Nico Müller's Class 1 comeback: The DTM monster's second career
A Porsche works driver gets back into the Audi RS 5 DTM. What this reveals about the future of the wildest DTM era.
Nico Müller is back in the Audi RS 5 DTM. The Porsche works driver did a demonstration lap at the Hockenheimring in the Class 1 car that carried him in the title fight against Rene Rast in 2020. The appearance wasn't just an act of nostalgia - it shows where the extreme DTM monsters go when the factory engines fall silent.
The Class 1 era ended in 2020 after just two years. The cars were too expensive, too complex and too fast for regular operation. Abt Sportsline, Müller's team at the time, kept the RS 5 DTM and now uses it for show runs and private events.
Müller himself has long been a Porsche works driver, but the connection to his old employer remained. The Hockenheim appearance is a symbol of the strange, glorious second life of these machines. While the official DTM relies on GT3 series, the Class 1 cars live on as private passion projects.
They are not scrapped, not mothballed in museums - they drive when a driver like Müller has the time and desire. What's next: Abt is planning further demonstration runs, possibly at the Nürburgring. Müller does not rule out driving the RS 5 DTM again in 2025.
The question is not whether these cars will die - but how often they will be resurrected. Read at Motorsport.com DE
Why this matters
Class 1 DTM cars were too wild, too expensive and too short-lived to simply become museum wallpaper. Müller's Hockenheim run shows where these machines go when the factory headlights go out: into private hands, as rolling passion projects. This isn't a farewell - it's the strange, glorious second career of an era that was never really allowed to end.
Frequently asked
- Why did Nico Müller get back into the Audi RS 5 DTM?
- Müller is a Porsche works driver, but his connection to Abt Sportsline remained. The Hockenheim appearance was a demonstration drive that shows that Class 1 cars are not disappearing, but rather live on as private projects.
- What is the Class 1 era of the DTM?
- From 2019 to 2020, Class 1 was the technical regulations era of the DTM with extremely powerful, aerodynamically complex cars. It was considered too expensive and was replaced by GT3 rules after just two years.
- Who owns the Audi RS 5 DTM that Müller drove?
- The car belongs to Abt Sportsline, the team for which Müller drove in the DTM in 2020. Abt uses the car for show runs and private events – a typical second life for Class 1 machines.
- Will Müller drive the RS 5 DTM again?
- Müller does not rule out further missions. Abt is planning additional demonstration runs, possibly at the Nürburgring. The question is not if, but when the next resurrection will come.
Source
- "Was passiert mit diesen Autos?": Wie es zu Müllers Class-1-Comeback kam
Motorsport.com DEde.motorsport.com10 May, 8:29
