Is the conflict between Timo Glock and the McLaren team Dorr escalating? After the former Formula 1 driver chose clear words following the Sunday race at the Nurburgring and spoke of an “A car and a B car” at Dorr Motorsport, the German McLaren squad surprised everyone with an unusual press release.
In it, the team reacts to speculations that had not even been publicly reported on until now. “Recently, rumors were buzzing through the DTM paddock that different differentials were being used on the racing cars of Ben Dorr and Timo Glock,” it states.
Even before the first practice session at the Nurburgring, the Dorr team reportedly offered the technical delegates of the governing body DMSB (Deutscher Motor Sport Bund) to check the corresponding components on both McLaren 720S GT3 Evos “at any time.”
Dorr reacts to Glock’s accusation: “We have a B and a T car”
According to the team, the officials accepted the offer and “opened the gearboxes of both vehicles. After a close inspection, they reached the conclusion that both differentials are identical and comply with the regulations,” Dorr announced. The components were subsequently “reinstalled and resealed,” after which both drivers started the race with them.
“I am grateful to the DMSB that clarity now prevails – both drivers have the same material at their disposal,” team owner Rainer Dorr is quoted as saying – a clear reaction to Glock’s accusation that he is not receiving the same equipment. “We have a B and a T car – for Ben and for Timo,” he also reacted directly to Glock’s accusation in a conversation with Motorsport-Total.com.
Rumors about illegal ramp angles for Ben Dorr
But how does it come about that Dorr denies speculations that are not even publicly known? Specifically, a rumor has indeed been circulating in the DTM paddock for some time that the Dorr team had made changes to the differential of Ben Dorr’s McLaren – and swapped the ramp angles. However, only on the car of the team owner’s son.
To explain: If you want to achieve less locking effect during braking and turn-in, a corresponding ramp angle can lead to the inner and outer rear wheels being able to adopt more significantly different wheel speeds. This has a positive effect on the rotation of the car in the corner. “There is real performance in that,” knows one engineer from the DTM paddock.
However, the ramp angle is precisely prescribed by the DTM GT3 homologation – a change would be a clear rules violation.
Did Timo Glock instigate the inspection?
During the Norisring weekend, five cars – including Ben Dorr’s McLaren – were checked for irregularities regarding the differential. The Dorr team subsequently approached Glock, asking if he had instigated the DMSB to check Ben Dorr’s car.
“Several cars were checked by the DMSB,” the 44-year-old said, unable to understand the fuss during a conversation with Motorsport-Total.com at the Nurburgring. “To effect that, I would have had to file a written protest 30 minutes after the end of the race. Did I do that, or is there a corresponding document from me? No.”
The car’s rotation plays a particularly vital role at the Norisring. Foto: ADAC Motorsport
The DMSB also clearly states that an investigation of the differentials at the Norisring had already been planned before the season, as better rotation of the cars represents a major advantage, especially on a street circuit with two hairpins.
Norisring check apparently based on qualifying results
The results of the first Norisring qualifying were likely used as the basis for selection: On Saturday, after the race, the DMSB checked the Aston Martin of Nicki Thiim, the Mercedes-AMG of Maro Engel, and the Ford of Arjun Maini – the top 3 from qualifying.
After Sunday’s qualifying, the differentials of Ben Dorr’s McLaren and Thierry Vermeulen’s Emil Frey Ferrari were sealed to investigate them after the race, as official documents prove.
On Sunday, therefore, those two vehicles were checked that – if one goes by the result of the first qualifying – would be the next two brands in line. This is because Ben Dorr would have been fourth on the Saturday grid had he not been disqualified for being underweight. And since the Lamborghini of ninth-placed Maximilian Paul was a wreck, the next in line is the ninth-placed Vermeulen Ferrari.
The fact is: None of the five cars faced disqualification after the Norisring investigation.
Why did Dorr have itself checked at the Nurburgring?
What happened before the Nurburgring weekend, however, is not entirely clear: Technical coordinator Robert Maas is said to have asked the Dorr team via email why the wheel speeds were so different between the cars of Ben Dorr and Glock. A phenomenon that also occurs with swapped ramp angles, but is not definitive proof.
As a result, there was a technical inspection of the differentials of both McLaren cars by the DMSB on the Thursday before the Nurburgring weekend. The fact that no irregularities were found is not a big surprise following the email inquiry in advance.
However, from the DMSB side, it is heard that the team itself had asked for the inspection to put the rumors to rest. Depending on whom you speak with, there are differing accounts of whether the email inquiry or the Dorr request to be inspected came first. At least verbally, however, the DMSB and Dorr were likely already in exchange about the topic before the email inquiry.
Conflict of interest at the DMSB rule keepers?
Under normal circumstances, differences between two vehicles – as long as everything remains within the legal range – are not a case for the DMSB. In this instance, however, the rule keepers carried out the inspection, according to their own statements, to give the team the opportunity to calm the situation.
Through the press release, however, the Dorr team has now made the matter a public topic themselves. Even though there were already discussions last year: When Glock and Ben Dorr swapped cars a year ago at the Nurburgring, there was allegedly an anomaly with the gearbox and differential.
According to information from Motorsport-Total.com, the respective components remained in the car during the driver swap. Glock’s trusted engineers, Richard Selwin and Kevin Mirocha, are said to have addressed the issue internally – and are no longer on board in the DTM this year.
The personnel constellation raises additional questions: Robin Strycek, the son of Dorr’s GT3 manager Volker Strycek, has been the DMSB board member for the sports sector since the beginning of 2026.
The DMSB sees no conflict of interest in this. “I place importance on the fact that this is separated from the technical area,” says a spokesperson for the DMSB. “Robin Strycek is part of the three-member full-time board and is not involved in these topics. The technical coordinator for the DTM is Robert Maas, who is commissioned by the ADAC.”
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