All three drivers will race for the expanded Schubert Motorsport workforce, a departure from BMW’s earlier philosophy of splitting its DTM assault throughout two separate outfits.
BMW reasoned that by consolidating its whole line-up in a single workforce it is going to be capable of pool its strengths and “create optimum circumstances” to struggle for the title once more.
Van der Linde and Rast had been each a part of Schubert’s driver crew final yr, whereas Wittmann has moved throughout from the now-defunct Challenge 1 outfit to create a bigger all-star, three-car workforce.
Two-time champion Wittmann had lengthy known as for “equal circumstances” throughout BMW’s DTM camp, having felt that he didn’t get as many alternatives to check the automobile exterior of race weekends as fellow champions van der Linde and Rast.
Schubert is likely one of the high GT3 groups within the DTM and has carried out an intensive variety of personal checks because it first joined the sequence in 2022.
In actual fact, a complete testing programme with the then-new BMW M4 GT3 was a key to the workforce scoring the title in its debut season with van der Linde.
Sheldon van der Linde, Schubert Motorsport BMW M4 GT3
Picture by: Andreas Beil
“The DTM continues to play a vital position in our in depth racing programme for the 2024 season,” stated BMW’s motorsport boss Andreas Roos.
“We underline our dedication with a top-class line-up that boasts a complete of seven DTM titles: one workforce title for Schubert Motorsport, three drivers’ titles for René Rast, two drivers’ titles for Marco Wittmann, and one drivers’ title for Sheldon van der Linde.
“By concentrating our BMW M works drivers on one workforce, we’re pooling our strengths and creating optimum circumstances to have the ability to play an essential position within the title struggle once more.”
Though BMW wasn’t capable of replicate the success it loved in 2022 final yr, the Bavarian marque frequently fought on the entrance with the Schubert workforce, with van der Linde and Rast ending inside the highest 5 within the championship with one victory every.
Wittmann, nevertheless, didn’t muster a podium end for less than the primary time in his 11-year stint within the DTM, ending up a distant thirteenth within the standings.
Challenge 1 additionally fielded a second instance of the M4 GT3 in 5 out of the eight rounds for Sandro Holzem, however the teenager race may break contained in the points-scoring positions solely as soon as in 10 makes an attempt.
As issues stand, there can be solely three M4s on the DTM grid this yr, with BMW electing towards operating any non-factory drivers at its sole remaining Schubert workforce.
