With no restrictions on testing within the DTM, prime groups normally maintain non-public assessments in any respect rounds on the calendar, apart from Norisring, incurring important expenditure so as to take action.
It contributes to a 3rd of their annual budgets, and means competing within the DTM prices considerably greater than different GT3 championships of comparable scale.
As a result of excessive prices, many individuals within the paddock have referred to as for a ban on testing within the DTM, together with former motorsport chief Norbert Haug.
Thus far, the ADAC has remained sceptical in regards to the prospect of imposing restrictions on non-public testing as GT3 automobiles are utilized in a wide range of sequence around the globe, making it exhausting to observe any unlawful operating.
However SRO has proven that it’s attainable to place limitations on in-season testing in GT3 championships, and DTM may do effectively to comply with in its footsteps and impose a ban of its personal.
“There’s positively much less testing [in GT World Challenge],” Plentz, who moved from the ADAC GT Masters to GTWCE in 2023, advised Motorsport.com’s sister title Motorsport-Complete.com. “We did not have a single day of testing throughout the 12 months at tracks the place we raced.”
In GTWCE, groups are free to conduct as a lot testing as they need till eight days earlier than the beginning of the season. Nevertheless, after that time, groups can solely maintain assessments on tracks that aren’t on the calendar (or, because the season goes on, on circuits they’ve already raced on). The one exception to this rule are official SRO assessments, such because the one earlier than the Spa 24 Hours.
Photograph by: Alexander Trienitz
Jusuf Owega, Mercedes-AMG Crew Landgraf Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3
Whereas policing such a stringent ban on testing is just not straightforward, SRO depends on agreements with circuit homeowners to make sure no crew is disobeying the principles.
“No one on the earth can management a check ban 100 per cent, except we had been to work with producer management items [ECU] which are taken away from us [after every race],” mentioned Plentz, referring to how groups in buyer racing get to maintain the ECU as they personal the automobiles.
“If [the circuit owners] see a suspicious automobile there, they might report it after which will probably be investigated.
“[Or] somebody would see it in in the present day’s digital world, take a photograph and report it. In order that’s one thing. And if everybody sticks to it to a sure extent, as a result of it is of their intrinsic motivation, then it may be regulated.”
Nevertheless, Plentz believes restrictions on on-track testing received’t resolve all the issues, as groups may use dynos to achieve an edge on their rivals.
“There is a huge however: Cash is not simply spent by bodily driving the automobile. I also can put my automobile on a seven-post rig,” mentioned Plentz, who withdrew from the put up of crew principal to take up a behind-the-scenes position at Rutronik.
“A day can simply value me 7,000 to 10,000 euros. And if I do it for 3 or 4 days, then I even have knowledge and outcomes that I can use for my growth and my efficiency.
“In different phrases, you will nonetheless have the finances versus low finances element [battle between top teams and smaller teams], even when it shifts in the direction of off-track.”
For a cap on testing to work, Plentz believes it will be important for the ADAC to work with groups and provide you with a set of rules that’s appropriate for all events concerned.
“What Stephane [Ratel, SRO chief] does rather well is there are crew committees, and there have been discussions with every crew to get suggestions from every particular person,” he defined.
“You sit collectively and talk about the problems critically and attempt to outline a path for the longer term collectively. That is the one manner it could work, as a result of if just one individual makes a dedication, then you may overlook about it. That has to return from everybody.
“If the ADAC says tomorrow that we’re going to do it now, then that will be troublesome.
“The groups must agree on a regulation with the ADAC. If everybody indicators, then you may positively discover a rule that goes in opposition to value growth.”
