René Rast (left) won his second Drivers' Championship while Nico Müller (right) finished second in the championship.
The 2019 DTM was the thirty-third season of premier German touring car championship, first season under "Class 1" regulations era and also twentieth season under the moniker of DTM since the series' resumption in 2000. Mercedes-AMG withdrew from the championship after the 2018 season to focus on their Formula E entry. British sports car manufacturer Aston Martin replaced Mercedes-Benz, which marked the first non-German entry in 23 years when Italian car manufacturer Alfa Romeo last entered the series under the International Touring Car Series name in 1996.[1][2] Defending champion Gary Paffett did not return to defend his title, as he moved to Formula E.
The 2019 season oversaw the championship introduce revolutionary regulations known as "Class 1", the biggest change to the sport in recent history. These regulations will be shared between the DTM and the JapaneseSuper GT series' GT500 class from 2020, allowing entries to compete in both championships.[3] The 2019 championship saw the running of the 500th DTM race, which was held as the second race at Lausitzring.[4]
Audi clinched the manufacturers' championship title for the seventh time, with four races to spare.[4]René Rast clinched his second DTM driver's title in the Nürburgring round.
Rule changes
Technical regulations
Engine formula
The 2019 season saw the introduction of a brand-new prototype road car-based fuel-efficient engine configuration, with turbocharged engines returned to the sport for the first time since 1989. The new engines were 2.0 litres (122 cubic inches) inline-4 cylinder format single-turbocharged engines, tuned to produce approximately 610 horsepower (450 kilowatts) and limited to 9,500 rpm as it was announced on 20 January 2016 and thus the new engine formula will be known as "Class 1" that based on Nippon Race Engine (NRE) as it used by Japanese Super GT and Super Formula;[5]Garrett Advancing Motion would provide the turbochargers for all DTM cars from 2019 onwards. Individual engine units under the 2019 specifications had to last for at least 6,000 km (3,728 miles) before being replaced, in comparison to the pre-2019 engines, which were required to last for 10,000 km (6,214 miles). Engine unit changes during a race weekend result in a 10-place grid penalty for the requisite driver. All engines would remain to run on Aral Ultimate 102 RON unleaded fuel. The traditional 4.0 litres (244 cubic inches) naturally-aspiratedV8 engines that were used since 2000 were permanently retired. The all-new engine configuration also incorporates the IndyCar-style push-to-pass overtake assist system in a bid to improve the racing spectacle; the push-to-pass system will produce around 30 hp (22 kW) and will be used by the driver up to 12 times in a race.[6]
Aerodynamics and other components
The single-plane element rear wing returns for the first time since 2016 but would be wider. As a result, the Drag Reduction Systems (DRS) used for assisting overtaking maneuvers will be revised, with use now within three seconds of a driver in front.
The minimum weight of the cars was decreased from 1,115 to 1,070 kg (2,458 to 2,359 lb) (including driver and fuel respectively) to account for the decreased weight of the engine and other components.
Launch control was outlawed,[7] while the traditional interior rear view mirror was replaced by a rear-view camera.[7] Meanwhile all electronic devices were upgraded due to new Class 1 regulations including all-new Bosch DDU 10 color display dash, Bosch MS 7.4 engine management system, Bosch PBX 190 power management systems and also Tyre Pressure Management Systems (TPMS).
Sporting regulations
The two races per round format was retained, but the fixed lap distance format (last used in 2014) was initially brought back, replacing the timed race format (55 minutes plus 1 lap most recently) that had been used for the previous 4 years; there was a caveat in the case of a safety car period, the race could be extended by up to 3 laps.[7] However after the opening round of the season, the previous timed race format was reinstated with the addition of the race-extending safety car rule.
Teams and drivers
The following manufacturers, teams and drivers competed in the 2019 DTM. All teams competed with tyres supplied by Hankook.
Super GT manufacturers Honda, Lexus and Nissan fielded one car each as wildcard entries at the Hockenheimring season finale, to mark the beginning of the shared "Class 1" regulations for DTM and Super GT GT500.[12]
With the adoption of Class 1 regulations, the series will share two rounds with the Super GT championship. One is planned to be held in Europe and the other in Asia. A balance of performance formula will be applied to ensure parity between DTM cars and Super GT as Super GT will not adopt Class 1 regulations until 2020.[20]
^Rockenfeller qualified on pole but received a 5-place grid penalty. Nico Müller started first.
^Daisuke Nakajima qualified on pole but received a 5-place grid penalty for a chassis change. Loïc Duval started first.
^In accordance with Article 28.5 of the DTM Sporting Regulations, Aston Martin did not accumulate the eight points earned by Jake Dennis towards the manufacturers' championship standings.[22]
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