2012 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters season
Season 2013 >
The 2012 DTM season was the 26th season of the DTM and the 13th since the foundation of the series in 2000. Bruno Spengler won the drivers' championship in a BMW M3 DTM for BMW Team Schnitzer.
- 2.1 Changes to the drivers
- 4.1 Points system
- 4.2 Drivers' Championship
- 4.3 Evaluation team
- 4.4 Manufacturers' Championship
Sporting and technical changes
Manufacturer
From the 2012 season stood beside Audi and Mercedes -Benz BMW with a third manufacturer in the DTM. Audi used from the 2012 season, the Audi A5 DTM. BMW continued to return to the DTM BMW M3 DTM. Mercedes stepped up to the DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé.
Team
Together with the BMW Team Racing Bart Mampaey, Reinhold Motorsport and Schnitzer Motorsport went into the DTM.
For Audi and Mercedes teams from previous years remained.
Rules
For the 2012 DTM season, extensive changes were announced to the regulations. The most striking feature was the appearance of the set on the race cars silhouettes which were again inspired " new DTM " two-door coupe as in the early days of.
A high priority was to reduce the cost. By using many common parts among vehicles of different manufacturers a cost reduction of up to 40 percent should be achieved. In addition, the vehicles should be used in several racing series. For this, the ITR took up conversations with the Grand American Road Racing Association and NASCAR in the United States and the organizers of the Japanese Super GT in order to establish a uniform regulations.
For greater security, a new carbon fiber monocoque has been developed.
One focus of the changes to the regulations was on the aerodynamics. All DTM cars had a single large rear wing. A flow through the body and complex additional wings at the rear were no longer allowed. This should be the vehicles less sensitive responsive to touch and provide better wind shadow.
The wheelbase was 2.75 meters for all DTM vehicles. The vehicles were 1.95 meters wide and 5.01 meters long, the rear wing included. The Mercedes and BMW were 1.20 meters high, the Audi, however, only 1.15 meters. The weight was 1,050 kilograms including the driver.
In the 2012 season, wider and bigger tires were used. 2011 reported yet these have a width of 260 mm at the front and 280 mm on the rear axle and a diameter of 660 millimeters, respectively. 2012 had the front tire has a width of 300 millimeters and a diameter of 680 millimeters, whereas rear tire having a width of 310 millimeters and a diameter of 710 mm were used. The official tire supplier to Hankook developed tires that have wing elements on the sidewalls and should generate additional downforce.
The race distance had to be completed without refueling. Therefore, in the vehicles larger tanks were built with a capacity of 120 liters. Thus, the use in endurance racing is possible.
The vehicles were equipped with a sequential transaxle six-speed transmission that was operated via shift paddles on the steering wheel.
The drive continues four-liter V8 naturally aspirated engine whose specifications, however, differed among the various manufacturers were used. So the Mercedes was specified with an output of 500 hp, the BMW with 480 hp and 460 hp with Audi. All engines possessed a maximum torque of 500 Newton meters.
In the DTM, the flags are from the 2012 season instructed directly by the race management and controlled and displayed directly on the steering wheel of the participants, this system is here called marshaling system.
Teams and Drivers
All teams used tires from Hankook.
- Marco Wittmann was a test driver of the BMW team.
Changes in drivers
The following list contains all the drivers who took part in the 2011 DTM season and did not start in the 2012 season for the same team as in 2011.
Drivers who have changed their team:
- Rahel Frey: Team Phoenix → Abt Sportsline
- Miguel Molina: Abt Sportsline → Phoenix Racing
- Mike Rockenfeller: Abt Sportsline → Phoenix Racing
- Bruno Spengler: HWA AG → BMW Team Schnitzer
- Martin Tomczyk: BMW Team RMG Team Phoenix →
- Christian Vietoris: Persson Motorsport → HWA AG
Drivers who enter or return to the DTM:
- Augusto Farfus: Le Mans Series (BMW Motorsport) → BMW Team RBM
- Joey Hand: American Le Mans Series (BMW Motorsport) → BMW Team RMG
- Roberto Merhi: Formula 3 Euro Series (Prema Powerteam) → Persson Motorsport
- Andy Priaulx: Le Mans Series (BMW Motorsport) → BMW Team RBM
- Adrien Tambay: Auto GP ( Campos Racing) → Abt Sportsline
- Dirk Werner: American Le Mans Series (BMW Motorsport) → BMW Team Schnitzer
- Robert Wickens: Formula Renault 3.5 (Carlin ) → Mücke Motorsport
Drivers who have left the DTM:
- Maro Engel: Mücke Motorsport → Australian GT Championship ( Erebus Racing)
- Oliver Jarvis: Abt Sportsline → FIA GT1 World Championship ( W Racing Team)
- Tom Kristensen: Abt Sportsline → World Endurance Championship (Audi Sport Team Joest)
- Renger van der Zande: Persson Motorsport → Porsche Supercup (Konrad Motorsport)
Race Calendar
The provisional race calendar for the 2012 season, was released in September 2011. On the lines, there was no change to the previous season, and there was again a non- scoring event for the championship in the Olympic Stadium Munich, was in drove to the system of the Race of Champions.
Rating
Points system
, The first ten of the race were 25, 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1 point (s).