Who is driving in the GT3-based DTM this year?

Five manufacturers will be represented in the DTM this year, with Mercedes by far having the most cars on the grid. On the drivers front, three former DTM champions and an experienced cast of series regulars will be joined by several rookies from the GT3 arena.

Here’s the full list of 2021 DTM entries:

Audi

Team Rosberg

Nico Müller, Team Rosberg, Audi R8 LMS GT3

Photo by: Audi

Tracing its roots in the DTM back to 1995, the team founded by 1982 Formula 1 champion Keke Rosberg will remain in the series for its transition to GT3 cars this year.

The outfit enjoyed immense success in the ‘new DTM’ as a factory Audi team, powering Rene Rast to three drivers’ titles in the last four years. 

While Rast will not remain in the DTM this year following his switch to Formula E, Team Rosberg has signed a more-than-worthy replacement in Nico Muller – the driver who was Rast’s closest competitor in the last two seasons. 

The Swiss racer will be partnered by American rookie Dev Gore, who has experience of both single-seaters and GT3 cars courtesy of his participation in Euroformula Open and Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup (now GT World Challenge Europe) in recent years.

Abt Sportsline

Nico Müller, Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline, Robin Frijns, Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline with the team

Another former factory Audi team, Abt Sportsline will compete in the DTM with a trio of Audi R8 LMS GT3 cars.

2013 title winner Mike Rockenfeller will lead the charge for the reigning champions after jumping ship over the winter, with his former team Phoenix Racing electing not to continue in the DTM this year.

The German driver will have a very capable team-mate in Audi-backed Kelvin van der Linde, who may be new to DTM but has already built a successful career in GT3 racing at the age of 24, with his Nurburgring 24 Hour success in 2017 being the highlight so far.

Rockenfeller and van der Linde will be joined by 20-year-old Sophia Floersch in a third R8 LMS. Floersch, who will also compete in the World Endurance Championship with the Richard Mille LMP2 team, will be the first female driver to race in the DTM since Susie Wolff and Rahel Frey in 2012.

BMW

Rowe Racing

#99 Rowe Racing BMW M6 GT3: Alexander Sims, Nicky Catsburg, Nick Yelloly, Philipp Eng

Photo by: Alexander Trienitz

A new entrant into the DTM, Rowe Racing brings its race-winning experience from Spa 24 Hours and Nurburgring 24 Hours to the German series.

Rowe has cars from both BMW and Porsche in its stable, but has elected to field two examples of the venerable M6 GT3 in the series. 

This means that it has also been able to recruit two top-of-the line BMW drivers for its DTM assault, with veteran race Timo Glock joined by 21-year-old Sheldon van der Linde. 

Glock and van der Linde were BMW’s top two drivers in the 2020 standings in a season dominated by Audi, with the latter also picking up an impressive maiden win at Assen.

Walkenhorst Motorsport

Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M6 GT3: Martin Tomczyk, David Pittard, Nicholas Yelloly

Walkenhorst Motorsport has a long history with BMW and enters the DTM following successes in the Nurburgring 24 Hours and the Intercontinental GT Challenge over the last three years.

It has signed BMW’s most successful driver in the DTM, two-time champion Marco Wittmann, to pilot its sole M6 GT3 in the series.

The 31-year-old showed rock-solid consistency during his time with Team RMG, but clocked his worst championship finish last year after failing to add to his 15 career race wins.

Mercedes

GruppeM

#999 Mercedes-AMG Team GruppeM Racing Mercedes AMG GT3: Felipe Fraga, Maximilian Buhk, Raffaele Marciello, #75 SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes AMG GT3: Kenny Habul, Dominik Baumann, Martin Konrad, David Reynolds

GruppeM was the first team to commit to the DTM back in November, signing up with a single Mercedes-AMG GT3.

What was meant to be a purely customer entry has now turned into a factory-supported effort with the signing of Daniel Juncadella.

The Spaniard was a part of Mercedes’ driver line-up between 2013-18, but split with the marque the following season to join R-Motorsport Aston Martin. However, after just two seasons away he is back in the Mercedes fold to drive for the Macau-winning team.

Mucke Motorsport

Best known for its exploits in GT Masters and previously the European F3 series that was on the DTM undercard, Mucke Motorsport is venturing into the DTM this year with Mercedes and two-time series champion Garry Paffett.

Paffett has largely been out of the limelight since a disappointing maiden Formula E campaign in 2018/19, but will return to the spotlight this year in a Mercedes-supported Mucke entry.

Paffett and Mercedes have enjoyed a decades-long association, completing their first season together in 2003, and it was the British driver who won the marque the championship in its swansong season in the DTM in 2018.

Haupt Racing Team

Vincent Abril, Haupt Racing Team, Mercedes AMG GT3

Photo by: Mercedes AMG

A former DTM driver himself with Audi and Opel, Hubert Haupt is entering his eponymous team – founded only last year with some staff from Black Falcon – in the series with a pair of factory-supported Mercedes-AMG GT3s.

2012 GT Masters champion Maximilian Gotz will race alongside Frenchman Vincent Abril, who has driven a wide variety of GT3 and GTE machinery over the past few years.

Winward Motorsport

Philip Ellis, Mercedes AMG Team Winward, Mercedes AMG GT3

Photo by: Mercedes AMG

Fresh off winning the GTD class of the Rolex 24 in January, Winward Racing will expand to the DTM in another Mercedes-supported effort.

The outfit has assembled a strong driver line-up comprising Lucas Auer and Philip Ellis for its two AMG GT3 cars.

Auer was a multiple race-winner during his time with Mercedes in the DTM and added another victory to his tally last year while driving for BMW. Ellis, meanwhile was part of the four-car crew that won the curtain-raiser of the IMSA SportsCar Championship this year, and also bagged a victory in the GT Masters last season.

GetSpeed 

Arjun Maini, GetSpeed Performance, Mercedes AMG GT3

Photo by: Mercedes AMG

GetSpeed will enter a single Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the DTM for ex-Formula 2 driver Arjun Maini.

Maini, a race winner in both British F3 and GP3, has spent the last two years primarily racing LMP2 cars in ELMS and Asian Le Mans Series.

2021 would mark his first season in GT3 machinery.

Ferrari

Red Bull / AlphaTauri 

AF Corse Alpha Tauri design for Alex Albon and Nick Cassidy

Photo by: Red Bull Media House

Red Bull was previously the chief backer of Mattias Ekstrom’s Audi entry in the DTM, but will now enter two cars in the category under its own name in 2021.

Alex Albon will complete a part campaign in the DTM this year with the hope of returning to F1 in 2022, sharing the AlphaTauri-branded car with Super Formula and SUPER GT champion Nick Cassidy.

Red Bull junior Liam Lawson will carry the colours of the energy drinks giant in the team’s other 488 GT3 entry.

A deal with factory Ferrari outfit AF Corse has been inked to manage the running of the team.

McLaren

JP Motorsport

Christian Klien, JP Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3

Photo by: Siegerdesigns

JP Motorsport will contest the Zolder, Assen and Nurburgring rounds of the DTM with a newly-purchased McLaren 720S GT3.

Former Jaguar, Red Bull and HRT grand prix driver Christian Klien will pilot JP Motorsport’s part-season entry, having finished second in the Pro-Am class of GT Open last year with the Polish outfit.

The squad is planning a full season entry in the DTM next year.

2021 DTM line-up (confirmed entries so far)