German championship anticipates the program of the new official series that will debut, on the sidelines of the Dtm with the GT3 supercars, which will not be replaced. The electric cars will be equipped with all-wheel drive and capable of delivering over 1,200 horsepower in qualifying
Giulio Masperi
June 22
– imola (bo)
A near future that will continue in the name of super sports cars derived from the GT3 class series, with the most famous brands represented on the track with their cars equipped with thermal engines. And a mid-range perspective that will also include an electric DTM series. It will be a series of support to the main one and should debut in 2024 or 2025. The confirmation comes from Gerhard Berger, the former Formula 1 driver, today number one of the company that organizes the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, whom we met at the Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit in Imola on the weekend of 19 June. “The whole car industry is facing a challenge – explains Berger – in developing new, more sustainable technologies, going in the direction of electric powertrains and we as DTM will also be ready”.
DTM: THE PROTOTYPE OF THE ELECTRIC GT
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What will the electric DTM cars be like? And at what point are the works in view of the debut of the series – parallel to the main one, which will continue to unfold with the GT3s? The latter, despite a delay compared to the announcements of the past (which placed the debut of electric racing from the 2023 season), remains a concrete project, moved forward. “We will not start in 2023, but in 2024 or 2025 – Berger goes into detail -. We are halfway through the development of a prototype equipped with four electric motors, with all-wheel drive therefore, which in qualifying mode will have over 1,200 horsepower, and in race mode over 800 horsepower ”. The prototype mentioned by Berger, Austrian born in 1959, former driver of the Ats, Arrows, Benetton, Scuderia Ferrari, McLaren teams in Formula 1, is made by an external supplier, the German company Schaeffler. Another German company, Mahle, is among the Dtm suppliers for this new electrical challenge.
ELECTRIC DTM: SHOW FROM F1
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Who will participate in the electric Dtm series? And what is the basic philosophy? “Formula E as a category was a good start, but it is not yet ‘accepted’ by fans: now we need an electric GT platform – added Berger -. At this stage we have not yet signed agreements with car manufacturers, but we are working on the electric prototype with our partners. We are talking about a very high performance car, something similar to Formula 1, because we want spectacular, fast races, with drivers who are approaching their limit. Electric technology is okay, but for the public the key point is always that the races are spectacular, and that’s what we are trying to do ”.
June 22, 2022 – 15:47
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