DTM still has a long way to go to survive by Rob Veltman

[Alex K]

Another great read, I think all of us can add something to the discussion, because the topic on agenda is... Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, what to do to survive.

DTM still has a long way to go to survive

[zac510]

I don't think the author validly explains how DTM will not survive - he just explained what he doesn't like about it at the moment and doesn't really explain how those things will cause it to fail either economically, politically or in public popularity.

His comparison with Australian V8SC is mostly, IMO, invalid. It suffers from the same problems he cites DTM as having.

[helgi]

What's the problem we should discuss?I cannot see it in the article.

[FIRE]

The main problem of DTM are not the technical rules or race format but the influence of Mercedes and Audi. If drivers could race for own glory I think the races would be much more interesting. So will the new technical rules attract more manufacturers and teams? I am not convinced, first Mercedes and Audi have to change their policy.

BTW is Rob Veltman member of this forum?

[Alex K]

It is also technical thing. Everyone should be allowed to use custom blueprint for Mercedes-Benz and Audi, blueprint which could have been used by independent factories, not only HWA and Abt Sportsline. What we've got today is farce, year by year they choose drivers to driver 4 new cars, rest must use 1 or even 2 year old cars. Free of choice? Let the likes of Zakspeed, Holzer, Rosberg, Abt, Mucke... build the cars, or buy them from outsource company. In theory at least, every car will have same chance.

[flor]

You mean like in F3 where you buy a Dallara or Mygale or whatever?

[Alex K]

I mean like in V8 Supercars or NASCAR leagues, where you choose chassis from different providers, manufacture providers inc.

[SALEEN S7R]

It could work, providing it was only the chassis that was made from a specalist manufacturer. People like Lola, Dallara, G Force, Dome, Zytek could all make competitve chassis I think. However some teams would have better chassis than others and the performance gap between the top teams and bottom teams could well be bigger than it is now.

[Alex K]

I doubt, if you prepare them from the same blueprint and the same technical documentation cars should be the same on performance ground.

It can't be worse than it is now?!

Other major issue is... sporting rule book.

[helgi]

Well,what are we talking about?Do we want to see a show with no gap between first and last row?Then we should be happy with a monoclass racing.I want to see a Real battle.To reveal the best combination of car and pilot.And it doesn't matter to me what gaps will be.It wil be Sport,not show. It would be great if such competitors like Zakspeed return,and construct racing cars on their own. It will be Real DTM,DTM 'it ought to be'.

[kmchow]

Originally Posted by Alex K

It is also technical thing. Everyone should be allowed to use custom blueprint for Mercedes-Benz and Audi, blueprint which could have been used by independent factories, not only HWA and Abt Sportsline. What we've got today is farce, year by year they choose drivers to driver 4 new cars, rest must use 1 or even 2 year old cars. Free of choice? Let the likes of Zakspeed, Holzer, Rosberg, Abt, Mucke... build the cars, or buy them from outsource company. In theory at least, every car will have same chance.

But what would you do with all the past year's cars? They already try to equalize the past year's veh with different base weights.

[zac510]

I would think that if you asked those teams if they want to build their own chassis they would probably say 'nein'. Too expensive and too time consuming.

[werner]

It's all right if Audi and Mercedes make their own chassisses and engines. If they then sell them to teams, who finetune them and then race them. Let the best team and driver win.
But as long as the DTM is run by Germans it won't be easy to follow the Australian example. It's just because Germans aren't Australians, they lack the easygoing spirit to 'see what happens'. They like to be in control. Maybe Audi en Mercedes need to hire foreign managers to be responsible for the DTM-business.

[zac510]

In V8 Supercars most of the top chassis are built by a few top teams and sold to the smaller teams so it's not really a valid argument. I think you are not entirely wise to how it works down under, which I mean in an inoffensive way. It's hard to tell from the other side of the world

[werner]

I don't know how it goes down under, but i do know the results are good. I do know a bit better how it goes with my neighbours though, Germany is closer to me than most of Australia to you, and thus are Germans to.