The iRacing DTM Series kicks off on April 23 at the Red Bull Ring, and if you have been waiting for a GT3 championship with real structure and weekly competition, this is it. The series is officially licensed, runs on the real DTM calendar, and it is open to every iRacing subscriber.
Whether you have never touched a GT3 car or you have hundreds of hours in multiclass races, this guide covers everything you need to know before you hit the track. For background on the original announcement, check out our launch article from March.
Series Format and Race Structure
Each round is a 55-minute timed race with a mandatory pit stop. That pit window is where most of the strategy lives. There is no set lap count. The clock runs, and you race until it expires plus one final lap. Races go live on the Thursday before each real-world DTM event at 20:00 local time across four time slots: AEDT, CET, ET, and PT. This means you get a reasonable start time regardless of where you live. Fuel loads are limited, so you cannot simply fill the tank and blast through the full 55 minutes without stopping. Planning when to pit, how much fuel to take, and how hard to push your tires before the stop is central to a strong result.Choosing Your Car
The series runs GT3 machinery, the same class that competes in the real DTM. You will find familiar names in the garage: the BMW M4 GT3, Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, Porsche 911 GT3 R, Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO, and Ferrari 296 GT3 among others. Each car has a different character. The BMW is stable under braking and forgiving on corner entry. The Porsche rewards a driver who can rotate the rear and carry momentum through slow corners. The Mercedes sits somewhere in between with strong traction and predictable handling. Pick the car that fits your driving style rather than chasing what looks fast on paper. In a 55-minute race, consistency matters far more than raw one-lap pace. Spend time in practice sessions before Round 1 and find the car you can run clean laps in under pressure.License Requirements and How to Enter
Any active iRacing member can race in the DTM Series. There is no separate registration, no qualification rounds, and no invite list. If your subscription is active, you are in. Check the series page inside the iRacing UI before Round 1 to confirm which specific GT3 models are available. Not every real-world DTM entry may have a matching iRacing variant at launch. You will need to own the car and track content for each round. If you are building a collection from scratch, prioritize the first few rounds and add tracks as the season progresses.Pit Strategy Basics
The mandatory pit stop opens up real tactical options. Here is how the two main approaches play out. Early stop (around lap 10-15 of the expected distance): You pit before the field bunches up, grab fresh tires, and run in clean air for the second stint. The risk is that you rejoin behind cars that have not stopped yet and need to pass them on cold rubber. Late stop (final third of the race): You stay out on worn tires, hold track position, and pit when the window is closing. The benefit is less traffic on the out-lap. The downside is managing degraded tires for longer while faster, fresher cars close in behind you. Fuel is the hard constraint. Calculate your per-lap consumption in practice and figure out the minimum fuel load you need for each stint. Carrying extra fuel costs time through added weight, so be precise.Preparing for Round 1: Red Bull Ring
The Red Bull Ring is a short track with big braking zones and elevation changes that reward commitment. Turn 1 is a heavy downhill braking zone into a right-hander where you will see plenty of incidents on lap 1. Give yourself space on the opening lap. The two long straights create genuine overtaking zones, but the middle sector is tight and technical. Getting the exit right out of Turn 3 sets up your run to Turn 4, and a strong exit from the final corner is critical for straight-line speed down the pit straight. Tire wear builds through the high-speed right-handers in the first sector. The rear tires take the hardest hit, so managing rear grip over a full stint is where the fast drivers separate themselves from the quick ones. Run at least 20 consecutive laps in practice before race day. You need to know how the car feels on lap 18 tires, not just on a fresh set.Full 2026 Schedule
- Round 1: April 23 – Red Bull Ring
- Round 2: May 21 – Circuit Zandvoort
- Round 3: June 21 – Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
- Round 4: July 2 – Brands Hatch
- Round 5: July 23 – Motorsport Arena Oschersleben
- Round 6: August 13 – Nurburgring Grand-Prix-Strecke
- Round 7: September 10 – Sachsenring
- Round 8: October 8 – Hockenheimring
