Zolder's status as DTM curtain-raiser in doubt
The DTM says it is "currently reviewing" a date clash between the series' opener at Zolder and the FIA World Endurance Championship's Spa round.

It is claimed the FIA World Motor Sport Council did not approve the DTM calendar for the 2020 season at the meeting in Paris last week because of an application by the Belgium's RACB over the prospect of two high-profile racing events taking place over April 23-26.
While Zolder is understood not to have an issue with the clash, it is believed Spa does, and the RACB has used its voting power over the clash.
The WEC's 2020 Spa race was originally set to be held on its usual May date, but was shifted forward a week in order to avoid a clash with Formula E's new Seoul race.
Anderstorp's new DTM round is also set to take place on the same weekend as the Le Mans 24 Hours, a clash that ITR chairman Gerhard Berger claims was "unavoidable".
"The ITR is currently reviewing the situation", an ITR spokesperson told Motorsport.com.
It is understood the DMSB, the German motorsport federation, is acting as a mediator to the RACB and a new calendar could be voted on remotely.
The DTM will consider a new date for the race in Zolder, potentially by swapping slots between races, unless both the WEC and DTM agree to the current clash. The move is complicated by the DTM having a contractual agreement with Zolder to host the season opener.
Lausitzring and Assen would appear to be the most logical alternatives to host the season opener should that agreement be bypassed.
Simply moving Zolder's date would prove complex. Bringing the race forward a week would lead to a clash with Formula E's Paris race in which Nico Muller and Robin Frijns will compete for Dragon Racing and Envision Virgin Racing respectively.
Muller's priority is the DTM as he signed his Dragon deal after renewing his Audi factory contract, while Frijns's priority is FE.
A move two weeks forward would lead to the ITR test at Monza on March 16-18 potentially having to be moved to accommodate Zolder.
If the DTM moved the race back a week, it would clash with Formula 1's Dutch Grand Prix and FE's South Korea race. Two weeks back would lead to a clash with the Spanish Grand Prix and the DTM tries to avoid date conflicts with F1.

Previous article
Berger: DTM clash with Le Mans in 2020 unavoidable
Next article
WRT Audi adds IndyCar racer to all-new DTM line-up

About this article
Series | DTM |
Author | Sven Haidinger |
Zolder's status as DTM curtain-raiser in doubt
Trending
WRT Team Audi Sport – 2020 DTM Season Review
DTM 2020: Audi bids farewell
DTM: Hockenheim - Race 2 Highlights
DTM 2020: Race 1 highlights – Hockenheim
DTM: Hockenheim - Race 1 Highlights
The slow-burner threatening to unseat Audi's DTM king
It's taken him a while to emerge as a consistent title challenger, but in the final year of DTM's Class One ruleset, Nico Muller has smoothed the rough edges and has double champion stablemate Rene Rast working harder than ever to keep up in the title race.
Does 2000 hold the answers to the DTM's current crisis?
It's 20 years since the DTM roared back into life at a packed Hockenheim with a back-to-basics approach as the antidote to its high-tech past. Now it's on its knees again, so is it time to recall the lessons learned in 2000?
Ranking the 10 best Audi DTM drivers
Audi last week announced it would be exiting the DTM at the end of 2020, bringing the curtain down on 20 years of continuous participation since the series' reboot in 2000.
Why the DTM must reinvent itself after Audi exit
Audi's announcement that it will withdraw from the DTM at the end of 2020 was the latest blow for a series that has lost three manufacturers in as many years. Some major soul-searching will now be required to assess how it can survive.
Why cynic Berger changed his mind over green tech in racing
DTM boss Gerhard Berger was a detractor of Formula E and held a reluctance for his series to embrace greener engine technologies. However, this cynic's tune has had to change to ensure DTM's existence as the motorsport world moves forward
What the fallout from Aston's engine split means for 2020
Aston Martin's DTM arrival, via the R-Motorsport outfit, was heralded as a salvation of sorts for the series. After plenty of bumps in the road in 2019, the team finds itself in a similar position to the one it was in 12 months ago. Can it get its act together?
How the DTM and Super GT can build on their experiment
The Class One 'Dream Race' staged by the DTM and SUPER GT proved a hit - from a competitive and collaborative standpoint. The next step will be for both parties to ensure a successful trial ends up being more than just that.
Robot pitcrews and hydrogen – is DTM's concept plausible?
DTM organiser ITR has mooted a radical plan for a "truly new and inspiring" future motorsport series. How realistic are its suggestions of automated pitstops and 1000bhp hydrogen-fuelled touring cars?