ROWE RACING Team Principal Hans-Peter Naundorf: “DTM with GT3 cars? We’d do that.”
St. Ingbert, July 29, 2020 – For ROWE RACING, after its first appearances in the Nürburgring Endurance Series with the start of the European GT World Challenge, international racing has now also picked up speed again after the Corona break. However, team boss Hans-Peter Naundorf is already looking beyond the end of the season and is seeking additional fields of activity for his Motorsport Competence Group and the ROWE RACING project. After talks about entering the DTM as a private team did not lead to success two years ago, the renowned platform is now once again coming into focus. Because regardless of the imminent start into a compressed DTM season at Spa next weekend due to Corona, the future of the traditional series is completely open due to Audi’s withdrawal at the end of the year. ITR boss Gerhard Berger recently mentioned a switch to GT3 cars as a possible scenario for 2021. The former Formula 1 driver has thus aroused concrete interest in Hans-Peter “HP” Naundorf.
After the Corona-related delayed start into the current motorsport year, you are already looking beyond this season. What is the medium-term perspective for ROWE RACING in the coming years?
Hans-Peter Naundorf, Team Principal ROWE RACING: “We have no concerns that we will have to give up the kind of racing we are currently doing and turn to other things. Also, the support of our partners is clearly aimed at continuing the current activities in GT3 racing at a sporting-professional level. Perhaps we will see minor changes in the number of cars entered or the number of smaller races. Possibly the environment will also be restructured a bit. Basically, however, we as ROWE RACING and as the Motorsport Competence Group are also looking for the next challenges in motorsport and new projects with a future. It must be clear to everyone that motorsport has to change. We want to be there, find the necessary platforms and perhaps also provide the necessary impetus. I think there are exciting tasks ahead for motorsport and for our team.”
In what direction could these changes go at ROWE RACING?
Naundorf: “Of course, we already have certain plans. We want to position ourselves a bit more broadly, offer track days and introduce drivers to motorsport with smaller vehicles. But we also want to try to develop a new motorsport in response to a changing society and industrial culture – completely independent of Corona – with. We are sure that racing will emerge again in this change. That’s where we want to be. Formula E has shown the way with a completely different concept. I believe that in the next few years, car manufacturers and other players with good concepts will move out of the series and into motorsport. The sport has always been a good platform for getting a lot of people excited about new developments and creating awareness. Since we work a lot with industry partners, this is a very interesting topic for us.”
After Audi’s withdrawal at the end of this year, the future of the tradition-steeped DTM is currently completely open. As a possible solution, the switch to GT3 cars is being discussed. Would that be interesting for ROWE RACING?
Naundorf: “Two years ago, we already had ambitions to do something on the DTM platform. We had found partners who wanted to get involved with us. In the end, it had not resulted. If the DTM platform were to continue with current GT3 cars, that would of course be very interesting for us. The DTM still has great appeal both to fans and sponsors. It would be important for German motorsport to maintain this platform, also to secure the underpinnings for young talent.”
Are there already contacts with ITR boss Gerhard Berger?
Naundorf: “So far, nothing concrete has been announced, which is why we are currently playing with our heads and speculating. First of all, the ITR would have to decide whether GT3 cars should really be the future of the DTM next year. We’ve got the right cars in our team that could be used, and we’ve also got many team members who already have DTM experience. In addition, we have partners who could be enthusiastic about a DTM entry. We’re open to talks, because if there were to be a DTM with GT3 cars next year, then we’d already like to do that.”
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