The Fall of DTM: How Germany’s Top Racing Series Died

#dtm #motorsport

Dive into the exhilarating world of the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM), Germany's premier touring car racing series! In this video, we explore the rich history of DTM, from its inception in the early 1980s to its evolution into a global motorsport phenomenon.

Discover the iconic cars, legendary drivers, and unforgettable races that have defined DTM over the decades. We’ll cover key milestones, including the introduction of the Class 1 regulations, the fierce rivalry between manufacturers like Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, and the series' impact on motorsport culture in Germany and beyond. The future now lies in GT3 regulations with supercars from the likes of Ferrari and McLaren as well.

Join us as we celebrate the thrilling moments, technological advancements, and the passionate fanbase that make DTM a must-watch for racing enthusiasts. Whether you're a long-time fan or new to the series, this video will give you a comprehensive look at what makes DTM a cornerstone of motorsport history in Germany and how it sadly collapsed.

[MyILoveMinecraft]

I loved dtm because they used to run hot versions of affordable cars.

DTM should be running C classes, audi A4s, 3 series and alfa romeo gullias.

Not lambos and 911s

[HeyFella]

I went to several DTM races at Zandvoort in the 2000s. Back then it was like the whole of Germany was at the Dutch coast. The series was very popular. Caravans, motorhomes and German cars everywere. The stands were packed. It was a sight to behold. I went with my nephew and brother in the summer of 2023. We had grandstand seats and it wasn't even fully packed. Germany no longer cares. Such a shame.

[gammagirl]

As a German, I'm sad to see what they've done with the DTM. It used to be so cool and really exciting. Now it's just another boring GT3 championship...

[Duncan]

The insane aero on pre-2021 DTM cars is what I loved about them, very unique and the cars looked amazing. Sad that it's now just a standard GT3 series especially when GT Masters already exists in Germany.

[SwineBrothers]

The problem is, now it's just another gt3 series. And not even the only gt3 series in Germany. I get why it had to change, but...plus it's not broadcast on Youtube in the states any more.

[iMDN]

I don’t even consider watching it these days, DTM in the 2000’s were class to grow up with

[edugj]

The "temporary" adoption of GT3 rules became permanent, and there's no other choice in the short term. In my view, DTM is still around because of the brand, which is still strong enough to attract top drivers.

[darrenfv]

The series from the 1990s onwards were trying to get a Japanese manufacturer into the series Toyota was the one mentioned several times over the years as Toyota has a European base for the Motorsport operation in Germany

[wolvemedia]

As someone who attended the DTM for several years now, i can say, i don't care what cars they drive. For me it's the racing, which is, compared to other series, really good and offers the "door to door racing" the fans wanted to see (which in class1 was questionable, because of all the aero). The DTM was always a fan series. In no other series were you able to get this close to the cars, drivers or even mechanics. I even watched a race from inside the pits in the garage of Rene Rast (And no i didn't pay extra for this, i was just at the right place, to the right time). And also if you attend a full raceweekend, you have the whole 3 days of racing with multiple series from TCR, Porsche Cup, DTM classics and others.

[Shortus]

i went to the nürburgring back in 1993 as a little critter with my dad. and this sound from that era will stick forever with me like the 2000 formula 1 gp on the nürburgring. in retro perspective, thanks to my dad, i was able to hear and see the pinnacle of these motorsport classes

[lucasrabelo]

3:22 This kind of aero profile could be seen in Stock Car Brasil between 2010-2019. In that time the cars here looked closer to a DTM car, but we used a Chevrolet(that had nothing in common with the street model and V8 engines). But in 2020 the series took the "closer to the street model" route

[fioralbannach]

Agree that DTM is not what it used to be, but it still offers some fantastic racing in its current form. It is also popular and the races get good crowds, with top drivers for e.g., Rene Rast, Mirko Bortolotti, Maro Engel competing. I think DTM has made the best of difficult conditions, and adapted to produce some of the most exciting racing we have today.

[AbrahamArthemius]

One of the biggest reasons for DTM dropping Class One regulation is "Manufacturer Loyalty".

This is what makes Super GT still able to use that regulation in a stable manner with Toyota, Honda, & Nissan are all coming in to fund the series.

[ivaneurope]

One correction - Germany HAD a TCR championship and in the first few year it had grid sizes up to 40+ cars, but dwindling grids and the fact that the then ADAC GT Masters (which was then merged with DTM once both were under the same umbrella) was far more popular, the series was killed off. A potential re-boot was planned, but scrapped. While the GT3 class is still thriving, that's not the case in TCR - the cars are based on C-segment family cars which is now facing extinction as car manufacturers are heading towards either EV's or SUV's (some of the best selling vehicles in Europe are SUV's), which also hampers the FIA's rallying pyramid as the cars used in the World Rally Championship are for the most part based on the smaller B-segment (subcompact class) which are also phased out (the Ford Fiesta ended production in 2022, which forced long time partner M-Sport to use the Puma crossover as the base for their next top tier machine, while the Fiesta family of rally cars below the top range look outdated).

[AdminAbuse]

I lost all interest since it became a GT3 series, it is too generic for me personally to care about.
I already watch WEC and IMSA and see enough GT3 cars as is

[VykronianF]

Easy way to bring DTM back: Budget cap, used German sedans, stock engine can be modified but cannot swap to different engine, each team uses the same wind tunnel, general body shape must stay the same, mostly German tracks but cannot got anywhere in Europe, then all the usual small print regulatory things.

[pavelskrylnikov]

The most hilarious thing about GT3 era DTM is that it is only technically D and M, and absolutely not T.
Also, i used to watch it in my childhood, along with some Clio and Carrera cup racing, and i like tin tops more than open wheels since than. So it is really sad that DTM flopped, the example of Japan shows that it was purely because of bad management.

[ForburyLion]

I'm British, We pretty much invented the Super Touring era and the 90's were great because we had 10 manufacturers battling door to door, However we also loved the DTM because the cars looked great and were monsters, The Opel Calibra, Alfa 155 and Mercedes A class. Then the money side of things went crazy in both the BTCC and DTM and that's what killed them.

[gavalant]

The GT3 era was meant to bring stability yet the entry lists have still been really volatile each season. Starting with 19, 24, 27, and then a big drop to only 20 cars showing up in 2024 after Audi quits GT3 for F1 and honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Dörr Motorsports is gonna quit soon because of McLaren giving them no help whatsoever like what happened to Pfaff Racing in IMSA.

[christophkragenings]

Great video! I agree! I was part of a media team in the DTM from 2007 to 2010. Thank you!