How the DTM's shambolic finale poses awkward future questions

OPINION: The scenes at the Norisring as Mercedes used blatant team orders to secure the first DTM title of the new GT3 era totally undermined the credibility of the championship. But as well as overshadowing the season, it also presents uncomfortable questions to series bosses about the direction it is headed in.

Rachit Thukral Oct 12, 2021, 4:10 PM

Upd: Oct 14, 2021, 8:08 AM

Team orders in motorsport never sit well with fans. So when Mercedes orchestrated a controversial switchover between its drivers in the DTM finale at the Norisring, it came as no surprise that it was met with widespread outrage.

Faced with the prospect of lead Mercedes driver Maximilian Gotz losing the drivers’ title by seven points to Red Bull Ferrari driver Liam Lawson, the Stuttgart manufacturer instructed both race leader Lucas Auer and his Winward teammate Philip Ellis to slow down with just over a handful of laps to go. Team HRT's Gotz eased past both drivers to take the full 25 points for victory and snatch the title from the grasp of a helpless Lawson - his car badly hobbled by first corner contact - much to the dismay of those watching the scenes unfold live.

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Author Rachit Thukral

Rachit Thukral has been working for Motorsport Network from its early days in 2016. Initially recruited for the Indian edition, he was promoted to Motorsport.com’s Global team in mid-2019.

Over the years, he has held a wide variety of roles, ranging from covering Super Formula and SUPER GT in Japan to junior formulae in Europe.

More recently, he has directed his focus to sportscar racing, particularly WEC, DTM and IMSA. He also has experience in reporting on Formula E, Dakar and MotoGP.

Rachit also plays an active role in the day-to-day running of Motorsport.com in his post as News Editor.

Prior to joining Motorsport Network, he worked at the autoX magazine from 2014-15. He started his career in motorsport journalism by launching the website RachF1.com during his teen years.