Klaus Weber · DTM Correspondent
ADAC motorsport chief Thomas Voss announced changes to qualifying for 2027 at the DTM finale in Hockenheim. The current format is considered unattractive for spectators and TV, though nothing has been decided yet.
The DTM is examining whether to change the qualifying format starting in the 2027 season. ADAC motorsport chief Thomas Voss announced potential modifications at the season finale on the Hockenheimring (October 10 and 11). According to Motorsport-Magazin, his reasoning: the 20-minute qualifying session is so unappealing to spectators, broadcasters, and media that it barely makes it to television. Currently, qualifying is only streamed online. Nothing has been finalized yet.
Ten minutes of idle time in the pits
Criticism of the format has dogged the series since 2023. Of the 20 minutes, roughly ten are spent stationary in the garage. The reason is technical: Mercedes-AMG struggles to bring unheated Pirelli tires up to temperature and relies on heat-soak strategy. The car completes one lap, returns to the pits, and heat from the brakes warms the tires. Only then does the actual qualifying run begin. Earlier plans for a ten or 15-minute qualifying session failed, according to Motorsport-Total, partly because Mercedes-AMG didn't go along with them.
This is where things have changed. The DTM-specific tire introduced in 2026 reaches its operating temperature more quickly. That eliminates a key technical argument against a shorter format.
Shootout idea from team principal meeting
The teams discussed concrete concepts in mid-September during a lengthy team principal meeting before the Sachsenring weekend. According to Motorsport-Total, one proposal included a two-part model: the entire field first runs a ten-minute timed session. Immediately after, the top ten drivers contest a single-lap shootout on the same set of tires used in the first part. Drivers outside the top ten would gain a small tire advantage in the race.
Team principal Torsten Schubert said: "We absolutely need to make sure we're not sitting in the garage for ten minutes." Thomas Jäger, DTM sporting director at Mercedes-AMG, emphasized: "We need a bit more excitement and more action." He pointed to the single-lap shootout for the top four at this year's 24 Hours of Spa.
Three proposals, no decision yet
In Hockenheim, Voss mentioned three concrete proposals that teams submitted in joint meetings. The ADAC is now comparing them with its own ideas. Voss kept the specific models under wraps. Whether the two-part shootout is among them remains unclear. Voss only hinted that the direction could be toward Formula 1, offering no further details. The new format could be unveiled later this year.
To bring qualifying to free-to-air television, changing the time slot would likely be necessary alongside the format. Currently, qualifying usually takes place between 9 and 10 a.m., when many fans aren't yet in the stands. TV partner ProSieben would reportedly favor moving it so qualifying ends roughly half an hour before the race start.
Second mandatory stop and calendar
Changes to the race format are also on the table. Since 2025, a second mandatory pit stop has been required on Sunday. Most stakeholders believe it could be introduced on Saturday as well. In that case, the pit stop window would need to be expanded to reduce pit lane risks.
The 2027 calendar has been set since August 13, 2026: eight race weekends with 16 races, starting April 23-25 at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, finale October 8-10 in Hockenheim. Whether qualifying will follow a new pattern there is up to the ADAC. For Schubert, the ball is now in the ADAC’s court: "There has been a lot of discussion, now the ADAC needs to sort it out and make a proposal."
