This year’s DTM season will finish with a street race in Shanghai, the series announced on Thursday.

The German series had been planning a race in the Chinese city for several months, but it had not been expected to form part of the championship.

However, after DTM promoter ITR was unable to find a replacement for Dijon when the French circuit asked to cancel its contract, discussions began in an effort to incorporate the Shanghai race into the calendar.

While the deal has not been finalised yet, the race is scheduled to take place on October 31, two weeks after the second race at Hockenheim, which has hosted every DTM finale since the series was reborn in 2000.

The DTM has raced in Shanghai before. In 2004, the series hosted a non-championship event on a street circuit, with Gary Paffett taking victory for Mercedes.

The only other new addition to the calendar for 2010 is the switching of the Spanish round from Barcelona to Valencia. The Ricardo Tormo circuit will host the second round of the season on May 23.

2010 DTM calendar

Hockenheim          April 25

Valencia            May 23

Lausitz             June 6

Norisring           July 4

Nurburgring         August 8

Zandvoort           August 22

Brands Hatch        September 5

Oschersleben        September 19

Hockenheim          October 17

Shanghai            October 31

Audi has made three changes to its sportscar line-up this year, as it attempts to regain the Le Mans 24 Hours crown from Peugeot.

This week’s AUTOSPORT magazine revealed that three-time Le Mans winner Marco Werner has been dropped and Alexandre Premat will focus on the DTM, while former American Le Mans Series champion Lucas Luhr is not expected to feature.

The trio has been replaced by Marcel Fassler, Andre Lotterer and Benoit Treluyer, who will share one of the R15s at Le Mans this year.

Fassler raced twice for Audi in the ALMS in 2008 and raced at Le Mans for Chevrolet in 2009. Lotterer won last year’s Japanese Super GT title and drove a Kolles-run Audi R10 at Le Mans, while Treluyer raced a Pescarolo-run Peugeot 908 in last year’s 24 Hours.

“In view of our strong competitors, we have to be perfectly positioned in terms of drivers,” said Audi motorsport boss Wolfgang Ullrich. “Marcel, Andre and Benoit attracted our attention during the past two years and we are convinced they are a very good combination for Le Mans.”

“For the time being plans for them are fully focused on Le Mans 2010, but all three of them are still relatively young and may become part of our sportscar project over the long term.”

“For me, having the chance to be part of the Audi team this year is incredible,” said Fassler. “I’m looking forward to the challenge and expect the R15 to be competing for overall victory.”

Lotterer added: “I’m proud about having been selected by such a successful team, this is a major step in my career. Last year as a Le Mans rookie I learned a lot, now I’ve got the chance to compete for a top-class team.”

Treluyer said: “I’d never have expected to immediately get a slot with a factory team for Le Mans after my return from Japan. With Andre and Marcel, we’ve got a car in which we can clinch overall victory.”

Anthony Davidson could make a racing comeback in the DTM this season after testing for Audi in Spain earlier this week.

Audi has at least one vacancy in its line-up following the retirement of Tom Kristensen, and Davidson says the series appeals to him.

“I would definitely be interested in racing in the DTM; it’s something I’ve got my eye on,” he told this week’s AUTOSPORT magazine. “If I was given a chance to do it I would.

“They invited me to come and do the test and you can’t turn down a company like Audi.”

The former Super Aguri Formula 1 driver, who was contracted to the Brawn squad until the end of last year, admitted that he is starting to evaluate his options outside of F1 after spending 18 months on the sidelines since the withdrawal of Honda’s second team in 2008.

“I’ve tried very hard to get back into F1, and I’m still trying,” said Davidson, “but with the chances of finding something diminishing there I’ve decided to look at opportunities elsewhere.

“I’ve always wanted to drive a DTM car, so this has been a good experience.”

Davidson was joined at the Audi test by Formula 3 drivers Mika Maki and Jean-Karl Vernay, Porsche racers Rene Rast and Jan Seyffarth, former A1GP driver Filipe Albuquerque, and Formula Renault 3.5 regular Miguel Molina.

Paul di Resta says he is close to a deal to become Force India’s reserve driver this season, after impressing the team in a test at the end of last year.

The Scotsman, who shone during a maiden appearance in the young driver test days at Jerez last December, says he is ‘90 per cent’ of the way towards completing a breakthrough deal that will get him into Formula 1.

“Things are moving along quite strong,” di Resta said on the main stage at the AUTOSPORT International Show.

“Since the test for sure we have been in talks, and I would say we are about 90 per cent there. We are in the final stages of finishing off for the programme they have set and hopefully we can build a very long and strong relationship for me to try and race with Force India in the future.”

Di Resta said he hoped that if a deal did come off, it would put him in a prime spot to prove to the outfit that he deserved a chance to race in 2011.

“The two drivers they have – Adrian [Sutil] did a very good job last year. And also Tonio [Liuzzi]. It is a fight to get a seat, and I am going to try and fight for that – and try to prove to Force India that I am capable of getting in that car and doing the same job they can if not better,” he said.

Speaking about his Jerez outing last year, di Resta said: “We had a very difficult year in the DTM last year. It did not get off to the best start but then, during the year, we started talking to Force India. And thankfully they gave me an opportunity to go down to Jerez and do three half days in the car.

“It was a big opportunity and something I have waited a long time to do, to get a serious chance to drive the car, and it was very productive. We came out very strong and also moved forward and built a relationship with Force India.”

