DTM has signed up with iRacing for an official mirror series running alongside the 2026 season. Eight rounds, open to all subscribers, kicking off at the virtual Red Bull Ring on April 23rd.
The format is straightforward. Each race runs on the Thursday before its real-world counterpart, follows DTM's 55-minute structure, and includes a mandatory pit stop. Four time slots cover AEDT, CET, ET and PT, so the global audience actually gets a crack at it. iRacing president Tony Gardner described it as:
– A great opportunity for the global sim racing community to experience the thrill of DTM in a virtual format, with races where anyone can take part.
That last part matters. iRacing has a licence system that can lock newer users out of themed series, but this one appears to be open to all.
DTM's 2025 liveries will be made available through Trading Paints, the community platform iRacing uses for custom car designs. The Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO will stand in for the new Temerario, which hasn't made it onto the platform yet. The Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo is in the same situation. Neither is a dealbreaker for a community series, but it does mean the grid won't quite mirror what you'd see on a real DTM broadcast.
Two circuits short
There is a small awkwardness in the calendar. iRacing is missing the Norisring and Lausitzring from its track list, so those DTM rounds are replaced by Spa-Francorchamps and Brands Hatch respectively. Both are excellent circuits and nobody is going to complain about an extra lap of Eau Rouge, but it's a reminder that partnership announcements occasionally run slightly ahead of the available content.
The full schedule:
|
Round |
Date |
Circuit |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
April 23 |
Red Bull Ring |
|
2 |
May 21 |
Circuit Zandvoort |
|
3 |
June 18 |
Spa-Francorchamps* |
|
4 |
July 2 |
Brands Hatch* |
|
5 |
July 23 |
Motorsport Arena Oschersleben |
|
6 |
August 13 |
Nürburgring GP |
|
7 |
September 10 |
Sachsenring |
|
8 |
October 8 |
Hockenheimring |
*Substitutes for Lausitzring and Norisring
What this means for RaceRoom
Worth being clear on: this does not replace DTM's existing relationship with RaceRoom. KW Studios' title is still scheduled to host the DTM Esports competition in 2026. DTM is simply spreading wider, which makes sense. RaceRoom has its own dedicated sim racing audience and a DTM Esports structure built around it. iRacing brings a much larger, more global user base.
With over 350,000 registered players, iRacing already hosts official series for NASCAR, IndyCar and IMSA. DTM joins a list that is only getting longer. The pattern is consistent: real-world series want their name in front of sim racers, and iRacing has the infrastructure to make it happen cleanly.
ADAC Motorsport Director Thomas Voss acknowledged the existing sim racing interest in DTM directly.
– There is huge interest in the DTM among sim racers – we are seeing that both in online races and the simulators at DTM events. We are pleased to make the virtual DTM accessible to an even larger circle of sim racers with iRacing.
For the sim racer, this is a decent addition. GT3 content is never in short supply on iRacing, but having an official series with proper DTM branding, real liveries and a schedule pegged to the real season gives it shape and context. That tends to draw people in more than a generic GT3 sprint series ever would.
