There are a number of drivers in the history of the “new” DTM who have long since been forgotten—for example, the Frenchman Eric Helary, who once drove for Opel
Whether it’s Yves Olivier, David Saelens, or Katsutomo Kaneishi: In the history of the “new” DTM since 2000, there have been several drivers whom hardly anyone remembers today and whose names have long since faded from fans’ memories.
For while icons like “Mr. DTM” Bernd Schneider, Red Bull veteran Mattias Ekström, or multiple champion Rene Rast have shaped the popular racing series over many years, other drivers have long since faded into the rearview mirror of history.
An example? In 1993, Frenchman Eric Helary won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Peugeot, subsequently secured a factory contract with Opel, and competed in the French Touring Car Championship, where he finished on the podium multiple times.
But Helary was unable to replicate these successes in the DTM: Although the Opel driver finished in the top 10 several times during the 2000 season, a fourth-place finish remained his best result, meaning he initially did not secure a DTM seat for the following year.
In the 2002 season, Helary did return to the series for the race weekend at Zandvoort, but finished only 14th—and thus failed to leave a lasting impression on DTM fans. Daniel la Rosa, Alexandros Margaritis, and Cheng Cong Fu also remained largely unremarkable in their DTM careers.
Names like Stefano Modena or Nicolas Kiesa are still familiar to older motorsport fans from their Formula 1 days, but even they failed to make a lasting impression in the collective memory with their DTM stints. Another curious fact: the now-forgotten DTM driver Darryl O’Young never even competed in a single race.
Why the Chinese driver couldn’t take the starting grid during his brief stint, which other DTM drivers have since been forgotten by many fans, and why former Mercedes driver Jarek Janis celebrated a “comeback” in the DTM a few years ago.