Two newcomers: Mercedes-AMG assembles strong quartet for the DTM

• Two new drivers in the four-man DTM squad at Mercedes-AMG
• Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf set for its DTM comeback
• Most successful manufacturer comes into season with ambitious goals

Munich. Mercedes-AMG is looking strong ahead of the 2025 DTM season. Two new drivers join the squad, as one team returns to the DTM with two Mercedes-AMG GT3. While Lucas Auer (A) and newcomer Tom Kalender (Hamm/Sieg) start for Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf, Monaco resident Maro Engel and Jules Gounon (AND) will be behind the wheel for Mercedes-AMG Team Winward Racing. The most successful manufacturer in the DTM, with a total of twelve Driver and 15 Manufacturer titles, Mercedes-AMG lines up in its 36th season in the prestigious series. "As well as defending the Manufacturer title, we obviously also have our sights set on the Drivers' Championship again," says Christoph Sagemüller, Head of Mercedes-AMG Motorsport. "With that in mind, we have a strong line-up. As well as two very professional teams and three hugely experienced drivers, we will also field the youngest driver to date in the DTM. I believe it is a very good mix, with great potential to continue our success story."

The mission to win the title sees Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf return to the DTM after one year away. Principal Klaus Landgraf and his team have impressed in the ADAC GT Masters of late, winning three Driver titles in a row. They are now aiming to carry that success into the DTM. The outfit from Gensingen will look to the experience of Auer. With 155 DTM starts to his name, the runner-up from 2022 boasts a wealth of expertise. "This may be my first time working together with Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf in this series, but we already know each other from other programmes. It is still a while until the first race, but we are already working hard. I am extremely excited about the new challenge," says the 30-year-old.

Auer's team-mate will be DTM debutant Kalender, who won the title in last season's ADAC GT Masters. In doing so, the youngster set a new record as the youngest champion, and Kalender now has his sights set on breaking records in the DTM too. At 17 years and 30 days, he looks set to go down in the DTM history books as the youngest driver when he takes his place on the starting grid at the season-opener in Oschersleben. "It is a privilege to have Mercedes-AMG and Landgraf Motorsport put their faith in me for a season in the DTM," says Kalender. "The team is a familiar environment, in which I feel right at home. I am trying not to put myself under any pressure, but will give it my absolute all. This mindset stood me in very good stead in my first GT3 season."

Mercedes-AMG Team Winward is now in its fifth year in the DTM. In Engel, the team from Altendiez can call upon the services of a genuine DTM ace. Last year, the experienced German was in contention for the title right down to the final round. In the end, third place in the championship represented the most successful DTM season of his career so far. "The goal is clear: we want to be DTM champions and bring the title back to Affalterbach," says Engel, stating his intentions ahead of his ninth season in the DTM. "From a global perspective, there are hardly any other series, in which the competition is so fierce and the standard so high. We were in the title race until the very end in 2024 - that is something we can build on, as we look to do even better this year."

Gounon starts in the second cockpit at Mercedes-AMG Team Winward. The former ADAC GT Masters champion and son of former Formula 1 driver Jean-Marc Gounon impressed in at the season finale in Hockenheim last year, when he finished sixth on his DTM debut. "I am super proud to be a DTM driver. That was always my big goal. My maxim is to learn fast and get good results. As a kid, I was a fan of my compatriot Laurent Aïello, who won the DTM in 2002. I now want to achieve the same with Mercedes-AMG and Winward Racing," says the Frenchman, who will represent Andorra in his Mercedes-AMG GT3.