Comtoyou Racing, the Belgian team that won the Spa 24 Hours this year with an Aston Martin, is seriously considering a DTM entry for 2025.
The team has been in talks with both Aston Martin Racing and DTM promoter ADAC about entering the Vantage GT3 in the championship next year.
“We want to join the series,” Comtoyou team manager Francois Verbist told Motorsport.com’s sister outlet Motorsport-Total.com. “The situation is definitely better than last year, and we have received an inquiry from a customer. At least one car has been secured so far.”
The customer is a gentleman driver who will help finance the project. Comtoyou also plans to field a second car in the DTM for a professional driver from Aston Martin’s factory roster.
“Our goal is to have a professional, an Aston Martin driver,” Verbist said. “It would be pointless to compete in the DTM if we couldn’t demonstrate our ambitions.”
Verbist attended the final round of the 2024 DTM season at Hockenheim in October to discuss the potential entry with ADAC.
He was also at last month’s GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup finale in Jeddah to hold talks with Aston Martin’s racing department.
After switching from Audi to Aston Martin machinery a year ago, Comtoyou is confident in its ability to compete at a high level in a GT3 championship like the DTM.
“The challenge is achievable for us after running four cars in both sprint and endurance series for a year, as well as competing in the GT Open series,” said Verbist.
“We understand the car much better now than we did a year ago. I’ve set myself a deadline of January 15th to thoroughly evaluate every aspect.
“We have sponsors who are interested in joining us. Now that the GT World Challenge season is over, my focus is on the DTM. The next two or three weeks before Christmas will be intense, but I’ve been working on this for two months. We’re doing everything we can to make it work!”
When asked to assess the team’s chances of securing a spot on the 2025 grid, Verbist said: “It’s a tough question, but I’d say 75%.”
The challenge for Comtoyou lies in the fact that Aston Martin has fewer GT3 cars in circulation than other manufacturers. Additionally, it’s understood that the British manufacturer provides only basic technical support to its partner teams, leaving them to secure the necessary funding themselves. Spare parts for the Vantage GT3 are also notably expensive.
Nevertheless, the Belgian team is serious about its DTM ambitions and is committed to long-term involvement in the championship.
“We definitely want to get involved because we are big fans of the series,” explained Verbist.
“But we don’t want to be half-hearted and just be there for one year. If we do it—based on all the discussions I’ve had—it will be at least a three-year commitment. My feeling is that if we don’t approach it this way, it won’t work.”
If Comtoyou does enter the DTM, the natural choice for its factory driver would be Nicki Thiim.
Thiim had received Aston Martin’s approval to participate in the DTM this year with an SSR Performance Lamborghini and has always been keen to represent his employer in the German series.
Additionally, the Danish driver raced for Comtoyou in various categories this year and was part of its victorious lineup at the Spa endurance classic alongside Marco Sorensen and Mattia Drudi.
“Nicki has raced for us the entire season; he’s a good friend of mine,” Verbist said.
“It seems like the logical and obvious choice to go this route. But when it comes to finding partners and sponsors, it can also depend on drivers and different markets. That will ultimately be the deciding factor.
“If I ask myself whether it’s a wish or a necessity, I’d say it’s more of a wish. We’ll do our best.”