Porsche is set to make a big impact in the 2023 DTM season as it celebrates its 75th anniversary. The manufacturer will be represented by three customer squads: Team75 Bernhard, Manthey EMA, and Toksport WRT, with each team fielding two Porsche 911 GT3 R cars. The new generation GT3 race car from Weissach will be making its debut in the series, following a successful 2022 season that saw three race wins and four additional podium results.
Porsche’s customer teams have chosen a mix of experienced drivers and young talent to pilot their six racing cars. With a doubled contingent compared to last year, Porsche is aiming to make a big impact on the series. The 2023 DTM season, which is now being run under the umbrella of ADAC, will feature 16 races across eight venues between May and October. Thirteen teams from six different manufacturers will compete in the series.
Sebastian Golz, Project Manager Porsche 911 GT3 R, expressed his excitement for the upcoming season, saying: “2023 heralds a new era in the DTM, and we’re excellently represented with six 911 GT3 R. With Toksport WRT, Team75 Bernhard, and Manthey EMA, we have strong partners on our side who we’ll support in the DTM. This tremendous campaign is rounded off with six first-rate drivers whose experience ranges from feeder racing series like the Porsche Carrera Cup to many years of GT racing.”
Team75 Bernhard, owned by two-time overall Le Mans winner and current Porsche brand ambassador Timo Bernhard, will be expanding their involvement in the DTM from one to two Porsche 911 GT3 R cars. The team will rely on two extremely fast specialists: Ayhancan Güven from Turkey, a former Porsche Junior and Supercup vice-champion who gained experience in the DTM from guest drives in 2022, and Germany’s Laurin Heinrich, who won the Carrera Cup Deutschland last year as a Porsche Junior.
Timo Bernhard expressed his excitement for the season, saying: “It’s fantastic that we’re now running two cars this year. After a successful debut season with two victories, this was our clear intention. We’re very well positioned with our drivers. Ayhancan has a lot of GT3 racing experience. He knows all the racetracks and the designated tires. I think Laurin is one of the most exciting up-and-coming stars. His learning curve will be steep. Our team has been reinforced. Everyone is highly motivated. I’m sure that we’ll be well up with the play.”
The Manthey EMA driver line-up has the most DTM experience, with works driver Thomas Preining, who fought for the 2022 title for Team75 Bernhard right up until the final race weekend, switching to the team from the Eifel for this season. The Norwegian Dennis Olsen, another 2022 DTM race winner, drives the second car. Managing Director Nicolas Raeder expressed his excitement for the new project, saying: “In recent years, our focus has been on the WEC events for Porsche Motorsport and also on the Nordschleife with our 911 GT3 R, which our fans have nicknamed ‘Grello.’ Now we’re about to take on a new project in collaboration with EMA Motorsport. Dennis and Thomas are two fast drivers with DTM experience. The team is highly motivated and we want to demonstrate what we are capable of with Manthey EMA in the 2023 DTM season.”
Toksport WRT, another Porsche customer team, is joining the DTM for the 2023 season. The squad from Quiddelbach, near the Nürburgring, will field two Porsche 911 GT3 R cars, driven by Christian Engelhart from Germany, who contested two DTM races last year, and youngster Tim Heinemann from Germany, who climbs the career ladder into the GT3 series after winning two titles in the DTM Trophy, a GT4 championship.