The DTM has issued a second revised 2020 calendar in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with races focussed in Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands and a season start behind closed doors at the Norisring next month.
Like almost all global motorsport series, the DTM has been forced to reschedule its events as governments imposed lockdowns and restrictions in recent months.
Having already once issued a revised calendar, DTM promoter ITR GmbH has now had to ditch the planned events in Russia, Sweden, Italy and the United Kingdom in order to be able to deliver its events and maintain flexibility.
The calendar will still feature ten events and 20 races, but the changes also mean that the variety of circuits is reduced.
The season will begin at the Norisring city circuit in Nuremberg on 10 – 12 July, with no spectators in attendance. It is also the first time the circuit will host the season opener.
The second event takes place on 1 -2 August at spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, a new addition to the 2020 calendar and the first time since 2005 that the series will visit the circuit in the Eifel Mountains.
Two back-to-back events then follow at the Lausitzring on 14 – 16 and 21 – 23 August, before a one week break.
The series then moves to Assen in The Netherlands on 4 – 6 September, with the Dutch circuit maintaining its race date from the previous revised calendar.
Two back-to-back weekends follow at the Nürburgring on 11 – 13 and 18 – 20 September, with the first to be on the short configuration regularly used by the DTM, whilst the second will be on the Grand Prix circuit which the series hasn’t raced on since 2001.
Zolder in Belgium gets two events as well, with it hosting the DTM later than originally planned, on 9 – 11 and 16 – 18 October.
The Hockenheimring, which is the circuit most used to hosting double DTM in a typical year, only gets one race weekend in 2020, with the Baden-Württemberg circuit hosting the season finale on 6 – 8 November.
The revised calendar means that between the season start and conclusion there will only be eight weekends without DTM racing.
The DTM also states that it has a ‘detailed infection protection plan’ which will initially see races held without spectators, although it stated that “developments around the various event locations are monitored carefully.
“As far as it is possible and justifiable from health and safety perspectives, races with spectators on site will be considered as well.”
ITR Chairman Gerhard Berger praised the hard work of DTM stakeholders to come up with the revised calendar.
“We would like to thank our fans for their patience in the past weeks,” said Berger, “but now, we are all the more happy to be able to present a well-prepared and varied calendar that promises plenty of racing action.
“That is the result of the hard work by everyone involved in very special conditions. All in all, we have managed to come up with a compact calendar that was worth waiting for.”
2020 DTM calendar (second revision)
10/07–12/07 – Norisring (GER)*
01/08–02/08 – Spa-Francorchamps (BEL)**
14/08–16/08 – Lausitzring (GER)
21/08–23/08 – Lausitzring (GER)
04/09–06/09 – Assen (NED)
11/09–13/09 Nürburgring (GER)
18/09–20/09 Nürburgring (GER)
09/10–11/20 Zolder (BEL)
16/10–18/10 Zolder (BEL)
06/11–08/11 Hockenheim (GER)
* Subject to govermental approval.
** Two-day event. Subject to govermental approval