Glock joins Rowe Racing BMW for ninth DTM season

Glock first joined the DTM in 2013 following a six-year stint in Formula 1 that yielded three podiums and a best finish of 10th in the standings.

Over the ensuing eight seasons, Glock lodged five race wins, 10 further podiums and six pole positions in the DTM, establishing himself as one of the finest drivers within the BMW stable.

He was also the Munich-based marque’s top performer in an otherwise difficult 2020 season, earning himself a new factory contract for 2021. 

It was unclear where the German driver would compete this year, with BMW having exited the DTM as a works entrant and reduced its IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship programme to just the Michelin Endurance Cup races.

But on Thursday, BMW customer Rowe Racing announced that it has signed Glock for its second M6 GT3 entry in the DTM, ensuring the German driver will remain in the series for a ninth season.

The 39-year-old will team up with van der Linde, who impressed BMW during his second season in the DTM last year, picking up a maiden win at Assen.

"I'm really pleased to be able to stay with the DTM in 2021,” said Glock. 

“The team around [team principal] Hans-Peter Naundorf is very experienced and already has many successes to show. In endurance racing, they have won everything there is to win. I'm looking forward to working with the team and also with Sheldon van der Linde, who is a really fast young guy. 

“Although I'm the older of the two of us, I can probably learn more from him because he has significantly more experience with the BMW M6 GT3. 

“Let's see what we can do this season, it will certainly be an exciting year. I'm really looking forward to the first tests and the first race in Monza.”

Rowe Racing is making its debut in the DTM on the back of its strongest ever season in GT3 arena, having won both the Spa 24 Hours and the Nurburgring 24 Hours last year - the latter with an M6 GT3.

It is one of the two outfits to represent BMW on the DTM grid this year, the other being Walkenhorst Motorsport.

"For us it is absolutely fantastic to be able to work with a driver like Timo Glock,” said Naundorf. “This is another highlight in the history of our team. We can certainly all learn a lot from him, with his immense experience and expertise he will be a great help to us in our new field of DTM. 

“His driving class is undisputed, and he's also a great crowd favorite who will hopefully bring a lot of joy to the fans in our car as well. It's a great honor to have Timo Glock on board for the 2021 DTM season."