Paffett wants one-off DTM return in 2019
DTM champion Gary Paffett has said that he wants to contest a one-off round in the series next year as a guest driver.

Paffett claimed his second DTM crown at Hockenheim last month on Mercedes' series swansong, and has switched to Formula E with HWA, which ran the factory Mercedes DTM team.
"I actually mentioned it to Uli Fritz [HWA boss] after Hockenheim that I want to come and do a guest race next year just so I can race with a #1 on my car," Paffett told Motosport.com.
"He did consider it, but maybe not… But I think if I push hard enough something good can happen."
Such an appearance could come with the new Aston Martin project, for which HWA is producing the car and the engine as a partner of the R-Motorsport squad that will run it.
Even if it does not happen, Paffett – who did not defend his first title of 2005 either, instead becoming McLaren Formula 1 test driver – believes that the DTM field is strong enough for it not to require a reigning champion.
"Gerhard Berger [DTM boss] is not very happy because he doesn't have a defending champion racing in the series next year," said Paffett.
"But he's got Rene [Rast] there at least and possibly Paul [di Resta], depending on what he does.
"He's got a list of great drivers still racing in the series, so I'm sure that he will miss a car out there with a #1 on it, but I think the DTM is hopefully going to grow in strength next year.
"For myself, it's unbelievable that I've never actually driven a car with a #1 on it, because I've never stayed in the championship the year after I've won – it doesn't matter whether it's karting or any formula."
The 37-year-old Paffett believes that his age will be no barrier to success in Formula E.
"I'm not the youngest out there but, from my point of view, if a person is hungry and they're performing, and their desire and determination are there, then the age doesn't mean much," he said.
"Although I'm not experienced in Formula E, I have a lot of experience over the years of developing teams, of helping build teams, so to go and use that in Formula E is going to be very beneficial for everyone."

Gary Paffett, HWA Racelab, VFE-05
Photo by: Dom Romney / LAT Images

Previous article
BMW open to sending Class One cars to Super GT
Next article
Green gets Audi FE chance in Marrakesh test

About this article
Series | DTM |
Drivers | Gary Paffett |
Author | Marcus Simmons |
Paffett wants one-off DTM return in 2019
Trending
DTM 2021 Test Hockenheim Day 2
DTM 2021 Test Hockenheim Day 1
WRT Team Audi Sport – 2020 DTM Season Review
DTM 2020: Audi bids farewell
DTM: Hockenheim - Race 2 Highlights
The slow-burner threatening to unseat Audi's DTM king
It's taken him a while to emerge as a consistent title challenger, but in the final year of DTM's Class One ruleset, Nico Muller has smoothed the rough edges and has double champion stablemate Rene Rast working harder than ever to keep up in the title race.
Does 2000 hold the answers to the DTM's current crisis?
It's 20 years since the DTM roared back into life at a packed Hockenheim with a back-to-basics approach as the antidote to its high-tech past. Now it's on its knees again, so is it time to recall the lessons learned in 2000?
Ranking the 10 best Audi DTM drivers
Audi last week announced it would be exiting the DTM at the end of 2020, bringing the curtain down on 20 years of continuous participation since the series' reboot in 2000.
Why the DTM must reinvent itself after Audi exit
Audi's announcement that it will withdraw from the DTM at the end of 2020 was the latest blow for a series that has lost three manufacturers in as many years. Some major soul-searching will now be required to assess how it can survive.
Why cynic Berger changed his mind over green tech in racing
DTM boss Gerhard Berger was a detractor of Formula E and held a reluctance for his series to embrace greener engine technologies. However, this cynic's tune has had to change to ensure DTM's existence as the motorsport world moves forward
What the fallout from Aston's engine split means for 2020
Aston Martin's DTM arrival, via the R-Motorsport outfit, was heralded as a salvation of sorts for the series. After plenty of bumps in the road in 2019, the team finds itself in a similar position to the one it was in 12 months ago. Can it get its act together?
How the DTM and Super GT can build on their experiment
The Class One 'Dream Race' staged by the DTM and SUPER GT proved a hit - from a competitive and collaborative standpoint. The next step will be for both parties to ensure a successful trial ends up being more than just that.
Robot pitcrews and hydrogen – is DTM's concept plausible?
DTM organiser ITR has mooted a radical plan for a "truly new and inspiring" future motorsport series. How realistic are its suggestions of automated pitstops and 1000bhp hydrogen-fuelled touring cars?