Curtain up for Round 2. The ADAC GT Masters will stage one of the highlights of the season this weekend at the Lausitzring (19th – 21st May). The Super Sports Car League will line up together with the DTM for the Motorsport Festival Lausitzring. Battle lines will be redrawn at the Lausitzring, so drivers and teams can have another crack at the podium following the Oschersleben season opener that brought wins for Porsche and BMW. SPORT1 will broadcast both ADAC GT Masters races live and in full on Saturday at 12.45 pm and on Sunday at 1.00 pm.
The upcoming Motorsport Festival is one of the highlights on the ADAC GT Masters calendar. It is the only time during a season that motor racing fans can see both the beefy super sports cars of the ADAC GT Masters and the high-tech touring cars of the DTM in action during a single race weekend.
The season opener in Oschersleben held the promise of an exciting season to come, as super sports cars from four of the seven marques represented in the field and six different teams finished on the podium in the first two races of the season. A podium finish is the clear goal of series newcomer BWT Mücke Motorsport The Berlin-based outfit is debuting in the series this year and will field two Audi R8 LMS cars and a Mercedes-AMG GT3 in their home fixture at the Lausitzring. “I’m really looking forward to our home race,” says Mercedes-AMG driver Stefan Mücke (36, Berlin). “This will be my first time back racing at the Lausitzring since the DTM in 2006. The circuit is only 45 minutes from my home, which is really nice, because I’m used to having to travel overseas for WEC events.” Mücke’s young team-mate Mike David Ortmann (17, DEU) will share one of the two Audis with Frank Stippler (42, DEU) and is really looking forward to the race weekend: “Many of my friends and sponsors will be at the race track. The Motorsport Festival was a really great event last year and will certainly be just as terrific this time around.” The local driver from Brandenburg is feeling quite confident: “We’ve already tested at the Lausitzring and are well prepared. We aim to finish in the points.”
Porsche teams are well positioned
Porsche are the most successful brand in the ADAC GT Masters at the Lausitzring and are among the favourites this season, having won eight of the 20 races so far with different versions of the 911. And Porsche triumphed again last year on Saturday when Precote Herberth Motorsport proved unstoppable. The German oufit achieved another podium in this year’s season opener at Oschersleben thanks to Robert Renauer (32, DEU) and Sven Müller (25, DEU). Fellow Porsche drivers Klaus Bachler (25, A) and Alex Macdowall (26, GB), both driving for Schütz Motorsport, also made a strong start to the season when they finished second on Saturday just two weeks ago. Things went even better for another Porsche pairing, Mathieu Jaminet (22, F) and Michael Ammermüller (31, DEU, both KÜS Team75 Bernhard), who won the first race at Oschersleben. The Corvette duo of Jules Gounon (22, F) and Daniel Keilwitz (27, DEU, both Callaway Competition) are also hoping for top results this weekend. They were the most successful team at the Lausitzring in 2016 with third place and a win. Keilwitz: “We would like to repeat our results from last year, because we intend to fight for the title again this season. The track’s long straights and many medium-fast corners suit our car. It would be great if we could secure our first win of the season.” Ricky Collard (20, GB) and Philipp Eng (27, A, both BMW Team Schnitzer) lead the standings as they head to the Lausitzring. They took their maiden victory in the ADAC GT Masters on Sunday at Oschersleben in their BMW M6 GT3. Collard also jointly leads the junior competition for drivers under 25 along with Audi driver Jeffrey Schmidt (23, CH, Montaplast by Land-Motorsport). Last season’s champions, Connor de Phillippi (23, USA) and Christopher Mies (27, DEU) will line up in the other Audi R8 LMS fielded by Wolfgang Land’s team. They too finished on the podium at Oschersleben. Lamborghini’s Marco Mapelli (29, I) and Norbert Siedler (34, A, both Team HB Racing) also showed a promising return to early form during the season opener, narrowly missing a podium finish in their Huracán on Sunday. And fellow Lamborghini driver, Rolf Ineichen (39, CH, GRT Grasser Racing Team), leads the trophy standings for amateur drivers after notching up two wins.
Exciting entertainment at the race weekend
Spectators at the Lausitzring can expect a very full programme with nine races in the ADAC GT Masters, the DTM, the ADAC Formula 4 and Porsche Carrera Cup. Aside from the on-track action, fans can also look forward to the Pit Walk on Saturday from 6:20 pm – 7:10 pm and again on Sunday (10.35 am – 11.20 am). There will also be a Meet the Drivers session when rivers will make themselves available for autographs and photos on Saturday from 10:40 am – 11:05 am at the stage near where the DTM cars from the three manufacturers will be on display.
Press release ADAC GT Masters
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