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DTM rule-makers to drop performance weight rules

Germany's motorsport authority DMSB has announced its intention to drop the DTM's current system of performance weights going forward.

René Rast, Audi Sport Team Rosberg, Audi RS 5 DTM

René Rast, Audi Sport Team Rosberg, Audi RS 5 DTM

Audi Communications Motorsport

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Marco Wittmann, BMW Team RMG, BMW M4 DTM
Marco Wittmann, BMW Team RMG, BMW M4 DTM
Augusto Farfus, BMW Team RMG, BMW M4 DTM
Dieter Gass, Head of DTM Audi Sport
Bruno Spengler, BMW Team RBM, BMW M4 DTM
Loic Duval, Audi Sport Team Phoenix, Audi RS 5 DTM
Timo Glock, BMW Team RMG, BMW M4 DTM

A system of ballast added or taken away from a base weight in accordance to the cars' performances was introduced in the DTM in 2014 and has seen numerous revamps since its arrival.

The DMSB has now made it clear that it will be aiming to do away with the system altogether.

“Basically it's all about retaining a sporting and fair competition,” DMSB president Hans-Joachim Stuck said. “All previous versions of the performance weight rules contained the potential to be abused.

“There is only one logical consequence: we have to find a solution to finally get rid of the performance weights for the sake of the sport.

“Fans want to see race drivers who battle it out from the get-go till the finish line. It's our job to work together to ensure exactly that.

“And that's why, after the race weekend at Moscow, I want to bring the relevant persons from the DTM commission – manufacturers, ITR and DMSB – to the table in order to work on a conclusive solution."

The move to abolish performance weights already has the support of one of the series' three manufacturers in Audi.

Audi's motorsport boss Dieter Gass said: “We are happy that DMSB president Hans-Joachim Stuck found clear words during this discussion. We fully support his vision to get rid of the performance weights.

“This is what the fans want, the drivers, DTM boss Gerhard Berger and Audi, too - and we have had this wish for a long time already.”

An ever-changing rule

The series had started 2017 with a performance weights system based on qualifying pace, but a major change was made in time for the third round of the season in Hungary.

At the Hungaroring, the DTM switched to a model based on an average of 28 best race laps, with two fastest drivers of each marque taken into account for the ballast distribution decision.

From Moscow onwards, it was to change again amid concerns that the system was being gamed. The DMSB announced three best drivers of each marque would now be taken into account, with the amount of best laps averaged randomised between 15 and 30.

All three manufacturers confirmed to Motorsport.com over the Moscow weekend that they were not involved in the change however, and amid their dissatisfaction, the performance weights system has now reverted to what it was before the Russian round of the championship.

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