Bernhard "ready" to expand to second Porsche in 2023 DTM

The 2015 World Endurance Championship LMP1 title-winner switched his team from ADAC GT Masters into the revamped DTM this year with a single-car entry for Thomas Preining. 

The Austrian, who raced with the team in GT Masters last year, scored Porsche’s maiden DTM win at the Norisring after coming close to scoring a podium in the previous round at Imola. 

Speaking to Autosport, Bernhard explained that entering two cars from the outset would not have allowed him “to do the job properly with the budget and with the possibilities we have”, but said the team was in a good position to expand for 2023.

Explaining his decision to go with one car only for this season, Bernhard said: “I wanted to concentrate everything on the one car to do it properly. 

“Sometimes it’s not a disadvantage to say, ‘okay, everything on one car’ and try to make that work.

“The next step for sure would be to have a second car on the grid. I think a racing team works best if you have two cars on the grid.”

Podium: Race winner Thomas Preining, KuS Team Bernhard, Timo Bernhard, Team principal KuS Team Bernhard

Photo by: Alexander Trienitz

Asked if he felt ready for a second car having achieved its first win in the category, Bernhard added: “Yes, I think we would be ready, I would be ready. 

“Of course we have the rest of the year concentrating on this one car, but next year in terms of team structure, in terms of knowledge, I have this feeling, this I can say.

“I’m very critical normally, but I can say that we would be ready for a second car to field that and be a strong contender.”

Having previously run two cars in GT Masters, Bernhard acknowledged that it was “a lot of work to have two cars at the same level of competitiveness”. 

“We did that in GT Masters, two cars for a number of years, it’s not an easy job,” he said. “To be at that level to give two drivers the same kind of possibilities, opportunities, it’s already a big job.

“Two cars will be the goal at one point, three cars will be too much.”

Bernhard is yet to start putting together a shortlist for an extra car, although the five-time Nurburgring 24 Hours winner said he has “one or two names in my head” that he would like to sound out. 

“I know there would be a lot of interest,” he said. “I can just say that it’s not myself!”