Mueller, Gore to Drive Rosberg Audis

Last season’s DTM runner-up Nico Mueller and American racer Dev Gore will drive Team Rosberg’s pair of Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evos in the German championship this year.

Mueller, who finished second to Rene Rast in the 2020 standings, is returning to the DTM outfit with which he contested his first two terms in the series starting in 2014.

The Swiss driver then spent five seasons with Abt Sportsline and finished second in the two most recent championships behind Rosberg driver Rast.

Mueller was named alongside fellow Audi DTM competitors Rast and Mike Rockenfeller as additions to the manufacturer’s squad of GT factory drivers that will support customer teams in various series including the DTM.

The 29-year-old will balance his Rosberg Audi role with a full-time drive in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with Dragon-Penske Autosport. Formula E has confirmed races up to June 6 so far, while the DTM is due to start at Monza on June 18.

Mueller also has GT3 experience in Audi machinery and achieved a top-five finish in one of the brand’s factory-supported cars in last year’s Nürburgring 24. 

His new DTM teammate Gore, 23, is a series rookie embarking on his first season of racing since the 2019 Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup which he contested in a Pro-class Strakka Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3.

Gore is new to the Audi GT3 machine, while his three-race position with Strakka marked his first outing in sports cars.

The Oklahoma native’s other racing experiences have come in open-wheel competition, including spells in Euroformula Open and USF2000.

Joey Hand was the most recent American in the DTM. The ex-Ford GTE driver and 24 Hours of Le Mans class winner contested three seasons with BMW until 2014.

Rosberg first announced its commitment to the DTM’s new GT3 era back in December but has now completed the key details of its program.

“We have had exhausting weeks and months in which we pushed ahead with our realignment as a team,” said Team Rosberg managing director Kimmo Liimatainen.

“Now we can finally say that we are starting the upcoming season with the best possible conditions.

“With the Audi R8 LMS GT3, we trust in one of the most successful vehicles in the GT3 class, and it is good and logical that after the incredible successes of the last few years, we remain connected to Audi Sport in customer sport as well.

“It was an extraordinary moment, filled with joy, when I got to tell our team over the last few days that Nico Mueller is coming back to us.

“That underlines once again our ambitions to fight for the title with a strong team. With Dev Gore joining, we gain a young, hungry driver, who has proven his quality in international formula series, but also in the GT3 class.”