[bradleyland]

I think they're looking for talent wherever they can find it.

It occurred much more slowly, but racing has undergone a change in thinking that is similar to what happened to baseball in the 90's. Racing program managers no longer pigeonhole drivers to a single series. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of history of drivers crossing over between series, but these days it has become completely normal. It follows that BMW treats their driver lineup with greater flexibility today than they ever have in the past, with DTM drivers regularly appearing in GT races.