What Ralf Schumacher means by this statement about the 2023 DTM season, why Porsche had an advantage and whether the ADAC artificially intervened in the process
Does Porsche have an advantage in the DTM? Ralf Schumacher said in an interview at the end of 2023 that his son David Schumacher, who was competing in the Winward Mercedes, also suffered from the strength of the Porsche 911 GT3 R – and that in the series in which the Balance of Performance (BoP) should actually ensure equal opportunities
“It’s clear that Porsche should be competing for the championship this year,” said Schumacher. “I have no problem with that. You always get the feeling that one manufacturer or another is somehow stronger than the rest in certain years. Of course, that made it even harder for a young driver like David to show himself.”
But what exactly does Schumacher mean by that? Should the traditional brand be artificially classified in such a way that – as Thomas Preining did in the end – they also win the title?
Schumacher puzzled by Porsche’s pace at the finale
“In the last race at the Hockenheimring we saw how strong the long runs were, even though the Porsche had put on a few kilos. You can see the potential in the car,” says Schumacher. “That’s why I say: Porsche was in a better position than it should have been.”
In fact, the 911 GT3 R was made 15 kilograms heavier at the season finale after Saturday’s qualifying, in which the two Manthey EMA Porsches finished first and third, thanks to a BoP change.
After Preining’s race win on Saturday with five kilograms of success ballast, the eventual champion had to take a total of 20 kilograms of success ballast on board for Sunday’s race. His car was therefore 35 kilograms heavier than in Saturday’s qualifying – and he still won.
Schumacher sees no control from the ADAC
But does the ADAC control who becomes champion? “No,” replies Schumacher. “I’m just saying: who recognizes what’s happening? Or who can really assess the potential of the car?”
Schumacher clarifies this with an example: “Let’s say I add ten kilos. Then Porsche turns the ‘screw’ and can theoretically go even faster – whether it’s the power screw or whether the driver gets even more potential out of the car. “
Was Porsche at an advantage in the Balance of Performance?
The vehicle concept of the 911 GT3 R also plays a role in this respect. “Porsche is very dependent on the BoP due to their vehicle concept, which also starts with tire wear,” he says. “For example, Pirelli has to adapt the tires for Porsche because the car is relatively heavy with the rear engine on the rear axle. In my opinion, this shows that they are trying to explicitly support one manufacturer as far as the BoP is concerned.”
What’s more, “the manufacturers don’t always reveal everything that a vehicle can do, so that you can add a few extra features when the opportunity arises,” explains Schumacher. A tactical trick that is not so easy with the Mercedes-AMG GT3, as the car has been “on the market for a very long time” and is “at the end of its cycle”.
By contrast, the latest GT3 version of the 911 did not make its debut in the DTM until 2023. Nevertheless, he does not want to “talk down the performance” and congratulates Porsche and Preining, whom he considers to be “a really very good driver”, on the title
Schumacher’s suggestion: BoP by ex-HWA technical guru?
And he understands that it is “not always easy” for a series organizer like the ADAC “when you are fighting against a factory with the BoP. And the BoP is also bought in, without the organizer being able to influence it.” Schumacher sees no basis for possible accusations that the ADAC is controlling the course of the season through the classification.
This is because the organizer has appointed Stephane Ratel’s SRO Motorsports Group as service provider for the BoP. For Schumacher, this does not mean that there is no need to catch up in this respect.
“We need someone like Gerhard Ungar, for example,” he recommends the former HWA technical manager, with whom Schumacher has been running the US racing team for several years. “I would like to see people as competent as him doing it. I think that would make it more difficult for the brands. “
