A tough year for Abt and Bortolotti
Mirko Bortolotti looks back on a difficult 2025 DTM season. As defending champion, it did not go as expected. He says Abt probably learned more in that year than ever before, but the results were not positive. Whether that will be enough to return to the front of the field soon, he dare not say. Bortolotti also indicates that he himself is not yet sure whether he will drive for Abt next season. For him, it is mainly up to the team to recover.
Why the backlog grew
Abt's deficit did not arise from one cause. SSR quit as a partner, after which Abt started with a new team. The team had to switch from Audi to Lamborghini and started practically from scratch. There was little time for preparation for the first race weekend. In addition, the testing limitation in the DTM plays a role: with only four to five test days per season, it is difficult to make big strides during the year.
Competitors gained additional knowledge in other championships. Teams that had been using the Lamborghini Huracan for some time drove in the GT World Challenge Europe, among others, where Pirelli's DHG tyre was used and tyres are allowed to be heated. Those extra kilometres gave them an advantage. Abt, on the other hand, was mainly active on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife with Michelin, which provides few direct lessons for many DTM circuits.
Looking ahead to 2026
For 2026, there are reasons for cautious optimism, but also new challenges. Pirelli will then supply a DTM-specific tyre, which may partly take away the testing benefits of GT programmes. Lamborghini is also bringing a new model into the DTM, the Temerario GT3, causing many teams to start development all over again.
Yet uncertainty remains. If the new Lamborghini does not appear on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, Abt could again fall behind teams that do collect a lot of relevant data there. For 2026, the team is also undergoing organisational changes: Thomas Biermaier will take over the leadership, replacing Martin Tomczyk.
- Main causes of 2025: team changes, little preparation and testing restrictions.
- Competitors used GT programmes to collect additional data.
- 2026 offers new opportunities: DTM tyre from Pirelli and the Temerario GT3, but also new uncertainties.
In short: Abt has learned a lot, but whether it will be enough to return soon depends on several factors. For Bortolotti himself, the prospect of a continuation at Abt is not yet clear.
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