Mercedes’ decision to leave the DTM at the end of 2018 has rocked the category. Ulrich Fritz, Head of DTM for the Stuttgart-based manufacturer that has been present in the DTM since 1988, explained the reasons for the decision.

”The decision is not about the change in the regulations, but about a change in the motorsport strategy,” said Fritz.

Two years ago Mercedes AMG pushed for the new 2-litre engine to be delayed until 2019, with the manufacturers and ITR agreeing on that season for the debut of the new engine. Fritz said the engine change didn’t have a bearing on Mercedes’ decision to exit the series.

”The decision was made because now you have to commit, because you cannot agree to the new regulations, invest millions in a new development and then just pull out five months before. This is not the way we want to treat the competition nor the fans, so this is why we announced it really early. But, for sure, the decision didn’t come because we didn’t agree on the new regulations,” said Fritz.

Whether Mercedes will have some kind of presence in touring cars beyond 2018 remains to be seen, according to Fritz.

“The decision is three weeks old and the board has decided to focus on Formula 1 and Formula E. Obviously, we still have our GT programmes in customer racing, and that’s how things will be for now, as we don’t see the necessity to do touring car racing at the moment,” said Fritz.

Asked about the future of the six Mercedes drivers in the DTM, Fritz said: “People ask about the drivers, but they are only one part of the 150 people we have working in this project. As for them, we are going into Formula E and we also have the customer motorsport programme. Also, other things might come up in the future.”