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Ghiotto, Floersch set to race in DTM in 2021

Formula 2 race winner Luca Ghiotto and ex-Formula 3 racer Sophia Floersch are both poised to race in the DTM for the series' first season under GT3 regulations.

Sven Haidinger

Published: Mar 20, 2021, 10:00 AM

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Luca Ghiotto, Hitech Grand Prix

Italian driver Ghiotto is considered the favourite for the second seat at Mercedes customer Haupt Racing Team, where he could partner factory AMG driver Maximilian Gotz.

Although the 26-year-old brings some budget along with him, he has also enjoyed a successful career in junior single-seaters, finishing runner-up to current Alpine Formula 1 driver Esteban Ocon in GP3 in 2015 and winning six races at GP2/F2 level over the next five seasons.

Ghiotto was due to make a full-time move to sportscar racing last year after signing a deal with R-Motorsport Aston Martin for both legs of the GT World Challenge Europe, but chose to continue racing simultaneously in F2 with Hitech GP.

Ghiotto ultimately didn’t get to take part in GTWCE at all after R-Motorsport withdrew from the series, and his only GT3 outing of the year in the Bathurst 12 Hour enduro was cut short after teammate Marvin Kirchhofer crashed the team’s Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in qualifying.

He is now set to take part in the eight-round GT3-based DTM in 2021 as part of a two-car entry run by Hubert Haupt’s eponymous team.

"The second driver will probably be a young Formula 2 or Formula 3 driver who, of course, first has to get used to such a GT car and can perhaps have a single success,” Haupt told muenchen.tv.

“But young guys who come from formula racing are not yet in a position to compete for the championship in their first year."

Haupt, who competed in the classic era of the DTM between 1991-92 as Hans-Joachim Stuck’s teammate and later returned to the revived series in 2001 with Opel, is himself planning some guest appearances this year.

"If you drove in 1991, 1992 and then again in 2001, it's of course a nice story when you take the wheel again yourself 30 years later and take part in a DTM race," he said. "I'm going to treat myself to that.

"I'm yet to pick the right race, but it could well be that I'll be on the grid at the first race in Monza on June 14.”

Floersch linked to Abt drive

Sophia Flörsch, HWA Racelab with Tom Coronel, Comtoyou DHL Team CUPRA Racing CUPRA TCR

Photo by: Alexander Trienitz

Floersch meanwhile is understood to be joining the Abt Audi team as part of an expanded three-car entry by last year’s championship-winning squad.

While Abt had already announced this month that it will field 2013 title winner Mike Rockenfeller and Kelvin van der Linde in the DTM this year, Motorsport.com understands that it could enter a third Audi R8 LMS this year for Floersch.

The German racer hinted on Sky Sports F1 this month that she would not remain in FIA Formula 3 for a second season in 2021 and is close to announcing a second programme to complement her FIA World Endurance Championship duties with the Richard Mille Racing LMP2 team.

Floersch already has a presence in the DTM thanks to her role as the brand ambassador for series sponsor Schaeffler. She was also on-site at last year’s season finale in Hockenheim to drive the DTM Electric prototype car that is being developed jointly with Schaeffler.

Abt is understood to have the capacity to add an extra car to its already-announced first two entries, having not laid off staff members in the wake of Audi’s factory exit from the DTM unlike fellow Audi teams Rosberg and Phoenix.

Should Floersch secure the Abt seat, she will become the first female driver to race in the DTM since Susie Wolff and Rahel Frey in 2012.

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