P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Mercedes reduces DTM involvement to four cars in 2024
Mercedes has retained all three of its full pro drivers for the year, including Lucas Auer, Maro Engel, and Luca Stolz. Arjun Maini has been promoted to ‘Performance’ driver status and will join the team. Meanwhile, David Schumacher and Jusuf Owega have been dropped from the DTM program.
The Landgraf team has exited the DTM series, leaving only HRT and Winward teams in Mercedes’ line-up. Engel has moved to the Winward team, replacing Schumacher. With four drivers and two teams, Mercedes’ presence in the DTM has significantly reduced compared to previous years.
Mercedes returned to the championship in 2021 under GT3 regulations but has now reduced its factory-supported cars to four in 2024 due to budget cuts. The team feels confident with their line-up of two Performance Teams and four Performance Drivers. Luca Stolz was the highest-placed Mercedes driver in the 2023 standings, finishing sixth with a victory at the Sachsenring.
