How the DTM and Super GT can build on their experiment

"Honestly, I was standing on the starting grid and when I saw all the different manufacturers coming in with all the colours and brand names, I think that's the one," says DTM boss Gerhard Berger. "That's what we need to focus everything on. We need to hang on until we make it happen. It's hard sometimes, and frustrating, but when you see the result of it, that's the way to go. Go for this category in motorsport. 100% sure."

The 'Super GT x DTM Dream Race' weekend at Fuji was a big moment for Berger and the fruition of work that intensified in 2017 when he became DTM boss. He'd barely got his feet under the table before the first crisis hit: Mercedes announcing its withdrawal from the series at the end of the following year in favour of Formula E.

Immediately he pulled out his contact book and called up manufacturer after manufacturer in an attempt to plug the gap while reviving the long-dormant talks with Super GT over united regulations.

There was soon talk of Audi and BMW willing to tolerate a bridging year of two brands and a renewed push by the DTM for customer squads to help grid size in the interim.

In the short term, R-Motorsport and Aston Martin arrived for 2019 to plug the gap and deliver both good news and an internationally recognised name. While R-Motorsport's first year was predictably challenging, although its results at times were genuinely impressive, recent months have been dominated by its decision to axe HWA and scramble for a replacement engine partner.

A year ago, that could have been disastrous for the DTM. Now it's merely problematic as the much-heralded Class One finally announced itself to the world at Fuji - and what a start it got off to.

The previous toe-in-the-water exercise at Hockenheim garnered so much attention not just because of the three Super GT cars from Honda, Nissan and Lexus, but because 2009 Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button took part and thrilled with two deeply impressive races and a superb qualifying run on Saturday.

With Button busy spending "17 hours" stranded in the desert during the Baja 1000, the Fuji weekend was purely about motorsport having the crossover equivalent of the latest Avengers saga, and it provided just as much action.

Watching Audi's Rene Rast battling the leading Super GT cars and Duval start from pole was the realisation of the Class One vision

Crucially, it captured the imagination. The official attendance last weekend was 51,800, around 80% of what Fuji's actual Super GT round attracted, which is massively boosted by it taking place in the Golden Week holiday period and by being the longest race of the season. That is a seriously impressive starting point, doubly so when you consider rounds such as Motegi attract around 35,000.

But best of all was the atmosphere. You could easily argue that the 'Dream Race' was an exhibition event, certainly with a name like that. Not a single driver treated it as such, with Super GT surprisingly coming out on the offensive on Saturday.

This time Super GT was prepared. The three manufacturers came back from their bruising Hockenheim weekend, during which they were rooted to the back of the field, and applied their knowledge in four dedicated tyre testing sessions at Fuji. Audi and BMW threw open their doors and had nightly meetings with the Super GT teams to help them understand the DTM's quirks.

Come qualifying and there was a great fight as DTM and Super GT went head-to-head, with ex-Super GT driver Loic Duval regularly leading the way for the German series against the likes of Honda's Naoki Yamamoto and TOM'S Lexus driver Nick Cassidy.

But unlike at Hockenheim, it was Super GT's weekend. Super Formula champion Cassidy led from start to finish on Saturday as the Japanese series' greater horsepower and sophisticated aerodynamics meant it had a tyre life and top speed advantage that led to the German cars sliding down the order.

Asked how it felt to win after Hockenheim, where Cassidy crashed in the second race, the Lexus driver said: "It's OK, I know my ability. But the frustrating part was people questioning my ability after Hockenheim, which I think is not fair.

"This week, any condition, full rain, dry, damp, anything, I could show my strength. Maybe some people can review [what happened in Hockenheim]. It's been quite nice this weekend, Lexus is completely open, so everyone can see what my car is or what their car is, all Lexuses were quite close on set-up.

"It's kind of nice to be similar set-up, same tyre, same car, fair fight and then... remember Valtteri Bottas this year on the radio said: 'To whom it may concern'? I felt like the same."

Slightly more subtle was Yamamoto, who spent the post-race press conference joking Super GT provided more action than DTM. Autosport understands that behind the scenes later that night there was a push from some within the DTM for a Balance of Performance to finally be implemented before talks hit a dead end.

No matter, as Sunday's race proved even more thrilling and had both Duval and BMW's Marco Wittmann on the podium, as Ex-F1 driver Narain Karthikeyan ended a six-year victory drought by overcoming three safety cars to ensure a Super GT clean sweep.

Watching the likes of Rene Rast battling the leading Super GT cars, and Duval starting from pole, was the realisation of the Class One vision. This is the future Berger and co have vaguely promised throughout 2019. Two of the world's most prestigious series, flush with manufacturers and leading drivers between them, going head-to-head. Six manufacturers and 22 cars on the grid. How many series can offer that?

But for all this is a hugely promising step in the right direction for the DTM and Super GT, Autosport's main criticism still stands - even if it was alleviated slightly at Fuji - the end goal of Class One remains frustratingly unclear.

