The FE cynic who had to accept change in his series

Few things seem to hit the same note of contempt with certain motorsport fans than the mention of alternative power - whether that's electric, hybrid or hydrogen.

Some believe that alternative power is symptomatic of motorsport's increasingly exorbitant cost, and nothing more than a complicated marketing gimmick. Others use it to point out the disparity between Formula 1's haves and have-nots, suggesting that it is the antithesis of competition. You only need to look at how Formula E still receives pointed barbs from both within and outside the motorsport sphere, despite now being an established series - and in its sixth season.

But one of the most outspoken critics of alternative powertrains has performed something of a U-turn this year, however nuanced his argument is. Back in 2018, DTM boss Gerhard Berger spoke openly about hybridisation needing to be more than just a marketing "gimmick" for the DTM to take such an approach.

"With hybrid, at the moment, you have to ask if it brings us a value, except just as a marketing tool," he told Autosport. "If it gives us added value to racing performance, efficiency and laptime then yes [we would consider adopting it].

"But if it's just for marketing to say that we have fired ourselves into the green image and, in the end, we have an inefficient system, then no. So we are waiting for the right moment to look into it."

That hesitance evolved into criticism of FE this year, as Berger said in July: "Our main core business is spectacular racing. I have not seen many spectacular races with electric technology. Maybe it is not even right to say not spectacular, but it's just slow.

"You have no mileage [range between charges], they are slower than Formula 3 cars and we want to go into the other direction and be more like Formula 1. [Electric] is not our DNA. It doesn't mean there cannot be a touring car with electric [power], but not the DTM. Our core DNA is different."

Now, those two quotes hardly suggest a series boss keen to embrace alternative powertrains. But a series of events has led the DTM to the inevitable conclusion of adopting hybrid power. This is expected to be used in competition in 2022.

The first signs of change came when 2016 F1 world champion Nico Rosberg shared a rare controversial non-F1 opinion by claiming that the DTM would have to become fully electric in the near future. While those comments should be taken with a healthy dose of cynicism, considering he is an investor in FE, Rosberg touched upon the salient point that manufacturers would begin to lose interest in an entirely combustion engine-powered series.

But the 2019 regulations, complete with Class One engines, were a good starting point for the DTM. Despite the road car industry's clamour for electrification, there is still place for increasingly efficient combustion engines - and the DTM's power units fit nicely inside the current road car plans at BMW and Audi.

Audi and BMW are now in an ideal situation: having a presence in a fully-electric series in FE, running efficient and cutting-edge turbocharged engines in DTM, and operating more conventional engines in its variety of sportscar programmes.

There is a clear trend, and it proves electrification and hybridisation are here to stay

"Our factory-backed motorsport programme deliberately rests on two pillars: Formula E supports electric mobility and the DTM [has] modern, highly efficient IC [internal combustion] engines of the type being fielded in Class 1 starting in 2019," explains Audi motorsport boss Dieter Gass.

"At the current state, Audi will be selling more cars with IC engines than with electric powertrains for the foreseeable future. That's why a racing series with modern IC engines definitely makes sense. In the DTM, we're now going to use a 2.0 TFSI engine.

"Audi uses this engine concept worldwide in many production models and performance levels and it is an important element in the context of reducing fleet emissions."

Gass's BMW counterpart Jens Marquardt has always argued BMW's road car programme has been "region-dependent", with some favouring conventional engines and others more in the direction of electric and hybrid power, which again highlights that the DTM hits the right balance in its portfolio.

Keeping existing manufacturers happy is one thing, but adding new ones is a different ballgame. To use an analogy from another sport, the DTM has had to change its tactics in-game to mount a comeback. When Mercedes left the DTM at the end of 2018, it did so as Berger's chase for a replacement manufacturer hit a series of dead ends.

The R-Motorsport Aston Martin squad ultimately filled the void, but it's a race team representing the brand rather than a traditional manufacturer presence. Attempts to lure other manufacturers have failed to convince another marque to join the grid.

The recent trend of manufacturer whims shows why this is the case. The World Rally Championship is going to adopt a hybrid formula in 2022, as will the British Touring Car Championship. World Rallycross is currently attempting to balance the need to be relevant with producing a series attractive enough for brands.

