Ford's trio to renew battle in Germany?
Ford's BTCC stars could be on the verge of a mass exodus to the DTM next year

Rickard Rydell tested a Mercedes CLK at Hockenheim on Wednesday and Thursday, following on from Dutch driver Tom Coronel who suffered an accident during his test on Monday. Motorbike racing star Ralf Waldmann also drove a Mercedes at the same venue on Friday.
Rydell's options for next year are to remain in the BTCC, most likely with Peugeot, or take a year out to develop Volvo's 2002 touring car for the European series. But the test must surely give him a shout of a seat in a works DTM Merc.
The Swede was unable to comment about the DTM test, but said: "I haven't signed any deals with anyone yet and I've not decided where I will be racing next year. I'm still talking to a number of manufacturers."
A Mercedes spokesman said: "These are all the drivers we will test for the time being. But it is possible we may test more."
F3000 racer Christijan Albers had been expected to test, but didn't get to drive this week. He is likely to be given a run in the future, however.
Rumours linking Prodrive with Opel's DTM attack intensified this week, with the possibility of both Anthony Reid and Alain Menu joining the Opel ranks. The Russelheim marque is keen to up its game in 2001 in an all-out effort to beat Mercedes, and the Banbury outfit, along with its star drivers, would fit its bill.
Another rumour is that the German Manthey squad is expected to be one of the first privateer entries next year with a pair of CLKs. Mercedes declined to comment on the matter.

Donington Park set for 2001 DTM date
New rules to make racing closer than ever

Latest news
Can the DTM’s reigning champion turn around his sluggish title defence?
With 67 fewer points and 14 positions lower in the standings than at the equivalent point last year, Maximilian Gotz has had a tough start to his DTM season. The Mercedes driver explains his struggles, and how he’s going about addressing them
DTM evaluating adding Nurburgring Nordschleife to 2023 calendar
The DTM is believed to be considering a return to the legendary Nurburgring Nordschleife as early as 2023, but it must overcome several hurdles to make the race a reality.
How Audi DTM heavyweights Rast and Muller compare
The GT3-based DTM is a different proposition to the Class 1 era that ended in 2020, but Audi’s top protagonists remain the same. Rivals Rene Rast and Nico Muller have now swapped teams, making their Team Rosberg and Abt engineers uniquely qualified to reveal what makes the pair tick
David Schumacher surprised by friendlier DTM environment
DTM rookie David Schumacher says the championship's convivial paddock atmosphere has come as a shock this year, having felt he had “no friends” during his time in single-seaters.
The longest-serving Red Bull driver revealing F1’s true brutality
His day of days in Formula 1 came at Indianapolis in 2005, a day grand prix racing strives to forget. But Patrick Friesacher, the long-serving Red Bull lieutenant, remains active today driving a two-seater that provides ordinary people with a glimpse of an F1 car’s savage potential, including this writer...
How the DTM has come back stronger from its Norisring nadir
OPINION: Questionable driving standards and farcical team orders meant the DTM's first season under GT3 regulations ended under a cloud. But the organisation has responded firmly by banning team orders and welcomed new manufacturers, making for an intriguing season ahead as new and returning names prepare for battle
The remarkable career of a 'classy' champion who rejected politics
Over two decades as a factory driver with Audi and BMW, Martin Tomczyk earned the respect of team-mates and rivals as a hard but fair racer. After calling time on his racing career, the 2011 DTM champion sat down with Autosport to look back
The other Hamilton conqueror seeking career revival
On his rise through the ranks before reaching Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton was usually a cut above the rest. But he never truly asserted himself over a Mercedes-backed fellow Briton who traded single-seaters for touring cars and is now seeking new opportunities after a year largely spent on the sidelines
How the DTM's shambolic finale poses awkward future questions
OPINION: The scenes at the Norisring as Mercedes used blatant team orders to secure the first DTM title of the new GT3 era totally undermined the credibility of the championship. But as well as overshadowing the season, it also presents uncomfortable questions to series bosses about the direction it is headed in
How Audi's new DTM star is channeling Rast to achieve his "childhood dream"
Having learned the ropes in GT3 alongside Rene Rast, Kelvin van der Linde is in line to take up the three-time champion's baton as Audi's new DTM king. From humble origins in South Africa, it's been a remarkable journey so far for the current series leader, but he knows that the 2021 title is a long way from settled just yet
The number-crunching behind the new-look DTM's equalisation drive
Switching to GT3 regulations marked a fresh start for the DTM in 2021, but it has also drawn a line in the sand against other series using similar cars by engaging AVL Racing to develop a bespoke Balance of Performance system. Here’s how it works
The initial verdict on DTM's move to GT3 cars
OPINION: Facing collapse last year, the DTM has shifted its philosophy from a championship for silhouette-based touring cars to GT machines not too dissimilar to those racing across multiple series worldwide. But despite some initial BoP-based teething troubles, there were some pleasant findings as the 'new DTM' got underway at Monza