– The Volkswagen subsidiary Cupra has been providing the safety fleet in the DTM since 2022, but 2026 marks a premiere: The Spanish car manufacturer, which caused raised eyebrows four years ago with an SUV as a safety car, is using the new Cupra Formentor VZ5 for the first time this year as both the safety car and the leading car, replacing the Cupra Formentor VZ.
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The vehicle had its first deployment in the DTM during the official DTM test drives on April 14 at the Red Bull Ring, and the new Cupra will make its race debut on April 25 at the DTM season opener in Spielberg (SPONSORED LINK: Get tickets now for the 2026 DTM season opener in Spielberg!).
As part of the recently extended partnership, Cupra is providing a total of six vehicles for the 2026 season: two safety cars, one leading car that leads the field during the warm-up lap until the flying start, two race control vehicles, and one medical car. For the first time, Cupra is using the new Formentor VZ5. The SUV is the new top model of the Formentor lineup and went into production in January 2026.
How the comparison with the previous Cupra safety car turns out
The engine delivers “over 450 hp” and the vehicle accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds. And it has all-wheel drive. These performance figures are made possible by a performance upgrade from tuner Abt, whose racing team is fielding two new Lamborghini Temerario GT3 cars in the DTM this year. How does the comparison of the Formentor VZ5 with the predecessor model VZ turn out?
The previous DTM safety car delivered “over 400 hp” according to the manufacturer. It will continue to be used in the DTM, as the Formentor VZ will be used as a race control and medical car in 2026.
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“We are very pleased to continue the successful partnership with CUPRA,” said the new DTM managing director Claudia Wagner in the press release. “In its fifth year now, Cupra is involved with the Official Cars in the DTM and demonstrates the connection between production vehicles and motorsport know-how.”
Who provided the DTM safety cars in the past
In addition to the DTM, the official Cupra vehicles are also used in the support series: This applies to the ADAC GT Masters, the ADAC GT4 Germany, as well as the new BMW M2 Cup organized by ADAC, which is making its debut this year. Apart from that, Abt’s marketing director and former Formula E driver Daniel Abt will continue to conduct taxi rides with the Cupra vehicles during the DTM weekends.
Photos: DTM 2026: Official Test in Spielberg
In the past, for example, fans had the opportunity through contests or sweepstakes to take a seat as a co-pilot in the leading car at the start of a DTM race and experience the race start in an unusual way.
Who provided the safety cars in the DTM past? During the Class-1 era as a manufacturer series, it was alternately provided by the participating manufacturers. In 2021, the first year as a GT3 series with factory-supported private teams, the official cars were provided by Audi. The safety car at that time was an Audi RS 5 Coupe, the medical car an Audi A6 Avant, and the leading car an E-Tron GT.
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