Two million bottles saved: DTM and BWT reach milestone

More than two million single-use bottles saved and 70,000 euros raised for a good cause: the DTM and BWT (Best Water Technology) have taken stock of a successful partnership following the 2026 season. Through the BWT Race Lap Award, the two partners are supporting b.waterMISSION, which is committed to providing access to safe and clean drinking water in Africa. At the same time, a new milestone has been reached in reducing the use of single-use bottles. Since the start of the collaboration between the ADAC and the market leader in water technology in 2021, a total of 2,012,502 plastic and glass bottles have been saved at motorsport events.

With the BWT Race Lap Award, every lap of the race contributes to a good cause. For every lap completed by the DTM drivers, BWT and the ADAC jointly donate four euros to b.waterMISSION. In the 16 races of the 2026 season, the drivers completed a total of 12,114 laps, raising 48,456 euros. The two partners topped up this amount to 70,000 euros. The donation supports well-building projects, primarily in rural regions of Africa. At the podium ceremony for the season finale at the Hockenheimring, the new DTM champion Thomas Preining received a symbolic cheque.

“Motorsport inspires millions – we’re harnessing this power to drive sustainable change. Through ‘Driving Change’, we’ve worked with the ADAC this DTM season to demonstrate what strong partnerships can achieve: Our BWT water dispensers provide access to locally mineralised BWT water and have helped to save over half a million single-use plastic bottles in the 2026 season alone – a powerful demonstration of resource conservation in action. At the same time, through b.waterMISSION, we are promoting access to safe and clean drinking water. These are two concrete contributions to our mission at BWT and Windhager – ‘For You and Planet Blue’. Because true success doesn’t end at the finish line – it’s demonstrated by what we achieve for people and the planet,” says Anna Grubeck, Head of Sports Sponsorship at BWT.

A key element of the partnership is the comprehensive infrastructure providing the best mineralised drinking water at all DTM race weekends. In the 2026 season alone, the use of BWT water dispensers saved 548,304 bottles, since the project began. At DTM race weekends, up to 70 water dispensers across the event site and in the paddock provide visitors, teams, drivers, the media and officials with locally treated and mineralised drinking water free of charge. This reduces the use of single-use plastic and glass bottles and avoids unnecessary transport.

“The DTM stands for motor sport at the very highest level. At the same time, we are committed to making our events more sustainable. With our joint ‘Driving Change’ campaign, we have made a significant impact this season and raised awareness of this important issue; we will build on this in the coming year,” says DTM Managing Director Claudia Wagner.

For the 2026 season, BWT and the DTM have stepped up their collaboration through the ‘Driving Change’ initiative. Across all eight race weekends, various campaigns raised awareness of issues such as waste prevention and the responsible use of natural resources.