Kris Nissen is associated with the DTM plans of the Aston Martin squad Comtoyou: What is behind it and what role does he play in the project?
What role does motorsport legend Kris Nissen play in the Aston Martin plans to enter the DTM next season? Comtoyou team manager Francois Verbist has already announced that the chances of the Belgian team finally entering the Vantage GT3 Evo in the traditional series in 2025 are better than in 2024.
who even scored a DTM victory in an Alfa Romeo in 1994, fielded two Abt Audi TT-R in the DTM with his First Choice team in 2003 and was head of Volkswagen Motorsport from 2003 until the end of 2012.
“I’ve been in motorsport long enough to know that I need people by my side who are well known in the market.” ‘I definitely already have people working on it in the background.’
Comtoyou team manager knows Nissen from Dakar project
How does he react when he is confronted with the name Kris Nissen? “Difficult question,” answers Comtoyou team manager Verbist. “I am a personal friend of Kris, we are in contact. But it’s too early to say anything about it.”
He can “only confirm that I worked with Kris a long time ago, on the Dakar project. Since then, we’ve become good friends,” he says, referring to Volkswagen’s Dakar program, in which the Belgian ex-racing driver was the pilot of the “Racetruck”.
A not insignificant role, because the trucks, equipped with spare parts, were always on hand when the Touareg vehicles needed to be repaired quickly in the event of an accident on a stage. “I took part in seven Dakar rallies and drove the truck to be there quickly,” says Verbist.
Will Nissen be the DTM consultant for the Comtoyou team?
With regard to a new collaboration with his friend Nissen, he says: “Who knows?” A denial definitely sounds different.
“I currently have a few people around me who know the German market very well to support me, because for me it’s completely foreign,” Verbist describes his situation.
Why Comtoyou needs support in the DTM
The squad that won the 2024 Spa 24 Hours was competing in the GT World Challenge Europe, the GT Open series and at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife this year. “The philosophy in the DTM and what we are doing right now are two different topics,” explains Verbist, explaining why DTM know-how can be put to good use.
In addition, especially in its early days as a manufacturers’ series, the DTM had the reputation that being a non-German brand was a political disadvantage. For a long time, only German brands were on the grid with Mercedes, Audi and BMW, which were also shareholders in the operating organization ITR, which caused mistrust among foreign manufacturers.
This could also be a reason why the team, which is planning its project for at least three years, absolutely wants to have a German expert in the DTM on board.
Interestingly, Nissen not only knows Verbist well, but also his fellow countryman Nicki Thiim and his manager Dennis Rostek, with whom he was involved in the concept of the Volkswagen junior program around 20 years ago. Nissen’s fellow countryman Thiim is an Aston Martin works driver and one of the potential candidates for a DTM seat at Comtoyou.
