2026 DTM line-up: All 21 drivers for the new season

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The new DTM season kicks off this coming weekend in Spielberg with a field of 21 drivers. Compared to last year, there are four notable departures: in addition to Manthey champion Ayhancan Guven, who is moving to Formula E, three-time champion Rene Rast, Emil Frey Ferrari driver Jack Aitken, and Grasser star Jordan Pepper will no longer be competing.

Rast and Aitken are focusing on prototypes this year, while Pepper has moved to BMW, where there are currently no openings in the DTM. These departures offer other top-tier drivers from different series the chance to fill the void. Here, Motorsport.com takes a closer look at all the drivers and explains what to expect from them in 2026.

Despite the departure of four top drivers, the starting grid for the new season is still absolutely top-notch, as the DTM attracts the creme de la creme of GT factory drivers with its one-driver-per-car concept, which is unique in GT3 racing apart from the GT World Cup in Macau.

Drivers from 11 nations, with Germany providing the lion’s share

There are 21 drivers on this year's grid, hailing from a total of eleven nations. As usual, the DTM’s home country, Germany, accounts for the lion’s share with eight drivers. Italy ranks second with three drivers, followed by Austria and Denmark with two each. Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, India, and South Africa have one driver each.

In total, 2026 will see 11 race winners and three DTM champions on the starting grid. The average age this year is 29.5. Incidentally, it was 28.6 at the start of last season, so the field has aged slightly.

Five rookies compared with 2025

But has the field actually changed significantly compared to the 2025 season finale? In addition to the four top-tier drivers already mentioned who have left the DTM, Manthey Porsche driver Morris Schuring, HRT Ford's Fabio Scherer, Emil Frey Ferrari's Ben Green, and Comtoyou Aston Martin driver Gilles Magnus will also no longer be on the grid this year, bringing the total number of departures to eight.

In contrast, there are five newcomers on the starting grid for the 2026 season, four of whom are true rookies and have not yet competed in a single DTM race. The transition to the DTM should not be underestimated, as in the ADAC series — unlike in the GT World Challenge Europe — the tyres are not allowed to be heated.

Getting the tyres up to temperature for the optimal qualifying lap is a fine art in the DTM — and requires experience. What doesn’t make it any easier is that the DTM has strict testing restrictions, allowing drivers only four test days after the season opener in Spielberg this coming weekend.

2026 DTM grid

DTM 2026: Starterfeld mit 21 Autos steht - wer dabei ist und wer fehlt

DTM 2026: Starterfeld mit 21 Autos steht - wer dabei ist und wer fehlt

#3 Kelvin van der Linde (RSA/Schubert BMW)

After a year's break from the DTM, the former Abt driver is back – as the successor to Rast in the Schubert BMW, ​​​​the car his brother Sheldon drove to the DTM championship title in 2022. The 29-year-old South African is highly motivated to repeat that feat in 2026. He already proved his ability to drive the BMW to the top in other categories in 2025.

#7 Nicki Thiim (DEN/Comtoyou Aston-Martin)

For the 'Viking', 2026 is a dream come true. After two tough DTM years in a Lamborghini, thanks to a special permit from his employer Aston Martin, he's finally behind the wheel of a Vantage and no longer has to constantly readjust. Will the 37-year-old now be consistently at the front of the pack?

#8 Nicolas Baert (BEL/Comtoyou Aston Martin)

The son of team owner Jean-Michel Baert entered his debut season as a complete outsider, but was surprisingly fast at the Norisring. Although his pole position was revoked due to illegal turbo settings, he proved strong again on the second day. Can he replicate this performance?

#10 Marco Mapelli (ITA/Abt Lamborghini)

Hardly any driver knows the new Temerario as well as the Lamborghini factory driver, who completed the majority of the testing and is making his DTM debut with Abt at the age of 38. The Italian is a sure thing on the Nurburgring Nordschleife, but is he fast enough to compete for wins in the DTM?

#11 Marco Wittmann (GER/Schubert BMW)

The 35-year-old from Franconia is entering his 14th DTM season, but his last title was nine years ago. This year, the signs are positive, as his Schubert crew remains stable – and with Rast's retirement, the two-time champion is now the team leader. Will he prevail against van der Linde?

#14 Matteo Cairoli (ITA/Emil Frey Ferrari)

His former AMG colleagues are warning about the 29-year-old rookie, who was brought in as a replacement for Aitken. The man from Como has already been a Lamborghini factory driver and won the 24 Hours of Nurburgring in 2021 in the "Grello". The team, car, and series are all new to him, which is why he may need some time to adjust.

