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Schaeffler is the official innovation partner of the DTM

Power and outstanding performance, thrilling action on the track, and cutting-edge internal combustion engine technology – that is the DTM. Since 1984, this racing series has been attracting fans with a combination of enthralling motor sport and a colorful program of entertainment with additional high-level racing series that are held during the race weekends.

Brand ambassador Marco Wittmann has been competing in the DTM in the green Schaeffler BMW since 2019. 2023 sees the two-time champion with number eleven take on his eleventh season, in which Schaeffler will play an important role once again. The ADAC, Germany's largest automobile club, has now assumed the role of DTM promoter, and Schaeffler remains loyal to the popular racing series as its official innovation partner. With technological expertise, the company is actively involved in leading the racing series into an attractive future. The DTM innovation taxi Audi R8 LMS GT2, which will be at every race in the 2023 season of the DTM, is a clear commitment to this objective.

Brand ambassador Marco Wittmann has lined up in a Schaeffler-green BMW in the DTM since 2019. Since the end of 2020, Schaeffler, as official series and innovation partner of the DTM, has also used its technological expertise to actively guide the racing series into an attractive future. One concrete result of this partnership is the development of the DTM Electric, a fully-electric touring car series, which will start in the near future. In 2022, the focus in the DTM is on Schaeffler partner teams Walkenhorst Motorsport and Abt Sportsline, and particularly on the new Schaeffler BMW M4 GT3, with Marco Wittmann at the wheel.

A pioneer in the DTM

Schaeffler has been actively involved in the DTM for many years and has been supporting drivers and teams with its expertise in motor sport and technology:

  • 2011
    Schaeffler lends its name to the Schaeffler Audi and secures the DTM drivers’ title in its first year with Martin Tomczyk
  • 2012/13
    Mike Rockenfeller becomes Schaeffler’s new DTM driver and wins the DTM drivers’ title in the second year of the partnership
  • 2019
    Start of the premium partnership with BMW M Motorsport with Marco Wittmann at the wheel
  • 2020
    The DTM Electric demonstrator car is presented during the season finale in Hockenheim
  • 2023
    #11 is entering its eleventh season: the Schaeffler BMW M4 GT3 with Schaeffler brand ambassador Marco Wittmann at the wheel

Schaeffler makes technology tangible

As official innovation partner, Schaeffler will once again have an important role in the DTM in 2023. The company has always stood for technological progress. Motorsport is often used as a development lab for technologies that make their way from the racetrack to the road, and thereby into series production.

An example of this being this season’s DTM innovation taxi. As a carrier vehicle for innovative technical ideas and their implementation, it showcases technological advances to the public at racing speed and generates enthusiasm with driving experiences. In the course of the season, Schaeffler will deploy fascinating technologies in the Audi R8 LMS GT2, which will give an idea of the future of mobility.

On the racetrack, the partnership between Schaeffler and Marco Wittmann is entering its fifth year in 2023. The #GreenMachine, Wittmann’s BMW M4 GT3, is once again painted in the typical Schaeffler green, making it easily identifiable in the field. But there is an important new aspect: The Schaeffler brand ambassador and two-time DTM champion will be representing the Project 1 team for the first time in 2023, as they contest their maiden season in the touring car series.

Matthias Zink, CEO Automotive Technologies at Schaeffler

Innovation is at the core of Schaeffler’s DNA. It’s what shapes the future of efficient and sustainable mobility, and we are playing a key role in that.

Marco Wittmann, SMarco Wittmann, Schaeffler brand ambassador and driver of the BMW M4 GT3

It goes without saying that having a regional partner like Schaeffler on my side is the perfect situation. The chemistry between us was right from the very beginning.

New in 2023

Longer races
As of 2023, DTM races will last 60 minutes plus one lap. Making them five minutes longer than in previous seasons. This means that the drivers will complete around three laps more per race than before, depending on the track layout.

Penalty lap
For a minor violation of the rules, drivers will have to go through the new “Penalty Zone”. This zone is 50 metres long and has a maximum speed limit of 50 km/h. Drivers must activate their hazard warning lights to let drivers behind them know that they are serving their penalty.

Scoring system
As of the 2023 season, the top 15 drivers will be awarded points for the driver standings. The winner will receive 25 points, 20 points will be awarded for second place, 16 for third place, and 13 for fourth place. One to eleven points will be awarded in ascending order from 15th to 5th place. As in previous seasons, a strong qualifying result will also be reflected in the scores. The fastest three drivers will be awarded three, two and one points/point respectively.

Pit stops
The time frame for making the mandatory pit stop will be smaller in the 2023 season of the DTM. It must now be made between the 20th and 40th minute of the race. Last season there were an additional ten minutes to make the stop. The driver with the fastest pit stop at the end of the season will also be crowned winner of the official Pit Stop Challenge. The three fastest mandatory stops at each race weekend will be awarded three, two, or one points/point.

Schaeffler BMW M4 GT3

Schaeffler BMW M4 GT3
Schaeffler BMW M4 GT3
  • Capacity: 2,993 cm3
  • Straight-six with M TwinPower Turbo technology
  • Cylinders: 6
  • Output: up to 590 hp
  • Specific output: approx. 197 hp/l
  • Dimensions: 5,020 mm/ 2,040 mm/ 1,308 mm (L/B/H)

Marco Wittmann

Marco Wittmann and Schaeffler will enter the fifth year of their partnership in 2023. Wittmann – a dyed-in-the-wool Franconian who grew up and still lives just a short distance from Schaeffler’s headquarters in Herzogenaurach – has now become a part of the Schaeffler family without whom it would no longer be complete. He has already brought home the DTM drivers’ title twice, which currently makes him one of the DTM’s most successful and experienced drivers.

Marco Wittmann makes regular visits to Schaeffler’s headquarters. “The partnership with a regional partner like Schaeffler is something special. Thanks to the close proximity to my home, we can regularly meet for a face-to-face talk in Herzogenaurach”, says Wittmann who is clearly delighted with the collaboration.

Marco Wittmann, DTM champion in 2014 and 2016.
Marco Wittmann, DTM champion in 2014 and 2016.

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