Klaus Weber · DTM Correspondent
The three-time DTM champion will not race in the DTM in 2027 either. René Rast expressly leaves the door open for a later return.
René Rast will not return to the DTM in 2027. The 40-year-old confirmed this in an interview with Motorsport-Magazin published on November 9. In his own words, it is not a farewell: “It’s not over, it’s a break.” After the 2025 season finale at Hockenheim, Rast had announced his provisional withdrawal from the series, and in 2026 he only attended the Norisring round as a guest. He is now adding another year for 2027.
A second year off, then a fresh assessment
Rast describes the plan matter-of-factly. “Next year it will do me good to take another year off,” he said. After that, the idea is to assess whether he goes for it again the following year. The reason for the step is the same as a year ago: he had missed a lot with his children during his DTM years and wanted to see what it is like to do one year less. His verdict after this season is clear: “It opened my eyes.”
He does not measure the workload by the race weekends, but by everything in between: preparation, debriefs, testing and media days. That, not the time in the car, is where the big demands on his time lie. Still, the series has not completely let go of him. He followed every DTM race this season and at times felt the urge to race there again.
What he leaves behind in the DTM
The numbers explain why every word Rast says about the DTM carries weight. BMW lists 138 races, 31 wins and 26 pole positions for his DTM career. He won his three titles in 2017, 2019 and 2020 with Audi. With BMW he was in the title fight again most recently, and at the 2025 finale at Hockenheim a collision that was not his fault cost him the chance of a fourth crown.
Rast does not see his age as an argument against a comeback. “I believe I will still be competitive at an advanced age,” he said, pointing out that he already races against drivers half his age. If he came back at 45 and turned out to be too slow, that would not be a problem for him. With three titles, he has achieved more than he ever dreamed of.
Endurance racing with BMW remains the plan for 2027
His sporting home remains the World Endurance Championship. In 2026, Rast shared the number 20 BMW M Hybrid V8 at BMW M Team WRT with Sheldon van der Linde and Robin Frijns. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the trio came up just under eleven seconds short of overall victory and finished second behind the number 7 Toyota. At the Monza finale, a technical problem dropped the number 20 back in the closing hours, and the official classification ultimately listed it in seventh place. In the manufacturers’ standings, BMW finished second behind Toyota.
Another WEC season with BMW, including Le Mans, is considered very likely for 2027, although it has not yet been officially confirmed. The DTM, by contrast, has to plan for at least one more year without its three-time champion. Whether Rast returns in 2028 will, in his own words, only be decided in a year’s time.
