Running a full DTM campaign remains a major financial commitment, even in the GT3 era. ABT Sportsline has provided rare insight into what that commitment actually looks like in concrete terms, with marketing director Daniel Abt revealing internal budget figures that show just how expensive a modern DTM season has become.
“Since we are a private team in the GT3 DTM, we do receive some factory support – but we have to shoulder the majority of the costs ourselves,” Abt wrote on LinkedIn.
According to the former racing driver, running two GT3 cars in the DTM adds up to more than €3 million per season. This aligns with information obtained by Motorsport.com’s sister title Motorsport-Total.com, which estimates running costs of around €1.5 million per car, with some teams even spending north of €2 million.
Abt estimates the net cost of each GT3 car at €429,000, meaning two cars come to €858,000. Abt ran a pair of Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVOIIs in 2025 and could switch to the new Temerario in 2026.
Some models are more expensive than others, with the 2026 evo-spec Porsche 911 GT3 going on sale for around €573,000, while the revised Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo cars is available for approximately €700,000.
Accident damage
Depending on severity, crash repairs cost between €100,000 and €300,000. Most teams insure their cars, but at high-risk venues like the Norisring, insurance can be unavailable due to crash exposure.
Tyres
Tyres are a significant budget item, coming to about €250,000 for the season. A set of Pirelli slicks costs roughly €2,244, and teams are allowed 37 slick sets per car across the eight race weekends, which adds up to about €166,000 for the season — before wet tyres and test allocations are added.
Fuel
DTM now uses synthetic fuel from Coryton, which costs about €6.18 per litre. Abt estimates fuel costs for two cars at €50,000 per season.
Travel and logistics
Travel costs in DTM are lower than in global series like Formula 1, with only eight race weekends — and only two outside Germany — yet Abt still budgets about €220,000 for travel.
Entry fees
The ADAC charges an entry fee of roughly €100,000 per car, meaning a total of €200,000 for both cars.
Team Salaries
The single largest cost category is personnel. Abt estimates around €1 million in salaries for the roughly 20 team members involved in the DTM programme, including management, engineers, and mechanics.
Transport and support
The team also needs trucks and support vehicles for race weekends, which cost about €350,000 per season.
When all of these factors are added up, total costs fall in the €3,028,000 to €3,228,000 range.
"Unfortunately, I can't tell you about other things like transport insurance, general insurance, marketing, team clothing, or driver salaries," added Daniel Abt.
This shows that there are additional costs to factor, with many teams relying on factory drivers whose salaries are covered by the manufacturer.
Sponsorship and manufacturer support
Team sponsors in the DTM rarely spend more than €400,000 per car, even if they are allowed to take over the design of the entire vehicle. It’s why it has become so difficult for teams to set up a DTM programme, and why the drivers sometimes have to contribute to the budget as well.
Some manufacturers help financially, but this support normally doesn’t exceed €500,000 per car. In some cases, manufacturers even loan cars or provide free spare parts to help reduce a team's outlay.
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