DTM has announced a complete ban of team orders for its 2022 season, issuing a warning that any team that attempts to artificially influence results could risk exclusion from the championship.
These rule changes are likely in response to the controversial finale to its first season of GT3-rules racing, where Maximilian Götz claimed his first title when Mercedes ordered drivers Lucas Auer and Philip Ellis to slow down and let the German through to victory at the Norisring.
This allowed Götz to take the title ahead of Red Bull-backed AF Corse driver Liam Lawson in an outcome that was widely criticized. Series boss Gerhard Berger had already hinted at changes in the aftermath of the finale.
A statement from DTM, outlining various rule changes set to go into effect for the 2022 season, has now confirmed that team orders will indeed be outlawed. The series is also warning of significant ramifications if these changes are ignored.
“Teams and drivers who influence the race action by means of a team order, may face exclusion from the championship in future,” the statement read.
Further details on the rule change have not been made public at this time.
Aside from the changes outlawing team orders, the series has also made a number of other changes ahead of the upcoming season.
Teams will now be able to make their mandatory mid-race pitstop under the safety car, something that was not allowed previously.
The pitstop procedure itself has also been altered. A maximum of two mechanics at each side of the car first have to change the wheels on the rear axle before the front wheels can be changed.
This is in response to a tactic employed by AF Corse last year, where a mechanic would first remove the front tyre before performing a full rear wheel change and then putting on a new front wheel. Other teams were not able to copy this technique, as their cars did not have locking rings attached to the wheels.
The starting procedure has also been changed, with the race director and not the leading driver now determining when the race gets underway during a rolling start. The series has said that it is also working on introducing full-course yellow in the future to replace the safety car.
Finally, the series will start awarding a point for the driver with the fastest lap, similarly to Formula One. It has also stated that Balance of Performance can now be adjusted at any time and until the final race of the season to allow for any adjustments to be made.
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