An open battle in Hockenheim finale – DTM Trophy is setting course for the future
Spirited, flat-out driving instead of tactical calculations: the DTM Trophy season finale will be an open battle.
At Hockenheim, every race driver wants to show his skills once again and to promote himself for a drive in the 2021 season. In a thrilling season with entertaining motorsport, the new DTM Trophy for production-based GT sports cars fascinated drivers, teams and fans right away. The course for the second season in 2021 has already been set, registration for teams has already started.
Jan Kisiel, Ben Green or Ben Tuck: who will become runner-up to champion Heinemann?
In the eleventh and twelfth race of the season at the Motodrom in Baden-Württemberg – start at 15:15 on Saturday and Sunday, live stream via grid.dtm.com –, the focus is on a three-way fight for runner-up spot in the drivers’ standings. Polish driver Jan Kisiel from the Leipert Motorsport team, who scored his first-ever second-place finish most recently at Zolder following four third places, is in the best position at 141 points. With 56 points still at stake, the two British BMW drivers Ben Green (FK Performance Motorsport, 120) and Ben Tuck (Walkenhorst Motorsport, 105) are also still within striking distance. But it is about more than runner-up spot, there is also a considerable amount of prize money up for grabs: 50,000 Euros for second place and 25,000 Euros for third place in the final standings. As long as at least third place and therefore 25,000 Euros are theoretically still within reach, former DTM driver Peter Terting (GER, PROsport Racing, Porsche, 72) and two-time Zolder race winner Lucas Mauron (SUI, Hella pagid – racing one, Audi, 69), fourth and fifth in the standings, will also be pushing the throttle pedal to the proverbial metal.
Without any pressure at Hockenheim, Tim Heinemann can also mingle in the race action with his Mercedes-AMG. After six consecutive victories and three further podium finishes, the 23-year old already sealed the crown at Zolder. As a result, Heinemann goes down into history of the DTM Trophy as the inaugural champion and will receive 75,000 Euros of prize money. His team HP Racing International from German city Weil der Stadt has already secured the teams’ title as well.
Maiden victory for Toyota? Argentine López will attack
José María López still has unfinished business in the DTM Trophy. The Argentine, a three-time World Touring Car Champion and a Toyota works driver, participated in the Lausitzring round and immediately made his mark by posting the fastest time in first practice. However, he was rather unfortunate in the two races, a disappointing eighth place being his best result. Nevertheless, López is a pre-race favourite at Hockenheim as the Ring Racing team has considerably improved the Toyota Supra. Most recently at Zolder, Belgian Nico Verdonck secured the first podium finish for the Nürburgring-based team with second place.
Already with a view to 2021, the FK Performance Motorsport team from Bremen is running a third car for Christian Konnerth (GER) next to the regular BMW M4s for junior drivers Ben Green und Luke Wankmüller (GER) for the first time.
DTM as an attractive stage: new and proven elements in 2021 DTM Trophy
Even prior to the finale, the launch of the DTM Trophy at the much-noticed DTM stage can be considered a success. For instance, the race series, primarily aimed at ambitious young drivers, has attracted 26 participants from eleven countries with GT sports cars from six manufacturers in its inaugural year. Four brands among the first six places of the points’ table reflect the balance between the various cars. The basis for this high level of equal chances is the independent and comprehensive balancing of the cars (balance of performance) by the DTM organisation ITR. The concept with one driver per car without driver changes and tyre changes during the races ensures plenty of on-track action and makes the DTM Trophy stand out from other GT race series.
In 2021, the DTM Trophy will build on these proven elements. Unchanged, the two races with flying start covering 30 minutes plus one lap will be held on Saturday and Sunday. Both qualifyings and races will continue to be broadcast worldwide on YouTube, ran.de and the streaming platform DTM Grid. A new element in the 2021 DTM Trophy with a prize fund of 150,000 Euro is driver-specific success ballast. The first three classified drivers in each race will have to add 25, 18 and 15 kilograms respectively, but only for the subsequent race. Registration for the 2021 DTM Trophy has already started. An attractive special rate applies until 11 December, the regular registration deadline is on 28 February.