It's understood Super GT and DTM will sit down and review the Fuji weekend at their steering committee, but that cautious approach also threatens the momentum earned from Fuji.

"Obviously the topics are on how we are going to go on, what are we going to do with Class One in the future," says Berger.

Initially tepid arguments over BoP will become stronger as the years pass. Fundamentally, it is impossible to naturally balance a touring car and an extreme GT machine

"We are European and have a bit of a tendency to do two things at once and the Japanese like to take it very carefully and think twice and they do. It's a culture issue, but not a big one. I think it's about balancing it right.

"What they are doing very clearly is to analyse the race in Hockenheim and especially this one after this race and take a look at the media side, the costs side, the logistics side, and whatever.

"Then from there, go and say, 'OK, what do we need to correct? What do we need to do differently? What are the next steps? So when can we do the next common race?'"

Berger suggested the next step should be for a full DTM field to go against a full Super GT field - even if 33 cars could provide a headache at plenty of circuits. Another factor is whether the two series will continue to race in each other's countries or choose neutral ground - which would come with the risks of building in a new market for a one-off race.

Then there's the elephant in the room. For all the talk of Class One unity and Super GT's move closer to the DTM in terms of regulations next year, it is unavoidable that Super GT will continue to have aerodynamic development and there is resistance to the hybrid power that the DTM will go to in 2022. Such moves mean the initial tepid argument over BoP will become stronger as the years pass. Fundamentally, it is impossible to naturally balance what (broadly speaking remains) a touring car and an extreme GT machine.

But still, there are lessons to be learned, and the DTM left Fuji deeply impressed by the Japanese racing culture. Elements such as the famous circuit safari are likely to be discussed, with a view to factoring them into a DTM weekend.

For all the criticism of vagueness, there were at least tangible signs that the steering committee has discussed firmer plans. The idea of a car exchange was repeatedly mentioned by those on the DTM side, the idea being that the two series could swap cars between the two series and increase manufacturer participation without damaging grid size.

It's easy to see this being the most feasible next step considering both Audi and BMW are keen to have a presence in Super GT's GT500 category, as is Aston Martin - the absence of which was made all the more awkward by all the Fuji promotional material featuring the missing Vantages.

Berger's Super GT counterpart Masaaki Bandoh has repeatedly mentioned the idea of a winter series, although this again leads to the awkwardness of high costs and the likelihood of it having to take place elsewhere in Asia or the Middle East due to weather concerns, with all the drawbacks that would include in terms of media and fan support.

BMW motorsport boss Jens Marquardt stresses that the next step must be to widen the impact of the two series globally.

"Obviously we wanted to have the platforms so that when we do development of cars, we have a way to run them internationally," says Marquardt. "But obviously, at the same time, it would be good to do this on an [car] exchange basis.

"If we could agree between manufacturers, and this is the step we are doing right now, to strengthen both championships and have more manufacturers involved, not with reducing cars on one side, but in an exchange basis. I think it would be much more interesting for spectators and fans. It widens the footprint of both series, widens the interest internationally from people for all the brands, platforms and Class One racing.

"For me, that is the next step that we should all aim for and look at the whole joint events and some kind of Champions League or whatever as Bandoh-san said. Those are the things you have for next year in both series with Class One regulations as the basis for everything. We can really start thinking, not dreaming, for steps for the next future."

Berger maintains "it's a long way to go" and that cost remains the main issue. But it doesn't change the fact that the culmination of a seven-year journey of twists and turns between DTM and Super GT was finally realised with aplomb at Fuji. The 'Dream Race' broke new ground, now it has to ensure it rises to the forefront of motorsport in the coming years.

What next for Class One?

With the DTM and Super GT now sitting down to discuss the Fuji weekend and implement a plan going forward, chances are is that time is running out for another 'Dream Race' in 2020.

But Class One mustn't lose the momentum it's gained off the back of this weekend and middle ground must be sought.

The solution? Create a high-profile event without the logistics, stresses and groundwork needed for a racing weekend. Placing an event in a neutral ground, as suggested for the races, would lessen the impact. Keep it local.

An unlikely source in the European Truck Racing Championship suggests the perfect German location for such an event is the Nordschleife, having used the iconic old circuit for a festival and fan events while racing takes place on the grand prix circuit.

While Super GT's racing at Sugo means it could not simply turn up to the DTM's Nurburgring round, why not create the opportunity for DTM and Super GT cars to conduct demo runs on the old circuit?

Thinking practically, the GP circuit could be used to begin the process of honing any future use of Balance of Performance using the 2020 Super GT Class One cars alongside the DTM.

The event could even be used as a chance to finally lay down and announce long-term plans for Class One, which would hopefully take a step towards larger joint racing plans, a mooted regular car exchange, or the winter series approached seemingly favoured by Bandoh.

What is certain is that 2020 must not come and go with Class One as an afterthought.