The DTM is finally reacting to the pit lane accidents in Zandvoort and the warnings from some teams that we are "reaching a point where someone is going to die" ahead of the highlight at the Norisring this coming weekend. At the Norisring, which alongside Zandvoort features the narrowest pit lane on the DTM calendar, the pit tent will be extended and the gantries will be pulled further apart.
As a result, the distance between the pit stop stations will no longer be ten, but 13 meters. Aside from that, a speed limit of 40 km/h has already been in place in the Norisring pit lane since last year, while a speed limit of 50 km/h is otherwise standard in the DTM.
"It is a huge difference whether you have ten meters or 13 meters of space - that helps immensely," says Steve Buschmann, who acts as team manager for the Mercedes-AMG Team Winward, seeing the regulation as a big step in the right direction. "The danger for the guys out there is significantly reduced as a result."
New measure also planned for Zandvoort in 2027
This also applies in the event of an unsafe release, even though the controversial DTM regulation is not being adjusted: According to the rule, the vehicle on the "fast lane" does not have priority if the car exiting the "working lane" is fully ahead of it.
"From one gantry to the next, you always gain three meters. This also significantly reduces the likelihood of cars driving side-by-side," Buschmann notes as another positive aspect. The measures - 40 instead of 50 km/h in the pit lane and more distance between the "gallows" - are also set to be introduced in Zandvoort in 2027 to defuse the situation there.
"With a normal regulation, we could save ourselves the trouble"
Team boss Gottfried Grasser, who voiced clear criticism of the unsafe release regulation in the DTM after the Zandvoort weekend and the penalties against Mirko Bortolotti, also views the expansion positively. "The further apart the gantries are, the safer it becomes - especially with the current regulation," says the Austrian.
"However, if we had a normal regulation like in every other racing series, where the fast lane has priority, we could save ourselves the trouble of pushing things apart," the boss of the long-standing Lamborghini team remains critical of the unsafe release rule.
Pit stops will partly take place slightly offset
Furthermore, the change at the Norisring also has negative consequences: Teams at the beginning and end of the pit lane - such as the Winward squad, which occupies the second pit due to the pit stall lottery - will no longer perform their stops directly in front of their own garage due to the larger distance, but five meters offset.
This could not be prevented even by the fact that those responsible increased the gaps between the teams by partially using garages in between for organizational purposes. However, since tire changes at the Norisring may be prepared as soon as the vehicle has left the first sector, the disadvantage should remain within limits.
Will not everyone pit at the same time in Nurnberg?
HRT team boss Ulrich Fritz is of the opinion that the situation in Zandvoort was more intense compared to Nurnberg because, due to high tire degradation, almost all teams usually stop at the same time. "At the Norisring, there is the advantage that the pit stop window is proportionally spread over several laps," he says, referring to the low tire wear and the focus on track position on the tight street circuit.
"Anything that adds to safety is to be welcomed and we absolutely must do it, no matter what it is," he supports the Norisring measures. The fact that the unsafe release regulation remains is something that has to be accepted. "One time you will lose with the rule and another time you will win. The important thing is that everyone knows how it is interpreted and can deal with it," says the HRT team boss.
Winward Mercedes driver Maro Engel also views the measures positively - and the third-placed driver in the overall standings stands behind the decision that the unsafe release regulation remains in the DTM. "The rule has existed for many years and goes back to the Class 1 era," he says. "You can always talk about ideas and possibilities, but I believe that overall, we have a good rule in the DTM."
