DTM might be out of business before 2020 even starts (Update)

Stick a fork in DTM, it will soon be done.

UPDATE (GMM) BMW has admitted that the premier German touring car championship could collapse.

Audi's shock departure post-2020 means that BMW will be the only manufacturer left on the DTM grid.

And board member Klaus Frohlich told Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper that BMW could now follow after this season.

"We have to wait and see what develops. There is a lot going on," the BMW official said.

"In the short term, the previous approach to the DTM has a problem and we may have to think outside the box. There will certainly be a pause for thought and maybe an interruption.

"But the DTM has been here before in its history and has come back," Frohlich added.

Making the situation even more fraught is the corona crisis.

"We have a new situation, which is not over with after such a short time," he continued.

"One thing is clear – our motorsport strategy follows the corporate strategy. But we are in a situation where BMW cannot race against itself in the DTM.

"Gerhard Berger and myself need to think about how to proceed," Frohlich added, referring to the DTM boss and F1 legend.

04/27/20 With the Chinese Virus forcing leagues to cancel and postpone races, and given the manufacturer support for DTM has all but collapsed with today's announcement that Audi is done after this year, comes rumors that the DTM series is essentially kaput

With Audi gone, and BMW, therefore, having zero competition, why bother? BMW is also focused on electric racing – and are in deep with Formula E with Andretti Autosport.

Plus the fact all the DTM teams will be making plans to move to other series in 2021, they might just abandon DTM now and focus on 2021.