Lucas di Grassi hopes for future Brazilian DTM round

Ex-Formula 1 driver, Lucas di Grassi, hopes his native Brazil will host a DTM round in the future, given the series’ 2017 technical tie up with the Japanese Super GT and US-based Grand-Am championships.

di Grassi, who now competes with Audi in the FIA World Endurance Championship, tested one of the team’s RS 5 DTM cars last week at the Red Bull Ring, but ruled out a switch to the series in the immediate future.

However, the Brazilian told TouringCarTimes that given the technical tie-ups and their international reach, he hopes a Brazilian DTM race will become a possibility in the future.

“Driving in this series is not a big question for me at the moment,” di Grassi told TouringCarTimes. “When I joined Audi I wanted to race its sports-prototype and that wish remains.”

“[But] I think there is a possibility that the DTM could become a global series in the coming years.

“DTM is definitely the best touring car series in the world with big, prestigious manufacturers racing against each other.

“Of course it would be very nice if Brazil was on any calendar in the future for the ‘home’ drivers.”

di Grassi added that the DTM’s popularity has risen in Brazil, thanks to the successes of BMW’s Augusto Farfus.

“Augusto has done well in DTM – he’s a very good driver – and undoubtedly him competing in DTM has raised the championship’s profile here in my country.

“The races are shown on television and I believe the audience figures are good and are rising.”