Hybrid power will even figure further down the pyramid, as British Formula 4 will trial it in 2020. Simplification of F1's hybrid power units was considered, but it will instead remain with a similar format into its next era. There is a clear trend, and it proves electrification and hybridisation are here to stay.

The DTM is now following the route of those series. Over the course of the season, the movement has gone from a vague 'maybe 2022, '23', to a clear target of '22.

Autosport understands the process of looking into who could supply a standardised hybrid component has already begun, and it's intriguing that when Autosport spoke to several companies about the possibility of producing such a concept, it was BTCC hybrid provider Cosworth that provided the strongest indication of interest.

"Cosworth is at the forefront of hybrid technology development and motorsport remains an area of growth for the company," a supplied statement reads. "The recently announced BTCC hybrid system contract is a perfect example of this. We aren't able to comment on confidential contracts, so it's a case of 'watch this space'."

While the DTM is still figuring out the exact specification of the hybrid power unit, Marquardt has mooted a KERS-style system, although Berger told Autosport it was too early to discuss such concepts.

But one area where the DTM has now made a clear commitment is in the use of efficient synthetic fuels, first used at the Hockenheim season finale. Audi claimed it can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 30%.

Audi and Aston Martin used the fuel in their race taxis - a 2017-spec Audi RS5 DTM and a Vantage GT4 respectively - after a pilot test on the dyno. The cars were branded with 'The next step', highlighting that the DTM now realises the importance of a green image.

"This pilot project is part of a rich programme for the future aimed at the introduction of sustainable drive technologies to the DTM," Achim Kostron, the ITR's managing director, said at the time. "And, as part of that process, our scope will expand from greener fuels to include a greater focus on hybrid drive."

The DTM achieved its most important goal in 2019 by stabilising, months after Mercedes' exit suggested this year was going to be an awkward bridging effort between BMW and Audi

The DTM's last, and most comprehensive, step came in November, when it took the surprise choice of announcing a vision for a futuristic touring car series - it was careful not to suggest a future DTM - using hydrogen technology and robots at pitstops.

While attention-grabbing, several sources in the DTM paddock have suggested that elements of the PR material had featured in some format during prospective manufacturer talks. That suggests a hybrid future is now considered a key selling point by the DTM.

Plus, Berger was quoted as saying: "It is obvious that manufacturers who want to become involved in motorsport are increasingly focusing on alternative drive concepts."

But even the DTM's press release acknowledged some difficult steps for that concept that are just as relevant in its hybrid push, with key points made on technical feasibility, financial viability, and fan, manufacturer and sponsor interest.

While technical feasibility is less of an issue when the futuristic Blade Runner-esque concept is compared to the common hybrid spec idea, Berger's DTM era has been characterised by a commitment to reducing costs to what is claimed to be GT3 levels, and the addition of hybrid power will inevitably escalate costs.

You only have to see the impact the new-for-2019 Class One engines has had on R-Motorsport.

The team has the smallest budget in the DTM, and had to carefully manage funds through the 2019 campaign. While prospective manufacturer and sponsor interest is hard to gauge, it is understood the DTM was pleased with the feedback it got from its futuristic touring car concept from those inside and outside the paddock.

But crucially, will it find approval in Japan? Super GT has made no secret of the fact it is not currently considering hybridisation, which would put the two series at odds not long after they aligned as closely as possible for 2020 through common regulations. Berger plays down this issue, but it's a difference that will have to be tackled.

Regardless, the DTM achieved its most important goal in 2019 by finding stability after it was rocked by Mercedes' exit, months after suggestions that the season was set up to be an awkward bridging effort between BMW and Audi.

It achieved another tick in the box by finally uniting with Super GT at Hockenheim, before putting on a greater spectacle at Fuji.

The foundations are reinforced, and the DTM should be stable enough for it to look to the next decade. But Berger and the ITR now have to navigate the road to 2022 and produce a concept that makes the DTM more relevant than ever, while balancing costs, and maintaining its current manufacturers -plus adding further brands as it negotiates its Class One era.

With that sort of job list lying on your desk, Berger's initial electric resistance could be forgiven.