Pirelli’s new slick, which will also be used in the DTM from 2025, has been available for a week: What is being said about the tire and why the introduction has caused discussions
On March 1, the test restriction for the 2025 DTM season comes into force: this means that the teams have been allowed to test without restriction since the season finale on October 20, 2024. Why did hardly anyone take advantage of this? This has to do with the new Pirelli PZero DHG tire, which will be introduced in the DTM in 2025 and will replace the DHF model. The tire – and especially its warm-up process – is the key to success in the DTM.
The new Pirelli slick has only been available since last week, which would have made winter testing pointless despite approval. “We don’t test when there are no tires – anything else would be stupid,” clarifies team principal Gottfried Grasser. This makes the race for the new black gold from Italy all the more intense.
But how does the new Pirelli perform according to initial experience? Some teams already had the opportunity to try it out last year during tire development tests at Le Castellet.
Difference in the new tire less than expected?
some drivers were unable to distinguish the new tire from the old one in the blind tests, which indicates a very similar concept. “I’ve heard something similar,” says HRT team principal Ulrich Fritz, whose team fitted the new tire to the Ford Mustang GT3 for the first time in Barcelona at the beginning of last week.
“It apparently felt a bit more high-performance, but it wasn’t worlds apart,” reveals Fritz. In addition, he says, you have to be careful with an assessment, because HRT knows the old Pirelli mainly from the Mercedes-AMG GT3, which is considered to be very gentle on tires, and has not done any direct comparison tests on the same car.
It is said that it takes even longer for the new Pirelli slick to reach temperature. This could pose an even greater challenge for the DTM teams, who, unlike other GT3 series such as the GT World Challenge Europe, are not allowed to heat their tires.
Less DTM testing for GTWC teams?
By the way: there has apparently already been the first political issue in this regard. Because while only five test days per car are allowed in the DTM from March, the GT-World-Challenge Europe (GTWCE) will hold its official test at Le Castellet on March 10th and 11th – with the new Pirelli tires. Numerous DTM teams that compete in both series will also be taking part: Winward, HRT, Grasser, Comtoyou and the Emil-Frey team are likely to be there.
“Some teams were of the opinion that GT World Challenge participants should have fewer test days in the DTM because of the new tire,” reveals team principal Grasser, who wants to compete in both series with his team. “But why should someone be penalized just because they drive in a different race series? Apart from that, the tires are heated there – and not in the DTM,” he emphasizes that in the GTWC, there is no practice for qualifying, which is so important in the DTM.
Why was there resistance anyway? Perhaps some teams were afraid that the GTWC teams would be able to enjoy the Pirellis earlier than the DTM teams. But that does not appear to have been the case. The same test restriction now applies to all DTM teams.
DTM test restriction 2025: Only three private test days
What does that look like? The ADAC will organize two DTM tests itself. These are the official test at Oschersleben on April 2 and the test at the Sachsenring, which hardly allows any test drives due to noise protection conditions. Apart from that, the teams only have three private test days left, whether they take part in the ADAC tests or not.
At the Lausitzring, the ADAC wants to propose a self-organized test, but will also allow the teams to take part in private tests due to a scheduling conflict with the GT-World-Challenge. The test restriction is initially valid until the end of October 2025.
