Abt Sportsline will enter an additional car for the final four rounds of the 2021 DTM championship, with former Formula E champion Lucas di Grassi set to make his series debut.
The German team has arranged for the Brazilian to compete in an Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo at the Norisring and Hockenheim as a farewell gift.
Di Grassi will leave the Abt operation for Venturi’s Formula E squad after seven years as a result of Audi’s withdrawal from the all-electric single seater series.
“We were thinking for a long time what we could give Lucas for his farewell and how we could extend our journey together just a little bit longer,” said Hans-Jürgen Abt. “That is how the crazy idea came up to enable Lucas to race in a DTM event, which is now even becoming two events with a total of four races.”
The Sao Paulo native will race alongside championship regulars Kelvin van der Linde, Mike Rockenfeller and Sophia Floersch.
The Audi set to be driven by Di Grassi has been decked out in a colour scheme paying tribute to the Brazilian’s 2016/17 Formula E title, sporting the same red, green and yellow livery as his title winning Formula E car.
Di Grassi has previous sportscar history with the German manufacturer dating back to before his involvement in Formula E. He tested an Audi DTM car in 2013 and drove for the Audi Sport Team Joest LMP1 programme from 2012 to its closure in 2016.
“This is typical ABT,” says Di Grassi. “You rarely find a relationship in sport like this in today’s world.
“Together with ABT Sportsline, I had a fantastic time in Formula E and I hoped until the very end that I would be able to stay with them, even after Audi’s exit from Formula E.
“Now that this didn’t work out in the end for Season 8, I am super excited that we continue our journey together for two DTM weekends. This also proves that there is hopefully much more to come in the future.”
