Only 20 cars are entered for the full 2024 DTM season, marking the fewest entries seen in the championship since it switched to GT3 regulations in 2021.
High operating costs, reduced manufacturer support and economic conditions at large have been cited as key reasons behind the decline in participation from last year, when 28 drivers took part.
However, 17 drivers from 2023 are continuing in the DTM this year, among them big names including like Marco Wittmann, Rene Rast, Lucas Auer, Maro Engel and defending champion Thomas Preining.
Also returning to the category is Le Mans 24 Hours class winner Nicki Thiim, who joins the SSR Performance Lamborghini team this year after an ill-fated debut with T3 Motorsport in 2022.
Van der Linde, one of the four previous title-winners on the grid, feels there is no reason to be concerned about the grid being downsized as no top drivers have lost their seats.
“I think we’ve lost 10 cars but I don’t think we’ve lost any quality,” the 2022 champion told Autosport in Imola at last weekend's World Endurance Championship round.
“All the big names are there, and that’s obviously important for a championship like DTM to keep having guys like Rene and Marco, ex-champions, which keeps the name of DTM on a higher level.
“If you’re competing against the best drivers, that automatically puts the championship on a high level.”
Source: Autosport