Auer returns to DTM with Mercedes customer Winward Racing
Lucas Auer will contest a sixth season in the DTM this year as part of a two-car Mercedes effort by the Rolex 24-winning HTP Winward Racing team.
As reported by Motorsport.com last week, Auer will return to the Mercedes fold in 2021 after ending his ties with BMW following a single season with the Munich-based manufacturer.
Auer won four DTM races as a factory Mercedes driver between 2016-18, managing a best finish of sixth in the championship in '17.
He added another victory to his tally when he returned to the championship last year with BMW, being one of the only two drivers from the Bavarian marque to clinch a race win in a season dominated by Audi.
The Austrian will now team up with 28-year-old Philip Ellis, who was part of the four-driver HTP Winward crew that took victory in the GTD class of Rolex 24 in January.
Ellis is new to the DTM but has accrued plenty of experience in GT3 cars in recent years, including the rival ADAC GT Masters series in Germany, where he secured a race win last season.
"Even though we naturally have a lot of experience with GT3 race cars, the DTM is new territory for us and an enormous challenge," said WWR team boss Christian Hohenadel. "We will have to bring all our energy and expertise to bear in order to be successful in this tradition-steeped racing series."
Winward Racing is the third Mercedes-affiliated outfit to confirm a programme in the DTM this season, joining GruppeM and Haupt Racing Team (HRT).
Winward is also planning a reduced one-car programme in GT Masters this year, along with one entry each in GT World Challenge Europe and GT Open.
Mercedes has pledged support for the new GT3 era of the DTM, and is understood to be providing spare parts and factory drivers as well as financial support to its customer teams this year.
The 2021 DTM season will get underway at Monza on June 19-20 after a pair of tests at Hockenheim and Lausitzring.
Related video
Paffett in frame for DTM return with Mercedes team
Ex-F1 driver Klien to contest part campaign in DTM
How the DTM has come back stronger from its Norisring nadir
OPINION: Questionable driving standards and farcical team orders meant the DTM's first season under GT3 regulations ended under a cloud. But the organisation has responded firmly by banning team orders and welcomed new manufacturers, making for an intriguing season ahead as new and returning names prepare for battle.
The remarkable career of 'classy' champion Martin Tomczyk
Over two decades as a factory driver with Audi and BMW, Martin Tomczyk earned the respect of teammates and rivals as a hard but fair racer. After calling time on his racing career, the 2011 DTM champion sat down with Motorsport.com to look back.
Jamie Green: The other Hamilton conqueror seeking career revival
On his rise through the ranks before reaching Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton was usually a cut above the rest. But he never truly asserted himself over a Mercedes-backed fellow Briton who traded single-seaters for touring cars and is now seeking new opportunities after a year largely spent on the sidelines.
How the DTM's shambolic finale poses awkward future questions
OPINION: The scenes at the Norisring as Mercedes used blatant team orders to secure the first DTM title of the new GT3 era totally undermined the credibility of the championship. But as well as overshadowing the season, it also presents uncomfortable questions to series bosses about the direction it is headed in.
How Audi's new DTM flagbearer is closing on his "childhood dream"
Having learned the ropes in GT3 alongside Rene Rast, Kelvin van der Linde is in line to take up the three-time champion's baton as Audi's new DTM king. From humble origins in South Africa, it's been a remarkable journey so far for the current series leader, but he knows that the 2021 title is a long way from settled just yet.
The number-crunching behind the new-look DTM's equalisation drive
Switching to GT3 regulations marked a fresh start for the DTM in 2021, but it has also drawn a line in the sand against other series using similar cars by engaging AVL Racing to develop a bespoke Balance of Performance system. Here’s how it works.
The initial verdict on DTM's move to GT3 cars
OPINION: Facing collapse last year, the DTM has shifted its philosophy from a championship for silhouette-based touring cars to GT machines not too dissimilar to those racing across multiple series worldwide. But despite some initial BoP-based teething troubles, there were some pleasant findings as the 'new DTM' got underway at Monza
Why Albon has his work cut out in the new-look DTM
The DTM moves into its bold new GT3 era with welcome support from Red Bull, which enters two AF Corse-run Ferraris. That includes one for ex-F1 driver Alex Albon, who’s determined to make a success of his GT switch