How the DTM has come back stronger from its Norisring nadir

OPINION: Questionable driving standards and farcical team orders meant the DTM's first season under GT3 regulations ended under a cloud. But the organisation has responded firmly by banning team orders and welcomed new manufacturers, making for an intriguing season ahead as new and returning names prepare for battle

When 19 GT3 cars lined up at Monza in June of last year for the start of the 2021 DTM season, it appeared that series organiser the ITR had done everything right to re-invent a series that traces its history to 1984. While the manufacturers that had played such an integral role in turning the DTM into one of the most popular racing series in Europe were gone, a strong cast of drivers and customer teams meant that there was genuine interest in how the new era of the series would pan out.

As the season wore on, more and more people started to approve of the direction the DTM had taken, as attested by impressive crowd numbers at venues such as Assen. Races were genuinely entertaining, a thrilling four-way title scrap was brewing between drivers from as many different manufacturers, and there weren’t too many major issues to complain about once Monza's BoP gripes were addressed - save for some unnecessary crashes and the presence of the odd pay driver on the grid.