The DTM enters its 41st season with a lineup of eleven teams fielding 24 GT3 cars from nine different manufacturers. Each of the eight race weekends includes two races. Oschersleben hosts the season opener from this Friday (25 to 27 April).
Porsche and its customer team Manthey have big goals for the upcoming DTM season. The Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer and the seasoned squad from Meuspath near Germany’s Nürburgring are determined to build on the successes of the 2023 season and again win the manufacturers’, teams’, and drivers’ championship titles with the 911 GT3 R. With the previous champion and factory driver Thomas Preining joining forces with former Porsche Junior Ayhancan Güven and rising young gun Morris Schuring, the driver lineup represents an exciting combination of experience, ambition, and talent.
“We want to go for gold and fight for the title again,” says Nicolas Raeder, Managing Director of Manthey Racing GmbH, outlining his objective for the upcoming DTM season. “The fact that we’re competing with three Porsche 911 GT3 R cars instead of two this year doesn't make much difference to our approach. We always work as a team – tight teamwork at all levels is essential for achieving the best possible results. At the same time, the third car provides us with additional data, and the drivers can learn from each other, which benefits the whole team.”
Hungry for success: the Porsche lineup for the 2025 DTM
Factory driver Thomas Preining is excited to tackle his fourth full season in the DTM. After clinching the 2023 championship title, the 26-year-old wrapped up last year in fifth place overall with 158 points. In 2024, Preining claimed one win and two further podium finishes, with the former Porsche Junior also earning points in each of the remaining 13 races. In 2025, the Austrian has his sights set on another title at the wheel of his up to 416 kW (565 PS) Porsche 911 GT3 R, which fans have dubbed “Grello”.
Ayhancan Güven joined the Manthey EMA team a year ago. After a somewhat mediocre start, the 27-year-old Turk steadily improved during his second DTM season, earning 51 of his 69 points on the four race weekends of the second half of the season. At the wheel of the No. 90 car, Güven now aims to take the momentum into this year’s championship.
A 20-year-old will helm Manthey’s third Porsche 911 GT3 R: Morris Schuring won the GT classification at the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year with Porsche factory driver Richard Lietz from Austria and Australian Yasser Shahin. Previously, the Dutchman successfully contested several seasons in the German Porsche Carrera Cup and the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. In the latter series, he still holds the record as the youngest race winner ever.
“When you establish yourself, as Morris Schuring did, among the top five in both the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland and the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, there’s no question about your driving talent: You’ve proven that you can hold your own in fierce wheel-to-wheel duels,” praises Sebastian Golz, Project Manager Porsche 911 GT3 R. “Morris demonstrated his prowess in the 911 GT3 R in the World Endurance Championship. That’s why I’m confident that he’ll quickly find his feet in the DTM and turn heads.”
“Morris Schuring impressed us with his performances in the FIA World Endurance Championship, especially last year, which he finished as vice-champion in the Endurance Trophy for LMGT3 drivers with Richard Lietz and Yasser Shahin,” explains Nicolas Raeder. “I’m delighted that this talented youngster is now joining our DTM team and can prove himself in the sprint races.”
The 2025 DTM season
For the upcoming DTM season, the governing body ADAC is introducing several new features. All GT3 race cars will now run on synthetic fuel. In addition, the new control tyres from series partner Pirelli feature a natural rubber component certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
The most noticeable changes are in the DTM’s sporting format. All 16 races this season will be shortened by five minutes to 55 minutes plus one lap. However, safety car deployments can extend the race distance by up to two “joker” laps. While the Saturday races will continue to include a mandatory pit stop between the 20th and 40th minute, drivers must make two tyre changes with their teams on Sundays. The first performance pit stop window opens between the 10th and 20th minutes, the second from the 39th to the 45th minute. Tyre heating devices remain prohibited.
“The new race format opens up additional strategic options for the teams, which is sure to add more excitement to the races,” says Sebastian Golz. “The new tyres also play a role: It all depends on how quickly the drivers can get the fresh tyres into the optimal performance window and how long they can keep them there. At the same time, the new format gives the teams more flexibility to react to, for example, unforeseen developments in the race.”
Proven points system, DTM on live stream and TV
The ADAC once again offers a classification for drivers, teams and manufacturers in the DTM. For the manufacturers’ ranking, the two best-placed vehicles from each brand are classified after each race. The distribution of points for positions one to 15 follows the tried and tested formula: 25-20-16-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. The top three qualifiers also receive points towards the drivers’ championship – the fastest earns three points and the third fastest gets one point. The same system is used to award points for the three fastest mandatory pit stops per race, which count towards the teams’ “Pit Stop Challenge”.
In Germany, DTM fans can watch all sessions on the streaming platform Joyn and all races live on the free TV channel ProSieben. In addition to all qualifying sessions and races, the DTM’s own YouTube channel also streams the free practice sessions live in German and English each Friday.
Drivers’ comments on the upcoming DTM season
Thomas Preining (Manthey EMA, Porsche 911 GT3 R #91): “I’m going into this season with the big goal of winning the title. As a team, I expect us to get the most out of each race – that doesn’t necessarily mean winning, sometimes we might finish further down the field. If eighth place is the best we can do, then we’ll take the points for eighth. I like the change with the additional pit stop on Sunday. It adds more suspense to the races, and that’s beneficial for the fans.”
Ayhancan Güven (Manthey EMA, Porsche 911 GT3 R #90): “This’ll be my third DTM season and the second with Manthey EMA. Based on the results of the test day, I feel we’re very well positioned for the challenges ahead as a three-car team. With new teams and manufacturers combined with the sporting changes, we’re heading into an exciting championship. The new tyres can be warmed up a bit faster, so the new race format offers interesting strategic options – particularly for Manthey as the defending champion of the Pit Stop Challenge for the fastest pit stops.”
Morris Schuring (Manthey Junior Team, Porsche 911 GT3 R #92): “I’m excited about my DTM debut at Oschersleben. The tests we did there three weeks ago ran 100% according to plan. While the primary focus for my teammates was on getting used to the new tyres, I obviously had a lot more to learn given that this series is new to me. It all worked well; we ticked off all the points on our list. The new race format is super cool, and the fans can look forward to even more action. As an experienced team, I’m certain that Manthey will quickly adjust to the changed procedures and be able to benefit from the new rules.”
The 2025 DTM calendar (two races per weekend)
25 – 27 April: Oschersleben (Germany)
23 – 25 May: Lausitzring (Germany)
6 – 8 June: Zandvoort (Netherlands)
4 – 6 July: Norisring (Germany)
8 – 10 August: Nürburgring (Germany)
22 – 24 August: Sachsenring (Germany)
12 – 14 September: Spielberg (Austria)
3 – 5 October: Hockenheim (Germany)
