Whereas a restriction on testing is probably the most notable addition to the 2024 rulebook, the ADAC has additionally tweaked the laws elsewhere for what can be the second season of the DTM below its stewardship.
Extra follow time
On the request of groups, the primary follow session for every spherical has been prolonged by 10 minutes to 55 minutes. The size of FP2 stays the identical at 45 minutes, which means drivers will get a complete of 100 minutes of observe time on Friday to organize for a race weekend.
Though the ADAC has been making an attempt to chop operating prices for the groups, it has to take this measure to compensate for restricted testing within the DTM this yr.
“This has to do with the testing restrictions and the whole elimination of Thursday exams,” DTM collection supervisor Michael Rebhan instructed Autosport’s sister web site Motorsport-Complete.com.
“We’d have favored to shorten the periods, however the level is that you would be able to change issues and take a look at issues out extra typically through the session.
“This – and it was the groups’ argument – takes among the burden off the earlier exams.”
Though there have been some talks about holding qualifying instantly earlier than the race as a part of a condensed schedule, the format for the remainder of the weekend will stay precisely the identical. Which means a pair of 20-minute pole shootouts on Saturday and Sunday morning, adopted by the 2 races within the afternoon.
Necessary stops throughout FCY and security automotive
In a basic change that might influence technique calls within the DTM, any tyre change throughout a full-course yellow (FCY) or security automotive interval is not going to rely in direction of the necessary pitstop.
The change is geared toward equalising the sphere, “in any other case the one who stopped earlier than can be at an obstacle”, in accordance with Rehban.
Race director Sven Stoppe additionally desires to forego using security automobiles through the pitstop window with a view to preserve the identical distance between drivers and make issues honest for your complete subject.
Prime 5 rule prolonged to prime 10
To be able to combine issues up, drivers who begin inside the highest 10 should start the race on the identical set of tyres they certified on. Earlier, this rule solely utilized to these inside the highest 5 locations on the grid.
Operating on used tyres, versus a recent set, impacts each the warm-up and the sturdiness of the rubber.
No benefit for Schubert
In the meantime, Schubert Motorsport, which would be the solely crew to run three automobiles within the DTM this yr, has been allowed to use for a second pitstop station.
Nonetheless, it should observe one requirement. From the second spherical of the season, the 2 best-placed Schubert drivers within the championship should share one pit field, whereas the final remaining driver could have a whole pitstop station to himself – and may change tyres on any lap with out having to fret about his team-mates’ methods.
Solely on this month’s season-opener at Oschersleben will the crew get a free selection.
With this set-up, the ADAC desires to make sure that a three-car crew can’t reap the benefits of the extra pit field in comparison with a two-car squad.
“With this rule, the groups requested precisely what we had been doing and why we had been doing it,” defined Rebhan. “However I believe it is honest if the weakest driver has the benefit.”
Schubert will run former champions Rene Rast, Marco Wittmann and Sheldon van der Linde in all-star, manufacturing unit BMW line-up.