UK return “difficult” for DTM – Berger

The German-based series was a fixture at the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit between 2006 and 2013, then returned in 2018 and 2019 to race on the full Grand Prix Circuit.

Prior to that it visited Donington six times between 1991 and 2003, while Silverstone also hosted two races during its ill-fated International Touring Car Championship spell in 1995 and 1996.

The DTM also has a strong history of British drivers in the series, with Gary Paffett (2005, 2018) and Paul di Resta (2010) claiming three titles between them, while Jamie Green won 17 races for Mercedes and Audi between 2005 and 2020.

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However, Esmee Hawkey is the only British driver to have contested the DTM in the past two seasons and was absent from the Imola weekend after the late withdrawal of her T3 Motorsport Lamborghini team.

Speaking to select media including Autosport at Imola, Berger expressed admiration for Brands Hatch but explained that the prospect of a DTM return in 2023 for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic was “at the moment extremely difficult for a lot of reasons”.

Asked about racing in Britain by Autosport, Berger said: “UK is always on my list, but it’s very difficult in the UK.

“Actually I have to say, I like Brands Hatch. But it’s always a question of commercial, dates.

“England as an example for us is very difficult already time-wise with the one-hour change for TV.

“It’s a lot of points you have to consider.”

Gerhard Berger, ITR Chairman

Photo by: Gruppe C GmbH

When asked by Autosport if the logistical problems resulting from Brexit had made it a harder sell for teams, Berger acknowledged that it was “another issue”.

Berger explained that he was “very happy” with the DTM’s current eight-weekend schedule of 16 races and was conscious that “I shouldn’t do too many things at the same time, otherwise we do everything and nothing”.

“I think now the product is good,” he said.

“It would be nice to have maybe another manufacturers for next year, if we could have an American or a Japanese or a Brit, and now it’s coming maybe other things more important to look like marketing.

“10 races would be great, but it’s a question of financial also for the teams.

“For the moment eight [weekends] is okay, I’m very happy about this format because we still have 16 races.”

Berger added that races beyond Europe were not being considered currently.

“I don’t see us going – logistic costs, logistic, all these things,” he said. “Let’s strengthen what we have.”