Overview
- DTM, which published the official entry list Tuesday, confirmed 21 permanent entries from eight manufacturers for a season opener on April 24–26 at Austria’s Red Bull Ring.
- Audi drops off the grid after Land-Motorsport switched to Porsche, reducing brand count from nine to eight and trimming the field from 24 cars in 2025 to 21 for 2026.
- Reigning champion Ayhancan Güven will not defend his title as he moves to a World Endurance Championship seat with Manthey, with further absences including René Rast, Jordan Pepper and Jack Aitken due to other programs.
- Kelvin van der Linde returns and debuts with BMW, while three former champions — Thomas Preining, Mirko Bortolotti and Marco Wittmann — headline a field that still includes multiple race winners.
- Four rookies step up — Marco Mapelli, Matteo Cairoli, Bastian Buus and Finn Wiebelhaus — as teams reshape lineups, with Manthey and Emil Frey reducing car counts, Paul Motorsport exiting, Maximilian Paul joining GRT and Abt and GRT introducing Lamborghini’s new Temerario GT3.