– For years, the Salzburgring has been striving for a place on the DTM calendar. The traditional Austrian race track, located in the southern German catchment area, even had a contract with Gerhard Berger for 2023 before the DTM boss sold the series to the ADAC – and the dream ended prematurely.
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After talks with the ADAC, the DTM dress rehearsal finally took place in September 2025, when the ADAC GT Masters visited the picturesque high-speed race track in the Nesselgraben in front of around 10,000 spectators. But now the wind seems to have turned regarding a DTM comeback in 2027.
“We questioned whether there is a need for the DTM here,” Salzburgring managing director Ernst Penninger makes clear to the Kronen Zeitung. “The track can handle it, but the surroundings are an issue for us: campsites, traffic, and infrastructure. Besides, we already have a DTM race in Austria at the Red Bull Ring.”
“Goal to further establish ourselves in the second racing league”
The statement is surprising because until now Penninger had been pushing hard to bring the DTM back to the Salzburgring after the guest appearances in 1987 and 1988, when the races had to be canceled due to mass accidents. What triggered the change of mind?
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“I was at the DTM season opener in Styria last week and saw the effort being made there,” Penninger says. “I had to realize myself that a premium product like the DTM probably doesn’t really fit us. Our goal must be to further establish ourselves in the second racing league.”
What he means by that is clear: at least as long as the DTM has a home in Austria with Spielberg, they want to continue hosting the ADAC GT Masters at the Salzburgring, which took place last year as part of the grassroots-oriented ADAC Racing Weekend.
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Salzburgring further improved after serious accidents
An event that is much easier to implement in the narrow Nesselgraben with its natural grandstands than a DTM weekend like recently in Spielberg with 51,000 spectators, especially in bad weather conditions.
That the Salzburgring, whose runoff area is limited by the topography – similar to the Nürburgring Nordschleife – is basically GT3-suitable was proven last year, although there were two serious accidents at the ADAC GT Masters due to tire damage. The analysis showed that the tire damage was mainly due to the use of the tires by the teams.
To better secure the affected section, an FIA catch fence was installed in the paddock curve for the 2026 season. In addition, the runoff area in the first corner was optimized so that less gravel is carried onto the track by the cars.
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This is just one of numerous improvements made in recent years to make the race track DTM-ready, including a state-of-the-art “Race Control,” a race control room at Formula 1 level. At least the ADAC GT Masters, which will visit the Salzburgring again in 2026, now benefits from this.
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