DTM budgets increased for 2019 due to the introduction of Class One engines, which has also required modifications to components housed around the power unit due to the different vibration frequency of the turbocharged engine.

The engine was also the culmination of the DTM's gradual move into full Class One spec - including aerodynamic revisions - at the same time as the series tried to cut costs.

Motorsport.com understands the cost of a DTM programme is around 5-6 million euros per year for privateers and that Audi and BMW are spending between €30-50m on their efforts, although BMW is known to be keen to reduce its costs.

R-Motorsport meanwhile is believed to have a smaller budget for its Aston Martin-blessed four-car programme of around €20m.

"We have always had a very close look at reducing the overall budget for the DTM," said Gass. "With the introduction of the new engine, this year’s budget and the last was a little bit higher. Now we are looking at reducing it, and keeping the car as it is as much as possible.

"The target for us is to reduce the budget compared to this year and the previous. But I don’t think it is something that will be visible to the outside. It’s to keep the package consistent and automatically the budget you need will reduce."

DTM boss Gerhard Berger has continued a reduction in costs during his time in charge of the series, and BMW had previously estimated that by 2018 there had been a saving of 40 percent compared to its budget for its 2012 comeback season.

Berger claims that the cost of a DTM effort is now comparable to a GT3 project.

"We are going to do another big step because now the engine will be solid for a while and development is not as big," Berger told Motorsport.com.

"The unified [common] part system, we did cost calculations against GT3 because we are here and they are there, it’s cheaper [in the DTM].

"Except for the engine at the moment, we have everything under control. The engine is still expensive but the rest is top. We still keep going a little bit [to reduce costs] but the big thing is still the engine."