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DTM and Super GT head to head races could still happen

The DTM could still hold its joint races with Japan's Super GT series in 2017 and '18, even if it delays the introduction of turbo engines, BMW's Jens Marquardt reckons

Manufacturers from both series are developing new Class One regulations with the intention of a 2017 introduction, but Audi, BMW and Mercedes are considering keeping their current V8 units for another two seasons.

A resolution was expected to be announced at the Essen Motor Show, which starts on November 28, but will now come at a later date.

Two-litre, four-cylinder turbo engines were to be the centrepiece of the new platform, shaped with input from Honda, Lexus and Nissan based on their current engines.

Even if a shared engine arrives later than anticipated, the BMW motorsport boss feels the mooted head-to-head races could still be held in Japan in late 2017 and then Germany in early '18.

"We always said that there are slight differences in the racing formats between Super GT in Japan and the DTM in Germany," Marquardt said.

"The DTM running sprint races, 40 minutes and one hour. On the Japanese side, them running races up to six hours, with refuelling. Everything is different.

"I think at the end of the day, it's up to [DTM organiser] ITR and the [Super GT organiser] GTA to answer: Can we somehow organise events together, and what kind of format will they have?

"From a technical side, as we've always discussed in the past, we should certainly find a way to balance the cars and everything.

"It is definitely not an easy task when you have so many different kinds of formats that we have."

Marquardt suggests tyres could actually be a bigger factor than a lack of engine equality.

The DTM used a single-compound Hankook tyre in 2015, while the Super GT field was split between Michelin, Bridgestone, Yokohama and Dunlop.

"Our format here, with the mono tyre is a completely different type of running for those short races than a championship that is driven by a tyre manufacturer's developments," he added.

"A lot of development comes from the tyre.

"It needs someone to get something organised for that, and in that respect I think that is really GTA and ITR to see if that can happen, and when."

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