Jan Kisiel, Ben Green or Ben Tuck: who will become runner-up to champion Heinemann?
In the eleventh and twelfth race of the season at the Motodrom in Baden-Württemberg – start at 15:15 on Saturday and Sunday, live stream via grid.dtm.com –, the focus is on a three-way fight for runner-up spot in the drivers’ standings. Polish driver Jan Kisiel from the Leipert Motorsport team, who scored his first-ever second-place finish most recently at Zolder following four third places, is in the best position at 141 points. With 56 points still at stake, the two British BMW drivers Ben Green (FK Performance Motorsport, 120) and Ben Tuck (Walkenhorst Motorsport, 105) are also still within striking distance. But it is about more than runner-up spot, there is also a considerable amount of prize money up for grabs: 50,000 Euros for second place and 25,000 Euros for third place in the final standings. As long as at least third place and therefore 25,000 Euros are theoretically still within reach, former DTM driver Peter Terting (GER, PROsport Racing, Porsche, 72) and two-time Zolder race winner Lucas Mauron (SUI, Hella pagid – racing one, Audi, 69), fourth and fifth in the standings, will also be pushing the throttle pedal to the proverbial metal.
Without any pressure at Hockenheim, Tim Heinemann can also mingle in the race action with his Mercedes-AMG. After six consecutive victories and three further podium finishes, the 23-year old already sealed the crown at Zolder. As a result, Heinemann goes down into history of the DTM Trophy as the inaugural champion and will receive 75,000 Euros of prize money. His team HP Racing International from German city Weil der Stadt has already secured the teams’ title as well.
Maiden victory for Toyota? Argentine López will attack
José María López still has unfinished business in the DTM Trophy. The Argentine, a three-time World Touring Car Champion and a Toyota works driver, participated in the Lausitzring round and immediately made his mark by posting the fastest time in first practice. However, he was rather unfortunate in the two races, a disappointing eighth place being his best result. Nevertheless, López is a pre-race favourite at Hockenheim as the Ring Racing team has considerably improved the Toyota Supra. Most recently at Zolder, Belgian Nico Verdonck secured the first podium finish for the Nürburgring-based team with second place.
Already with a view to 2021, the FK Performance Motorsport team from Bremen is running a third car for Christian Konnerth (GER) next to the regular BMW M4s for junior drivers Ben Green und Luke Wankmüller (GER) for the first time.
DTM as an attractive stage: new and proven elements in 2021 DTM Trophy
Even prior to the finale, the launch of the DTM Trophy at the much-noticed DTM stage can be considered a success. For instance, the race series, primarily aimed at ambitious young drivers, has attracted 26 participants from eleven countries with GT sports cars from six manufacturers in its inaugural year. Four brands among the first six places of the points’ table reflect the balance between the various cars. The basis for this high level of equal chances is the independent and comprehensive balancing of the cars (balance of performance) by the DTM organisation ITR. The concept with one driver per car without driver changes and tyre changes during the races ensures plenty of on-track action and makes the DTM Trophy stand out from other GT race series.
In 2021, the DTM Trophy will build on these proven elements. Unchanged, the two races with flying start covering 30 minutes plus one lap will be held on Saturday and Sunday. Both qualifyings and races will continue to be broadcast worldwide on YouTube, ran.de and the streaming platform DTM Grid. A new element in the 2021 DTM Trophy with a prize fund of 150,000 Euro is driver-specific success ballast. The first three classified drivers in each race will have to add 25, 18 and 15 kilograms respectively, but only for the subsequent race. Registration for the 2021 DTM Trophy has already started. An attractive special rate applies until 11 December, the regular registration deadline is on 28 February.
