After last year’s success with three race wins and four additional podium results, the new generation GT3 race car from Weissach will now be fielded for the first time this year. Porsche’s customer squads entrust the cockpits to proven drivers and highly skilled youngsters. With six racing cars, Porsche has doubled its contingent compared to last year. The 2023 DTM, now run for the first time under the umbrella of ADAC, includes a total of 16 races contested at eight venues between May and October. 13 Teams from six different manufacturers will tackle the series.
“2023 heralds a new era in the DTM and we’re excellently represented with six 911 GT3 R,” says Sebastian Golz, Project Manager Porsche 911 GT3 R. “With Toksport WRT, Team75 Bernhard and Manthey EMA we have strong partners on our side who we’ll support in the DTM. This tremendous campaign is rounded off with six first-rate drivers whose experience ranges from feeder racing series like the Porsche Carrera Cup to many years of GT racing.”
Team75 Motorsport expands its involvement in the DTM from one to two Porsche 911 GT3 R. The squad owned by the two-time overall Le Mans winner and current Porsche brand ambassador Timo Bernhard relies on two extremely fast specialists. Ayhancan Güven from Turkey, a former Porsche Junior and Supercup vice-champion, has already gained experience in DTM from guest drives in 2022. Germany’s Laurin Heinrich won the Carrera Cup Deutschland last year as a Porsche Junior. He now advances to the popular German racing series with the team from Germany’s Saarpfalz region.
“It’s fantastic that we’re now running two cars this year. After a successful debut season with two victories, this was our clear intention,” states Timo Bernhard. “We’re very well positioned with our drivers. Ayhancan has a lot of GT3 racing experience. He knows all the racetracks and the designated tyres. I think Laurin is one of the most exciting up-and-coming stars. His learning curve will be steep. Our team has been reinforced. Everyone is highly motivated. I’m sure that we’ll be well up with the play.”
The Manthey EMA driver line-up has the most DTM experience. Works driver Thomas Preining, who fought for the 2022 title for Team75 Motorsport right up until the final race weekend, is switching to the team from the Eifel for this season. The Norwegian Dennis Olsen, another 2022 DTM race winner, drives the second car. “I’m thrilled that we have the opportunity to return to the DTM with Manthey after 21 years,” explains Managing Director Nicolas Raeder.
“In recent years, our focus has been on the WEC events for Porsche Motorsport and also on the Nordschleife with our 911 GT3 R, which our fans have nicknamed ‘Grello’. Now we’re about to take on a new project in collaboration with EMA Motorsport. Dennis and Thomas are two fast drivers with DTM experience. The team is highly motivated and we want to demonstrate what we are capable of with Manthey EMA in the 2023 DTM season.”
With Toksport WRT, another Porsche customer team joins the DTM for the 2023 season. The squad from Quiddelbach close to the Nürburgring relies on the mix of experience and youth in the two cockpits of the ca. 416 kW (565 PS) Porsche 911 GT3 R. Christian Engelhart from Germany contested two DTM races last year. Youngster Tim Heinemann (Germany) climbs the career ladder into the GT3 series after winning two titles in the DTM Trophy, a GT4 championship. “After gaining our first experiences with Porsche in endurance racing, we’re now entering the spectacular sprint stage,” comments Toksport team manager, Sarper Sabuncu. “We can hardly wait to go racing with the two Porsche 911 GT3 R. An ADAC GT Masters champion and a two-time DTM Trophy winner will drive our racing cars. We’ll make the most of the pre-season tests and be one-hundred percent ready when the season kicks off.”
Drivers’ comments on the 2023 season
Laurin Heinrich (Team75 Bernhard): “After winning the title in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, I’m now tackling the DTM – it’s a dream come true for me. Being able to take this step with Timo Bernhard’s team makes everything that much better. Like me, Timo was a Porsche Junior. He won the Carrera Cup Deutschland in 2001, the year I was born. I’m following in his footsteps, so to speak. The fact that we’re now joining forces makes me very happy. I’m sure that this will result in a strong performance.”
Thomas Preining (Manthey EMA): “I got to know the Manthey EMA squad at my outing in Bathurst at the beginning of February. That was very impressive. The team is extremely good and highly professional. They’re dedicated workers. I like that very much. We speak the same language and communicate very openly. That’s enormously important when working together in the DTM. We’re already systematically working as a team towards the start of the season. I’m looking forward to finally getting underway at Oschersleben. I’m confident we’ll have a great season.”
Christian Engelhart (Toksport WRT): “I’m really looking forward to the DTM with Porsche and my Toksport WRT team. After a long winter with lots of talks, it’s finally getting underway. The challenge with our new car – the newest generation Porsche 911 GT3 R – and ADAC’s new DTM platform is huge and right up my alley. We’ll use the time between now and the opening round to quickly consolidate as a team and arrive at the start as well-prepared as possible. Huge thanks to Porsche and Toksport WRT for their trust. Now it’s time to step on the gas!
The 2023 DTM calendar (two championship rounds per weekend)
26 – 28 May: Oschersleben (Germany)
23 – 25 June: Zandvoort (Netherlands)
7 – 9 July: Norisring (Germany)
4 – 6 August: Nürburgring (Germany)
18 – 20 August: Lausitzring (Germany)
8 – 10 September: Sachsenring (Germany)
22 – 24 September: Red Bull Ring (Austria)
20 – 22 October: Hockenheim (Germany)
