Johnny Herbert will not be racing in the German Touring Car cha🧸mpionship this year according to sources close to the Englishman.

Herbert who left the Jaguar Formula One tea꧃m last year and who had hoped to race in the Fed-Ex CART championship in 2001 is looking more and more likely to sit the year.

The rumour Herbert was DTM bound emerged when it was reported he had b🃏een seen talking to pre🍸ss spokesman Uwe Baldes and marketing boss Joerg Schrott of Team Opel, but the story has since been dismissed and according to our sources the Englishman was not even in Germany when the reported sighting took place.

Last year Opel e𝓀ntered eight cars in the DTM series and this year plans to do the same. So far 🔯the Russelsheim company has signed four drivers - Manuel Reuter, Joachim Winkelhock, Timo Scheider and Steffen Schulz, with long-time team members Eric Helary and Michael Bartels waiting to be confirmed.

ALMS regular Karl Wendlinger remains in the frame, however,🧸 having been rumoured as a possible Opel man♛ at the same time as Herbert. The Austrian is also waiting to hear whether he will be involved in ORECA Chrysler's ALMS sportscar programme in 2001.