Mercedes has just sent out a press release, stating that they will leave DTM after the 2018 season, and instead put their focus into a Formula E programme.
Their Formula E team will enter from Season 6 i.e. 2019/20.
Mercedes has been in DTM since the series was reborn in 2000, and has since then won 7 Drivers titles and 9 Constructor titles.
They first entered the old DTM series in 1988, and has since then participated in 26 season where they have won a 10 Drivers titles, 13 constructor titles, 183 victories, 128 Pole Positions and 540 podium places.
Photo: JJ Media
Their latest Drivers title was in 2015 with Pascal Wehrlein, who then went on to do Formula 1 with Manor. The same thing happened to the Champion before him, their 2010 Champion Paul Di Resta, who went to Force India. Previously their 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2006 Champion Bernd Schneider had his time in Formula 1 too, while their 2005 Champion, Gary Paffett, didn’t get further than being test driver for initially McLaren, and now Williams F1.
This is surely a hard knock for the DTM series, where Audi Sport already has entered Formula E as works team from the 2017/18 season, while BMW will enter as works team in 2018/19 alongside their new for 2018, Le Mans programme.
The 2018 season could very well be the final season of DTM this time – a series that previously was on a break from 1996 to 2000.
There are no news about their Formula E driver line-up, nor what their DTM drivers will do after 2018. But Mercedes has several costumer teams in GT3 racing, so it’s likely some of their 6 drivers will switch to that.
