The team principals' meeting on Thursday evening ahead of the DTM weekend at the Sachsenring lasted more than four hours: the teams had been asked in advance to contribute ideas on how the DTM can be improved for 2027. At the centre of the discussion were improvements to the qualifying and race formats, as well as the potential introduction of torque sensors.
The 20-minute qualifying format in particular has been criticised since 2023 because there is no running for ten minutes. The current format could be replaced in 2027 by a two-part format. That means the whole field would first contest a ten-minute timed session, with the top 10 qualifying for a kind of shootout that takes place immediately afterwards.
"We definitely have to make sure we are not sitting in the pits for ten minutes," team principal Torsten Schubert makes clear. "That means reducing the time of the actual qualifying session and then adding an individual qualifying session in which you do another single lap."
What the two-part qualifying format could look like
The second part could take place immediately afterwards - on the same tyres as in the first part. The fact that the drivers outside the top 10 would have a small tyre advantage because of the lower running time could provide additional excitement in the race.
In the past, shortening qualifying to ten or 15 minutes had already been considered. But Mercedes-AMG in particular did not agree with that, as its car had difficulty getting the unheated Pirelli tyres up to temperature and was therefore reliant on heat soak. In this process, after one lap the tyre is warmed via the brake in the pits before going out for a timed run.
However, the DTM spec tyre introduced this year comes up to temperature more quickly, which supports a change. "We need a bit more excitement and more action," says Thomas Jager, who serves as sporting director of the DTM programme at AMG, also expressing a positive view of a change.
Qualifying immediately before the race?
"If you look at other series, and also at Spa, and see what such a shootout can look like, then it would be good for DTM to create a more exciting format," he says. At the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps this year, a format was introduced in which, at the end, the top 4 compete against each other in a single-car time trial.
But the schedule is also up for discussion: currently, DTM qualifying is usually on the programme between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. in the morning, when many fans are not even in the grandstands yet. It is understood that German TV partner ProSieben would also be in favour of qualifying being moved back and only finishing half an hour before the race start. Incidentally, this was already discussed once three years ago.
Two mandatory stops on both race days?
But it was not only the qualifying format that was part of the discussion; the race format was too. Apparently, most agree that the second mandatory stop, which has created more excitement on Sundays since 2025, could also be introduced on Saturday. In that case, however, the pitstop window should be enlarged in order to reduce the risk in the pitlane, according to one demand.
The deliberate parking of cars on Saturday in order to save tyres for Sunday was also discussed. This could be prevented by awarding drivers one point for every lap completed. The downside: if a driver is involved in a crash through no fault of his own, the damage is twice as great.
A more likely scenario is that drivers will be provided with a fourth set of tyres for the race days at all weekends, while in 2026 there are three sets at half of the races.
Torque sensors remain controversial
A possible introduction of torque sensors, as are already standard in the World Endurance Championship WEC and the US-based IMSA Sportscar Championship, was a topic. They measure directly at the wheel how much power is arriving. This would provide better data for creating the Balance of Performance (BoP) and could prevent manufacturers and teams from cheating or bluffing on engine power.
The high costs, however, count against an introduction. "I also put forward a proposal," Schubert reveals. "They should start awarding points from free practice onwards, so that everyone shows what they can do. What we do not need is even more additional measuring technology." Numerous sensors were only made mandatory this season, which increased costs.
What happens next after the meeting, which from the point of view of almost everyone involved was extremely constructive? "A lot was discussed, now ADAC has to sort it out and make a proposal," says Schubert, referring to the promotor of the series.
