Controversial Mercedes actions cause rule changes in DTM

The controversial season finale of the 2021 DTM Championship has resulted in some far-reaching rules changes, after Maximilian Gotz won the title with a double victory at the Norisring. The controversy surrounded Gotz being allowed through by Lucas Auer and Philip Ellis, two drivers who were ostensibly driving for a rival Mercedes team. While manufacturers have officially withdrawn from the DTM in favour of private team entries, the influence of the manufacturers could still be felt as Auer, driving for Mercedes Team Winward, slowed so much that Gotz, driving for Mercedes Team HRT, could inherit the lead. But a new draft regulation for 2022 is set to be introduced to combat this possibility. "Any verbal or other instruction (team order) to a driver or competitor that could affect a qualifying or race result is not permitted," the regulation states, as quoted by F1-Insider.com - the regulation currently going through approval at top level.

DTM hopeful the situation has been resolved

The ban of team orders will be quite wide in scope, with team members "not permitted to give, impose or attempt to impose team instructions on drivers or competitors". It's a situation that required immediate action, according to the series' management. "We were aware of how blatant the topic is," said DTM manager Frederic Elsner. "Accordingly, to the best of our knowledge and belief, we have put our heads together to draft a passage that covers all possible scenarios. We believe that we have succeeded and we think the issue should be over by 2022." In the event of a breach of the rules, the DTM can now take harsh action against rule-breakers with the possibility of "penalties up to and including exclusion from the championship for all parties involved".

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