BMW to review DTM teams structure with Motopark interested
BMW is evaluating a restructuring of its DTM programme for 2020 while it continues talks with Motopark over a potential customer project
Audi sealed the 2019 manufacturers' title two rounds early at the Lausitzring after BMW's promising start to the season unravelled, and Audi has since won six of the last eight races.
Autosport understands that the potential changes are not purely due to BMW's poor 2019 season, but they would follow a requirement for it to make savings that was introduced after Oliver Zipse succeeded Harald Kruger as BMW CEO in August.
BMW is said to be evaluating several possible plans, including the removal of two factory cars if Motopark arrives and runs a pair of private M4 DTMs to ensure a continued presence of six BMWs on the grid.
Motopark had attempted to set up a DTM programme for 2019 but failed to make it onto the grid, leaving WRT Audi as the only privateer squad racing this season, and is understood to be deciding its future in the coming weeks.
But there is still the potential for BMW to run six factory cars and add Motopark to the fold, which would matching Audi's commitment of eight cars.
The prospect of BMW only fielding six cars in 2020 is likely to cause angst with Audi and the DTM umbrella organisation ITR, especially if it cut two factory cars.
BMW boss Jens Marquardt, his Audi counterpart Dieter Gass and series boss Gerhard Berger were spotted in discussions at the ITR hospitality at the Nurburgring last Saturday.
When asked by Autosport if BMW intended to start 2020 with six cars, Marquardt said: "The customer team [and the extra two cars] is not a decision for BMW.
"This is a package of which one really has to say that it has to be right in its entirety with the partner. That's a variable that I can only influence to a limited extent."
He also said that having six factory cars is "important and, of course, the primary focus I have".
BMW will review its DTM set-up - including its driver line-up - at the end of the current campaign.
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