Klaus Weber · DTM-Korrespondent
After the DMSB appeal fails, team principal Gottfried Grasser announces the next step, with potential consequences for the entire season finale.
Grasser Racing has announced plans to file an appeal with the FIA Court within seven days against Mirko Bortolotti's disqualification. The move follows the rejection of their appeal at the DMSB level. Should team principal Gottfried Grasser follow through on taking the case to the world governing body, DTM could conclude its season finale at Hockenheim without an officially confirmed champion.
The Homologation Dispute
At the heart of the case lies a regulation question that cuts deep into the technical approval of the Lamborghini used by Bortolotti. Grasser argues that a supplementary homologation used by DTM was never signed off by the world governing body. In the team's view, the standard FIA homologation should apply, not the manufacturer-specific supplement.
This is far from an academic technicality. Homologation documents specify the technical specifications with which a car is permitted to compete, from aerodynamics to engine mapping. If the configuration actually used deviates from these specifications, sanctions up to disqualification threaten, which is precisely what happened to Bortolotti. Whether the DMSB supplementary regulation holds legal weight is therefore the crucial factor determining the next stage of proceedings.
What This Means for Hockenheim
The DMSB has already rejected Grasser Racing's appeal, meaning the disqualification stands at the national level. Should Grasser actually file an appeal with the FIA Court, the final resolution shifts to the international stage, a process that typically takes weeks.
Therein lies the timeline issue affecting the title fight: if no decision arrives before the season finale, Hockenheim could initially lack an officially confirmed champion. For the championship, this would mainly mean uncertainty in the timing of title confirmation, not necessarily a change to results already recorded.
For Grasser Racing, escalating to international bodies is hardly uncharted territory. The team has held its own since entering DTM in 2022 within a technically dense field and has repeatedly tangled with regulation details along the way. That the squad is now taking the more formally demanding path through the FIA should be read as a signal that they believe they stand on solid technical ground. Until the FIA Court renders a decision, the case remains open, and attention turns to Hockenheim this year not just on lap times on track, but equally on the procedural calendar of a case whose outcome could determine when the title is finally decided.