Gary Paffett has confirmed that he will continue in his role as a test driver for McLaren, despite Mercedes forming its own grand prix team.

The 28-year-old Briton is a factory driver for Mercedes in the DTM and has been a McLaren test driver since 2006.

Speaking at AUTOSPORT International on Saturday, Paffett said: “I will continue the testing work with McLaren to try to develop the car and help the all-British team to win championships.

“I haven’t been involved with the Mercedes team. I’ve got a job in DTM with Mercedes and a job in Formula 1 with McLaren. There is still a relationship between the two through the engines and, although there is a rivalry there now, I’m very much with McLaren in F1 and Mercedes in DTM.”

Paffett expects Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton to spur each other on and is confident that they will maintain a good working relationship.

“Knowing how determined and hard-working Lewis is, and the job Jenson has done, it’s going to be fantastic for everybody to watch,” he added.

“It’s a brave move for Jenson to come to McLaren, Lewis has been here a few years now and knows the team very well. But the team has a great spirit about it and they will both get absolutely equal treatment and push each other so hard that it can only make things better.

“They aren’t two people that are going to fall out, they’ll just push each other further and further on.”

Gary Paffett has confirmed that he will continue in his role as a test driver for McLaren, despite Mercedes forming its own grand prix team.

The 28-year-old Briton is a factory driver for Mercedes in the DTM and has been a McLaren test driver since 2006.

Speaking at AUTOSPORT International on Saturday, Paffett said: “I will continue the testing work with McLaren to try to develop the car and help the all-British team to win championships.

“I haven’t been involved with the Mercedes team. I’ve got a job in DTM with Mercedes and a job in Formula 1 with McLaren. There is still a relationship between the two through the engines and, although there is a rivalry there now, I’m very much with McLaren in F1 and Mercedes in DTM.”

Paffett expects Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton to spur each other on and is confident that they will maintain a good working relationship.

“Knowing how determined and hard-working Lewis is, and the job Jenson has done, it’s going to be fantastic for everybody to watch,” he added.

“It’s a brave move for Jenson to come to McLaren, Lewis has been here a few years now and knows the team very well. But the team has a great spirit about it and they will both get absolutely equal treatment and push each other so hard that it can only make things better.

“They aren’t two people that are going to fall out, they’ll just push each other further and further on.”

Gary Paffett says he feels no frustration over last season, when he finished runner-up in the DTM standings despite winning more races than anyone else.

The 2005 champion was back in a new Mercedes last year for the first time since his title-winning season and won four of 10 events but still lost out to Audi’s Timo Scheider.

“You can never have the perfect season, but in winning four races, we had a fantastic one,” Paffett said on the stage at AUTOSPORT International.

“Obviously I have regrets, at Hockenheim I crashed on the first lap and didn’t score points, but you’ve got to get over it. I don’t like it when people sit they are the end and say ‘if I’d done this or that…’

“I’ll continue in a new car again this year and will try to win the title that perhaps I should have won last year. To win a second one would be really good.”

Gary Paffett says he feels no frustration over last season, when he finished runner-up in the DTM standings despite winning more races than anyone else.

The 2005 champion was back in a new Mercedes last year for the first time since his title-winning season and won four of 10 events but still lost out to Audi’s Timo Scheider.

“You can never have the perfect season, but in winning four races, we had a fantastic one,” Paffett said on the stage at AUTOSPORT International.

“Obviously I have regrets, at Hockenheim I crashed on the first lap and didn’t score points, but you’ve got to get over it. I don’t like it when people sit they are the end and say ‘if I’d done this or that…’

“I’ll continue in a new car again this year and will try to win the title that perhaps I should have won last year. To win a second one would be really good.”

Gary Paffett says he feels no frustration over last season, when he finished runner-up in the DTM standings despite winning more races than anyone else.

The 2005 champion was back in a new Mercedes last year for the first time since his title-winning season and won four of 10 events but still lost out to Audi’s Timo Scheider.

“You can never have the perfect season, but in winning four races, we had a fantastic one,” Paffett said on the stage at AUTOSPORT International.

“Obviously I have regrets, at Hockenheim I crashed on the first lap and didn’t score points, but you’ve got to get over it. I don’t like it when people sit they are the end and say ‘if I’d done this or that…’

“I’ll continue in a new car again this year and will try to win the title that perhaps I should have won last year. To win a second one would be really good.”

Mercedes DTM driver Jamie Green is hoping to be promoted into a current-spec car for the upcoming season after spending 2009 in a year-old C-Class.

Green was placed in the ‘08 car even though he scored two wins during 2008, but despite the mechanical handicap the Briton managed to become just the second driver to win a race in an older car with his victory at the Norisring.

Speaking on the interview stage at AUTOSPORT International, Green said that he hoped he had done enough to step back up into a new car.

“It was a shame to be placed in a year-old car – that’s definitely not what I was hoping for,” he said. “Hopefully I passed the test and have come through that stage.

“Obviously I’d love to be in the latest-spec DTM car, that’s where I’d like to be this year, but I have to wait a few more weeks or months to find out exactly what I’ll be driving this year. But I will definitely be racing in the DTM, and I’m looking forward to it.”

While Green was in the dark about when he would be told his programme for the season ahead, he said that he was hoping that it would be sorted out sooner rather than later.

“Testing is very limited because the cost has got to be kept down, so there is only one official test, which is at the end of March,” he said. “I guess that is the latest when I’ll know – sort of mid-March. But I hope it’s before then.”