Sophia Floersch will contest the 2021 DTM season, joining Abt Sportsline as part of an expanded three-car effort.
Floersch will join the previously confirmed pairing of Mike Rockenfeller and Kelvin van der Linde, with the German squad entering a trio of Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo into the series this season.
“I’m really looking forward to competing in DTM, said Floersch, who also drove the DTM Electric Demo Car at Hockenheim last year. “The partnership with Schaeffler and ABT Sportsline is great and makes me confident for my first season. I’m very proud to be given the chance to prove myself against such a strong field of drivers.”
Floersch, who will also race in the FIA World Endurance Championship this year, will become the first female driver in the series since Rahel Frey and Susie Wolff in 2012. The former of the two also drove for Abt Sportsline during that campaign, while Katherine Legge raced for the team in 2009.
“We are very much looking forward to this joint adventure also in the DTM, working with Sophia and the cooperation with Schaeffler,” says managing partner Hans-Jürgen Abt. “We now have a DTM veteran, a rookie and a lady in the team, that’s really something motorsport fans can already look forward to.”
The deal between Floersch and the German outfit is the result of a cooperation with automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler, which also plays a role in the development of the DTM Electric car and acts as DTM’s technology and innovation partner.
“We are looking forward to the partnership, says Matthias Zink, Member of the Executive Board for Automotive Technologies at Schaeffler. “For us as a pioneer in mobility, the DTM is passion in action and a perfect testing ground.
“We share Sophia’s enthusiasm for technology and see her as an important role model for all girls and women who pursue their goals with talent, commitment and ambition. Together, we will shape progress that moves theworld on the race track and beyond.”
