The first manufacturer draws consequences from the corona crisis: Audi will exit the DTM at the end of the 2020 season! There were considerations before the global economic imbalance caused by the virus, but Audi justified this sad step for German motorsport with the new economic challenges.
In the future, the brand with the four rings will instead concentrate fully on Formula E. “We will drive our change to a provider of sporty, sustainable electromobility. Formula E offers a very attractive platform for this. In addition, we are examining other progressive motorsport formats for the future, ”says Markus Duesmann, Chairman of the Board of Management of Audi AG.
With 23 championship titles, including 11 driver titles and 114 victories, 345 podium finishes, 106 pole positions and 112 fastest laps, Audi shaped the DTM from 1990 to 1992 and from 2000.
The Audi exit presents the DTM with a completely uncertain future. Mercedes dropped out at the end of 2018, Aston Martin after only one season at the end of 2019. In addition to Audi, only BMW is still active in the DTM, so far there are no new manufacturers in sight.
According to BILD information, DTM boss Gerhard Berger only found out about the Audi decision today, and is understandably not very pleased: “Today is a difficult day for motorsport in Germany and Europe. I very much regret Audi’s decision to withdraw from the DTM in 2021. It is to be respected, even if the short-term nature of this decision’s communication presents me, our partner BMW and all other teams with special challenges. Here, especially in Corona times, we would have preferred an approach in the spirit of our common society.
Berger’s timetable: “I now expect Audi to process the planned exit properly, responsibly and in partnership. Until then, my entire commitment to the 2020 racing season will apply. The future depends on how partners and sponsors react to this message. ”
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