Overview
- DTM stewards ruled that HRT ran an unauthorized test at the Nürburgring on 3 August with Platinum‑licensed driver Frank Stippler and imposed drive‑through penalties on Arjun Maini and Finn Wiebelhaus for the first race of the weekend.
- The stewards found HRT broke test rules by using a Platinum driver on Pirelli tyres and by failing to notify officials at least three days in advance, and they said the session would not have been approvable by the sport committee.
- HRT also received a €500 fine for a separate Hockenheim test on 6 August that was not reported within the required three‑day window.
- HRT management accepted an operational error but disputed key steward findings, saying the Nürburgring run used an older Pirelli specification, a different track layout and only 14 slower push laps that delivered no competitive benefit.
- The penalties will directly shape HRT's race strategy and weekend results and spotlight how strictly DTM enforces test limits to protect competitive parity, with further fallout possible if the team pursues formal appeals.