DTM Adapts Zandvoort Schedule to Alleviate Test Day Clash

DTM has confirmed that it will change the schedule of its Sunday race at Zandvoort in order to avoid a clash with the 24 Hours of Le Mans test day.

As previously reported by Sportscar365, German manufacturer BMW was one of the parties that was in dialogue with DTM organizer ADAC to make a change to its schedule for the third round of the championship.

This is because the Zandvoort round falls on the same weekend as the Le Mans test day, which currently affects six drivers competing in both DTM and the French endurance classic.

In addition to BMW drivers Sheldon van der Linde, Marco Wittmann and Rene Rast, the clash also impacts Jack Aitken, Kelvin van der Linde and Mirko Bortolotti.

An ADAC spokesperson confirmed to Sportscar365 that the parties have come to an agreement that will allow the drivers to both race at Zandvoort and take part in the Le Mans test day.

To accomplish this, ADAC has decided to push back the start time of its Sunday race by three hours, with the green flag now dropping at 4:30 p.m. CEST (10:30 a.m. EDT) as opposed to the traditional 1:30 p.m. start time.

This arrangement would allow the six affected drivers to turn laps of the Circuit de La Sarthe on Sunday morning before flying back to Zandvoort to complete the remainder of the DTM weekend.

As part of the schedule reshuffle, the drivers would work their way through the regular DTM program on Saturday before likely traveling to Le Mans that evening in order to take part in test day the next morning.

To accomplish this, the qualifying session for Race 2, which normally takes place on the morning prior to the race, will be moved to Friday afternoon. The schedule for Saturday remains unchanged.

“We discussed this matter over [a] few months with teams and manufacturers and finally agreed to this scenario,” a statement from ADAC provided to Sportscar365 read.

“Otherwise, there would [have] been the danger that several drivers would have to miss out the Zandvoort round as the manufacturers would require that they attend the test day.

“The new timing ensures that all drivers will be able to race at Zandvoort and we have a strong grid in Holland.”

The solution found for the clash notably differs to the one that BMW M Motorsport director Andreas Roos publicly suggested in March, when he told Sportscar365 he was hoping to race “two to three hours earlier” at Zandvoort.