BMW development chief Klaus Fröhlich has ensured BMW’s commitment to the DTM in wake of Audi’s shock decision to abandon the series after 2020, while also criticising the manner in which the Ingolstadt manufacturer has gone about exiting the series.
With Audi no longer on the grid after 2020, BMW remains the only confirmed manufacturer on the grid, fuelling speculation on what direction the championship might take.
“I believe that the series is still very attractive and has a future perspective,” Fröhlich told the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
“In the short term, the previous DTM approach has a problem, and we may have to think outside the box. There will certainly be a pause for thought and perhaps an interruption. But the DTM has already stopped in its history and has come back.”
Fröhlich went on to criticise Audi’s withdrawal, claiming it was not communicated to BMW.
“That surprised and disappointed me. And I find it not only astonishing, but also unsportsmanlike to drop out and not talk to us as a second partner before. It really blew me away.”
“When Mercedes got out, Ola Kallenius [Mercedes CEO at the time] called me personally and explained how and why. It was all professional and appreciative. I missed that here at Audi.”
Audi’s decision to withdraw from DTM is largely fuelled by an increased focus on Formula E, as it aligns with its goal of generate about 40 percent of its sales with electric cars and plug-in-hybrids by 2025. Fröhlich is critical of the decision, pointing out that DTM has its own plans for an all-electric future.
“I can’t understand the statement ‘We are going into Formula E for electric cars instead of staying in the DTM’ precisely because the DTM wants to become fully electric by 2025,” Fröhlich explained.
“It is not for me to evaluate another company. But from my point of view Audi is undergoing a far reaching restructuring process. Whether it was sustainable to cut off the DTM pillar and whether Formula E is more viable in the long term to communicate electric mobility, I put a question mark on that.”
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