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While a restriction on testing is the most notable addition to the 2024 rulebook, the ADAC has also tweaked the regulations elsewhere for what would be the second season of the DTM under its stewardship.
More practice time
At the request of teams, the first practice session for each round has been extended by 10 minutes to 55 minutes. The length of FP2 remains the same at 45 minutes, meaning drivers will get a total of 100 minutes of track time on Friday to prepare for a race weekend.
Although the ADAC has been trying to cut running costs for the teams, it has to take this measure to compensate for limited testing in the DTM this year.
“This has to do with the testing restrictions and the complete elimination of Thursday tests,” DTM series manager Michael Rebhan told Autosport’s sister website Motorsport-Total.com.
“We would have liked to shorten the sessions, but the point is that you can change things and try things out more often during the session.
“This – and it was the teams’ argument – takes some of the burden off the previous tests.”
Although there were some talks about holding qualifying immediately before the race as part of a condensed schedule, the format for the rest of the weekend will remain exactly the same. That means a pair of 20-minute pole shootouts on Saturday and Sunday morning, followed by the two races in the afternoon.
Mandatory stops during FCY and safety car
In a fundamental change that could impact strategy calls in the DTM, any tyre change during a full-course yellow (FCY) or safety car period will not count towards the mandatory pitstop.
The change is aimed at equalising the field, “otherwise the person who stopped before would be at a disadvantage”, according to Rehban.
Race director Sven Stoppe also wants to forego the use of safety cars during the pitstop window in order to maintain the same distance between drivers and make things fair for the entire field.
Top five rule extended to top 10
In order to mix things up, drivers who start inside the top 10 must begin the race on the same set of tyres they qualified on. Earlier, this rule only applied to those inside the top five places on the grid.
Running on used tyres, as opposed to a fresh set, impacts both the warm-up and the durability of the rubber.
No advantage for Schubert
Meanwhile, Schubert Motorsport, which will be the only team to run three cars in the DTM this year, has been allowed to apply for a second pitstop station.
However, it must follow one requirement. From the second round of the season, the two best-placed Schubert drivers in the championship must share one pit box, while the last remaining driver will have an entire pitstop station to himself – and can change tyres on any lap without having to worry about his team-mates’ strategies.
Only in this month’s season-opener at Oschersleben will the team get a free choice.
With this set-up, the ADAC wants to ensure that a three-car team cannot take advantage of the additional pit box compared to a two-car squad.
“With this rule, the teams asked exactly what we were doing and why we were doing it,” explained Rebhan. “But I think it’s fair if the weakest driver has the advantage.”
Schubert will run former champions Rene Rast, Marco Wittmann and Sheldon van der Linde in all-star, factory BMW line-up.
