After the cancellation two and a half weeks ago, there was a major surprise last Monday: Audi team Seyffarth's DTM guest outing this weekend at the Sachsenring with German youngster Simon Connor Primm in the cockpit will now go ahead after all! But how did this late turnaround come about?
"For me, it was actually already done and dusted," confirms team boss Tobias Seyffarth, saying that, as far as he was concerned, the entry had effectively fallen through. "Two days later I spoke to Simon and his father again - and they said: 'We've now managed to get the sponsors together after all.'"
So Seyffarth had to put together the DTM squad in just two weeks, and the team was also in action at the ADAC GT Masters at the Salzburgring last weekend. "It was two hectic weeks," the team boss says with a sigh of relief.
"It was important that we survived the Salzburgring unscathed"
The 21-year-old Primm also confirms that a last-minute push made the year's only Audi entry in the DTM possible. "A few weeks ago we were facing the decision of whether we do this now or not," he says. "It's a one-off opportunity to race in probably the best GT3 racing series in the world - with the best drivers."
That is why they set everything in motion once again to make the dream a reality. The sticking point was "the financial side". "It was important that we could bring in a few more sponsors for the weekend to support us," he says. "I pushed again, Tobias pushed again." Successfully!
In addition, they could not risk the Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II during the ADAC GT Masters weekend, as the car was also earmarked for the DTM. "The important thing was that we survived the Salzburgring weekend unscathed," says Primm, alluding to the numerous accidents a year ago caused by tyre failures, which fortunately did not recur in 2026.
How Seyffarth brought in mechanics with DTM experience
The team will be supported by two Audi engineers for its DTM guest outing. They were also able to secure mechanics with DTM experience, which is not insignificant when it comes to the performance pitstops. All of that was achieved through Tobias Seyffarth's connection to Paul Motorsport, the team of Grasser driver Maximilian Paul that is currently on standby, for which he worked as chief mechanic in the ADAC GT Masters.
"I helped out at Paul Motorsport for the past two years, so we know each other. And now this is, so to speak, the return favour: now they're helping me too," says the team boss, who is also acting as technical chief for the Seyffarth entry, delighted with the support.
Nevertheless, he expects the pitstops to be the biggest challenge, because the crew can only begin practising in its final line-up on Thursday. "Of course we know that we won't manage a pitstop under six seconds," he says. "We want to do solid stops without mistakes. If they take a second longer than the others, then that's just how it is."
"We would already be satisfied if we can run with the pack"
What target has the squad set itself for its DTM debut? "I would already be satisfied if we can run with the pack. And I think Simon would be too," says Seyffarth, who wants to go into the weekend without pressure and, above all, avoid mistakes.
Primm also has a similar target. The young local hero has never driven a GT3 car at the Sachsenring, but most recently drove a GT4 car twice on the spectacular rollercoaster circuit. "It's a jump in at the deep end for all of us," he knows. "You can't expect too much, but the important thing is that all of us in the team do a clean job and get through the weekend without mistakes."
Primm, who has been competing in the ADAC GT Masters for three years, is also hoping for a benchmark as far as his career is concerned. "I want to measure myself against the best in the world. That's the challenge in front of me, but also my own expectation, so I can see where I stand."
