Before the new season kicks off in earnest at the Portuguese circuit later this weekend, the entire field of 29 cars will get two days of on-track running on April 26-27 to complete their final preparations for the new campaign.
However, the conditions for the test will be very different to what the drivers will experience during the opening round on April 30-May 1 – or at any other point in the season, for that matter.
The pitlane won’t open until 5pm local time on both Tuesday and Wednesday, with each session finishing five hours later at 10pm. According to the weather forecast, the sun is due to set at 8:17pm time in Algarve, meaning the on-track action will begin at dusk and finish in the dark.
By contrast, both of this weekend’s races at Portimao are due to get underway at 12:30pm local time and finish just under an hour later in broad daylight.
The remaining seven rounds of the 2022 season will begin at 1:30pm CEST, with each of the 14 races lasting 55 minutes plus one lap - with provisions for the action to be extended in case of prolonged safety car periods. Hence, the timing of the test could appear baffling on first glance.
But the unconventional schedule is a result of Portimao hosting a MotoGP round last weekend, leaving the DTM with no time to place TV cameras around the track in advance. As such, the championship will complete the set-up work for TV production during the day, before the cars are allowed on track later in the evening.
Moreover, the ambient temperature is not expected to drop below 10 degrees Celsius even at night, leaving organisers reasonably confident that the conditions will be fairly representative for teams and drivers.
There is a high chance of rain on Tuesday, but it is expected that the track will remain dry for the second day of running.
Weather had already impacted pre-season preparations, with a two-day test at Hockenheim earlier this month taking place in mixed conditions.
Driver line-up for Portimao test
A total 30 drivers will convene at Portimao for two days of running, with Sebastien Loeb and Nick Cassidy sharing the AlphaTauri-branded AF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3.
The test will offer WRC legend Loeb the final opportunity to get acclimatised to the Ferrari ahead of his DTM debut later this week, where he will be substituting for an absent Cassidy in Red Bull's line-up.
Esmee Hawkey will also be present at Portimao having missed the previous test at Hockenheim after reportedly testing positive for COVID-19. There were also doubts over Hawkey’s return to the DTM for a second season over sponsorship issues, but the situation has been resolved in time for the first round.
The 24-year-old is also expected to make an appearance in the official press conference on Wednesday morning.