#16 Timo Glock (GER/Dorr McLaren)

The 44-year-old former F1 driver is the oldest in the field – and after a difficult comeback year with Dorr, during which he frequently experienced problems with his car, he wants to prove himself again in 2026. He has lost key confidants within the team and saw little driving time during testing. Does this really offer any hope?

#19 Maximilian Paul (GER/Grasser Lamborghini)

The 26-year-old from Dresden returns to Grasser in 2026 after two years with his own Lamborghini team, with which he sensationally celebrated his first DTM victory in 2023. The newly-appointed Lamborghini factory driver faces an enormous challenge, however: his team-mate is Mirko Bortolotti.

#22 Lucas Auer (AUT/Landgraf Mercedes)

Gerhard Berger's nephew has been racing in the DTM since 2015 and is already a fixture in the series. The change of scenery did him good in 2025: Driving for Landgraf-Mercedes, he was almost constantly at the top of the standings and finished as runner-up. Anyone who knows him knows that he worked hard over the winter to reach the top.

#25 Ben Dorr (GER/Dorr-McLaren)

The 21-year-old son of team owner Rainer Dorr secured McLaren's first DTM pole position in 2025 and outpaced team-mate Glock. His collaboration with Jamie Green's former race engineer, Erich Baumgartner, is working well, and he will also compete in other series in 2026. Will he make the leap to a factory driver?

#29 Bastian Buus (DEN/Land Porsche)

Last year, the former Porsche Supercup champion seemed to have secured a DTM cockpit, but then the Allied project fell through. He's finally landed a seat with the Land team, but the 22-year-old Dane and his crew face a Herculean task: In the Porsche camp, Manthey is the benchmark.

#36 Arjun Maini (IND/HRT Ford)

For years, the fast Indian driver was AMG's junior driver, but at HRT-Ford he has long since become the team leader. The 28-year-old is entering his sixth DTM season and wants to finally fulfil his dream of a first victory. Much will depend on whether the Ford Mustang is easier to control thanks to the Evo package.

#48 Jules Gounon (AND/Winward Mercedes)

The French "Mamba" driver, who lives in Andorra, showed his class in his first DTM year, but also struggled with his car at times. Can the 31-year-old consistently compete at the front in his second year after the chassis change?

#63 Mirko Bortolotti (ITA/Grasser Lamborghini)

After a disappointing year as defending champion with Abt, in which he finished no higher than sixth, arguably the fastest Lamborghini driver returns to Grasser. And he's reunited with his successful engineers from SSR. Only the new Temerario GT3 isn't running yet.

#64 Finn Wiebelhaus (GER/HRT Ford)

For the first time, a Road to DTM winner has made it into the championship, as the 20-year-old from Hesse snatches the Ford Mustang seat from Fabio Scherer this year. Wiebelhaus, who is supported by legend Manuel Reuter, has two years of GT Masters experience under his belt, but the step up to the DTM is a big one.

#69 Thierry Vermeulen (NED/Emil Frey Ferrari)

Max Verstappen's protege will continue to compete under the Verstappen Racing banner, but will not switch to AMG, remaining loyal to his Emil Frey team and Ferrari. Will he finally achieve his first victory in his fourth season? The 23-year-old Dutchman is improving with experience.

#80 Maro Engel (GER/Winward-Mercedes)

Looking at the past two years, the 40-year-old has been the most consistent DTM driver, finishing third in the overall standings twice. And few drivers are as good at outlaps after pit stops. However, Engel hasn't won a DTM race since 2023. He aims to change that in 2026.

#84 Tom Calendar (GER/Landgraf Mercedes)

The youngest DTM driver of all time is now 18 years old and wants to take the next step in 2026. After a difficult debut season, he surprised everyone at the finale in Hockenheim, a track he knows well, and was almost able to match the pace of his team-mate Lucas Auer. Can he show that more often in 2026?

#90 Ricardo Feller (SUI/Manthey Porsche)

The 25-year-old Swiss driver has made the leap to the top Porsche team Manthey after his unexpected stint with Land Audi. He proved he can compete for the title in 2023 with Abt, but his team-mate Thomas Preining is not only one of the best in the DTM, but also knows the team and the car better.

#91 Thomas Preining (AUT/Manthey Porsche)

The 2023 DTM champion had to watch his team-mate Ayhancan Guven capitalise on his mistakes and take the title last year. The 27-year-old from Linz aims to strike back in 2026, his fourth year with Manthey. It will be interesting to see how the internal battle with Ricardo Feller plays out.

#130 Luca Engstler (GER/Abt-Lamborghini)

After two DTM victories in 2024, the 25-year-old son of touring car legend Franz Engstler had a difficult year alongside the strong Jordan Pepper in the Grasser Lamborghini. The fresh start with the Abt team, which, like him, hails from the Allgau region, could do him good! He is also now a Red Bull athlete.

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