Duval, Rast Switch to Audi DTM Program

Photo: Audi

Audi factory sports car drivers Loic Duval and Rene Rast will compete in the DTM series in 2017, following the end of the German manufacturer’s LMP1 program.

Duval had competed in the top class of the FIA World Endurance Championship with Audi since 2012 and won the title in 2013 with Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish, while finishing second in the 2016 championship.

Rast, meanwhile, drove for G-Drive Racing in the 2016 FIA WEC, as well as with Belgian Audi Club Team WRT in the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup. He teamed up with Filipe Albuquerque and Marco Bonanomi in Audi Sport Team Joest’s third car for the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The German driver also ran the last two rounds of the DTM series in 2016 at Hockenheim, while Duval took part in the recent Young Driver Test at Jerez.

In 2017, however, they will join Jamie Green, Nico Mueller, Mike Rockenfeller and Mattias Ekstroem in the six Audi RS 5 DTMs in the German touring car series.

“We’re happy that our driver squad for the new DTM season is complete,” says Dieter Gass, head of DTM at Audi Sport. “Not only on delivering a strong race in the finale at Hockenheim, Rene has shown that he’s also going to be in contention at the very front in the DTM.

“And in Loic, we’ve integrated one of our best drivers from the Le Mans program into our DTM squad. I’m convinced that we’re in a top position with our driver lineup for the 2017 season and have six strong characters in our team.”

This confirms the future of four of Audi’s six LMP1 drivers from 2016, along with Andre Lotterer’s confirmation in the new Porsche LMP1 lineup for 2017 and Lucas di Grassi’s Formula E program.

Jake Kilshaw

Jake Kilshaw is a UK-based journalist. He is a graduate of Politics and International Relations.