Dovizioso acquired his first style of GT3 equipment at Hockenheim on 28-29 March, sharing an M4 GT3 with two-time DTM champion and manufacturing facility BMW driver Marco Wittmann.
Wittmann has already been signed by Challenge 1 to guide its assault on the DTM and the staff has been on the lookout for a second driver to finish its line-up for the 2023 season.
Dovizioso, who impressed throughout a visitor outing in an Audi Class 1 automobile again in 2019, was seen as a contender for the seat after being included within the two-day check at Hockenheim. Nonetheless, a race berth now seems unlikely, given the dimensions of the problem forward for the Italian.
Autosport’s sister web site Motorsport-Whole.com was capable of finding particular person lap instances for each Dovizioso and Wittmann, who offered a benchmark for the 37-year-old due to his intensive expertise within the DTM with BMW.
Whereas Wittmann was capable of obtain a greatest time of 1m37.712s within the automobile that received final 12 months’s title within the fingers of Schubert’s Sheldon van der Linde, Dovizioso might enhance no additional than 1m41.812s in his ultimate stint.
That put the Italian four.1s off Wittmann’s greatest time, though he had made a marked enchancment from a 1m43.642s in his first stint.
The distinction in lap instances factors to Dovizioso going through a steep studying curve in GT3 equipment, the place he’s a whole rookie, with the intention to be able to race competitively within the DTM.
Whereas GT3 vehicles do include ABS and traction management, making them appropriate for amateurs, some discover adjusting to driving aids a very troublesome train.
It may very well be one motive why Dovizioso had a comparatively simple time within the extra aerodynamically-efficient Class 1 automobile at Misano in 2019, the place he ended up 1.319s off polesitter Rene Rast. Nonetheless, it have to be famous that he accomplished an preliminary run at Audi Sport’s Neuburg facility and two days of testing at Misano to arrange for that debut outing.
PLUS: The inside story of Dovizioso’s DTM debut
Andrea Dovizioso, Challenge 1, BMW M4 GT3, Hockenheim testing
Photograph by: Susanne Rossbach
Challenge 1’s second driver
Challenge 1 is now going through a race in opposition to time to lock in a second driver for 2023, with pre-season testing resulting from get below manner at Spielberg on 15-16 April. DTM’s new proprietor, the ADAC, has been placing strain on each the staff and BMW to have its drivers signed in time for the check.
Dev Gore, who drove for Workforce Rosberg in 2021-22, is one candidate for the drive. Though Gore had a tricky rookie season, he confirmed indicators of enchancment final 12 months and completed on the rostrum at Imola with the assistance of a formidable technique.
Wittmann’s 2022 team-mate at Walkenhorst, Esteban Muth, can be a contender for the drive. Muth’s marketing campaign was lower brief final 12 months resulting from an harm, however he’s match to race once more this 12 months and is already serving as a check and reserve driver for the Vanwall LMH staff within the World Endurance Championship. Nonetheless, there are query marks over whether or not the Belgian will be capable to carry sufficient cash with him to safe the seat.
Ex-BMW driver Timo Glock used to have Challenge 1 staff boss Hans-Bernd Kamps as his supervisor. However whereas Glock admitted in March that he was “speaking” with Challenge 1 about its vacant DTM seat, he conceded that it’s “reasonably troublesome to get a funds collectively for the time being.”
