Owega Debuts in Six-Driver Mercedes Lineup

ADAC GT Masters race winner Jusuf Owega will make his DTM debut with Mercedes-AMG, joining a squad of established drivers in a six-car lineup for the German manufacturer.

The 20-year-old German is set to pilot one of two Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evos for the debuting Team Landgraf squad, with the team’s second car in the hands of factory driver Maro Engel.

Owega moves over from GT Masters squad Land Motorsport, with which he won last year’s season opener at Oschersleben and took a NLS podium finish alongside Christopher Mies in March.

He has been named as an official AMG Junior Driver, having been selected after a shootout test at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya late last year.

Arjun Maini and David Schumacher, who both return to the series after campaigns with Mercedes last year, have also gained the same status.

Owega, however, is the only new addition to Mercedes’ DTM squad, which sees the three previously confirmed teams all enter two cars each.

Haupt Racing Team and Winward Racing both field effectively unchanged lineups compared to the previous year.

HRT has opted to retain both factory driver Luca Stolz as well as Indian former single seater racer Maini, who is set for his third consecutive season in the series.

Winward, meanwhile, scales down to a two-car operation with 2021 series champion Maximilian Goetz not staying on.

Instead, the American squad’s pair of cars will be piloted by the returning duo of Lucas Auer and Schumacher.

Auer, who finished runner-up in last year’s campaign, is still recovering from back injuries sustained in a crash in practice ahead of the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

A statement from Mercedes-AMG noted that Auer “plans to be fully ready to run again in time for the DTM season opener at the end of May.”

“In the new DTM season, we focus on three experienced Performance Teams that we will support in an optimal way,” said Stefan Wendl, head of Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing.

“Next to the Winward Racing and HRT outfits already known from last year’s season, there will be a new representative from us in DTM in Landgraf Motorsport.

“This team is also highly professional, and we have been working together very well for years already.

“Last season, Landgraf put in a top performance in ADAC GT Masters, winning the championship with Raffaele Marciello and putting itself forward for the DTM programme by that as well.

“I am looking forward to the new season and I am very curious to see how our Junior Drivers will do and how they will be able to learn from the established professionals.”