The sixth round of the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters has seen the launch of the newly-formed DTM Driver’s Association, which will give the driver’s an independent voice away from the manufacturer’s, series organisers or the German Motor Sport Association (DMSB).
The DTMDA has been set up to provide an independent voice for the drivers in the German touring car series. The organisation will deal with topics such as safety standards and helping to define the sporting regulations.
The organisation says that it will “in the future ensure that shared viewpoints are voiced more strongly in public”.
Each manufacturer will have one driver to act as a spokesperson. For Audi the spokesperson will be Timo Scheider, for BMW it will be Timo Glock and for Mercedes-Benz it will be Gary Paffett.
Regular meetings will be held during DTM race weekends, during which the drivers will discuss and agree on issues.
The organisation will be fronted by DTM veteran and 1996 ITC champion Manuel Reuter.
“First of all, I am honoured that the DTM drivers have put their trust in me, and that I am able to represent this select field of drivers in public,” said Reuter. “Based on my own experiences as a driver, and as a result of my time as a TV expert, I know exactly what high demands are placed on the drivers in this top series.
“Our task is, with a neutral voice, to present the greatest possible degree of transparency and diversity of opinion, focussing on one thing on race weekends: producing captivating, top class touring car racing.”