René Rast (left) won his second Drivers' Championship whileNico Müller (right) finished second in the championship.
The2019 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 ofDTM since the series' resumption in 2000.Mercedes-AMG withdrew from the championship after the 2018 season to focus on theirFormula E entry. British sports car manufacturerAston Martin replaced Mercedes-Benz, which marked the first non-German entry in 23 years when Italian car manufacturerAlfa Romeo last entered the series under the International Touring Car Series name in 1996.[1][2] Defending championGary 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 theJapaneseSuper 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 atLausitzring.[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 theNürburgring round.
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 2.0litres (122cubic inches)inline-4 cylinder format single-turbocharged engines, tuned to produce approximately 610horsepower (450kilowatts) 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 onNippon Race Engine (NRE) as it used by JapaneseSuper GT andSuper Formula;[5]Garrett Advancing Motion would provide the TR35R turbochargers for all DTM cars from 2019 onwards that same specification as GT500 class inSuper GT. Individual engine units under the 2019 specifications had to last for at least 6,000 km (3,728miles) before being replaced, in comparison to the pre-2019 engines, which were required to last for 10,000 km (6,214miles). Engine unit changes during a race weekend result in a 10-place grid penalty for the requisite driver. All engines would remain to run onAral Ultimate 102 RON unleaded fuel. The traditional 4.0litres (244cubic inches)naturally-aspiratedV8 engines that were used since 2000 were permanently retired. The all-new engine configuration also incorporates theIndyCar-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]
The single-plane element rear wing returns for the first time since 2016 but would be wider. As a result, theDrag 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).
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.
Super GT manufacturersHonda,Lexus andNissan fielded one car each as wildcard entries at theHockenheimring 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 byJake Dennis towards the manufacturers' championship standings.[22]