Factory Mercedes driver Juncadella returns to DTM with GruppeM
Daniel Juncadella will return to the DTM this year to drive GruppeM's sole factory-supported Mercedes entry in the series.
Juncadella was a part of Mercedes' factory line-up in the DTM between 2013-18, scoring a maiden victory at the Brands Hatch during the last year of their partnership.
Mercedes' exit from the DTM after 2018 prompted Juncadella to team up with R-Motorsport Aston Martin, and he stayed in the DTM the following year in what turned out to be the Swiss outfit's only season in the category.
However, it was announced earlier this year that the Spanish driver will return to the Mercedes driver roster, having severed his ties with R-Motorsport after it elected to sit out the 2020 GT World Challenge season.
It has now been revealed that Juncadella will contest his seventh season in the DTM this year, driving a Mercedes AMG GT3 for the Hong Kong-based GruppeM squad, which was the first team to announce its participation for the series' GT3 era back in November.
"I'm really looking forward to it, I'm very motivated," Juncadella told Motorsport.com. "A few months ago, people didn't really look at this championship, but suddenly the brands are very interested in the DTM again.
"AMG already warned me at the beginning of the year that the strategy seemed to be changing and that they were counting on me if they finally came back.
"The truth is that it's a shot of adrenaline and brutal motivation, because for me coming back to the DTM is very special and I'm very fond of the championship.
"I have a lot of ticks on the list to complete, after my last year there when I was super competitive and at my best in the championship. Now I'm back with Mercedes with a completely new project and this new adventure motivates me a lot".
Mercedes has pledged support for a number of cars in the DTM this year, marking its return to the category after an absence of two seasons.
Both of Haupt Racing Team's two AMG GT3s will run with technical and financial support from the Stuttgart-based manufacturer, while it is understood that two-time champion Gary Paffett would also race in the DTM this year with Mucke Motorsport.
"We welcome Dani to Mercedes-AMG Team GruppeM Racing for 2021 and really look forward to the challenge together with Mercedes-AMG," GruppeM Racing team principal Kenny Chen said.
"We have been so successful in our relationship together with Mercedes-AMG as a performance team, winning many races in the last few years and we looking forward to continuing that success."
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| Series | DTM |
| Author | Rachit Thukral |
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