Mercedes team GetSpeed likely to exit DTM
Mercedes team GetSpeed appears set to exit the DTM despite having signalled plans to expand to two cars for the 2022 season last year.
The Nurburgring-based outfit was one of six teams to campaign the Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the first season of the DTM’s new era last year, fielding a solo entry for Arjun Maini.
However, last week GetSpeed announced a three-car entry into the rival International GT Open series, as well as a limited Nurburgring Endurance Series programme with two cars.
Adding a return to the DTM to those commitments would be highly impractical owing to the fact that no fewer than five of this year’s eight DTM events clash with GT Open weekends, including the season-opener at Portimao – which will take place at the same time GT Open is holding its curtain-raiser just a few hundred kilometres north at Estoril.
The change of heart comes despite the fact GetSpeed and Maini took part in a post-season test at Paul Ricard last year, and issued a press release stating that talks were ongoing about continuing with the Indian driver in 2022.
Esteban Gutierrez and Fabian Schiller were also in action for the team as it evaluated drivers for a potential second car.
As reported by Motorsport.com last month however, Maini is set to switch to the title-winning HRT team for the upcoming season alongside Luca Stolz, with reigning champion Maximilian Gotz poised to move over to Winward Racing.
Maini’s sponsors were instrumental in allowing GetSpeed on the grid last season, with factory backing from Mercedes only following later.
With Maini moving on, and no financial support from Mercedes, the chances of being able to find a driver able to bring the required budget – an estimated one million euros – to keep the team on the grid were always slim.
GetSpeed’s likely disappearance from the DTM does not imply a reduction in the number of Mercedes set to be on the grid in the German series this year.
HRT, Winward and GruppeM are all planning to field two cars each, while Mucke Motorsport is also poised to continue its entry with a single AMG GT3. A third entry for HRT could bring the Mercedes presence up to eight cars.
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