Paddock radar from the ADAC GT Masters at the Sachsenring

• MotoGP to continue at the Sachsenring
• Peter Mücke in MDR documentary
• Charly Lamm steps down as team principal at BMW Team Schnitzer

Securing the future: The Sachsenring has been part of the ADAC GT Masters itinerary since the inaugural season of the series in 2007, and the German Motorcycle Grand Prix has an even longer tradition on the undulating circuit near Chemnitz. As one of the biggest events on the German motorsport calendar, MotoGP has been contested there since 1998. It has now been confirmed that this will continue for the foreseeable future. The ADAC will intensify its involvement in the German Grand Prix and will stage the race in a new partnership with ADAC Sachsen. The 2019 Grand Prix has already been booked in for the weekend of 5th - 7th July.

An amazing run: The extremely competitive nature of the ADAC GT Masters is not only reflected in the minimal differences in lap times but also by the fact that the twelve qualifying sessions so far have produced twelve different pole-sitters, i.e. each race has been led off by another driver. There has also been a good mix of brands occupying pride of place on the grid, with Audi and Porsche (three poles each) as well as Corvette, Lamborghini and Mercedes-AMG (two each).

Vettel in test drive for Grasser: A famous name appeared on the list of GRT Grasser Racing Team drivers during the recent tests at Hockenheim. Fabian Vettel (20), younger brother of four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel, was making his first outing in a Lamborghini Hurácan GT3 for the Austrian outfit on the circuit in Baden-Württemberg. Fabian Vettel is competing in a similar model in this year’s Lamborghini Super Trofeo.

TV appearance: Peter Mücke (71), the former racing driver whose BWT Team Mücke Motorsport squad are highly successful contestants in the ADAC GT Masters and in ADAC Formula 4, has had a starring role in Lebensläufe (CVs), a film series produced by regional TV channel MDR. “The film team accompanied us to various events throughout the year,” says Mücke. “However, it’s not just about what is happening in the sport at the moment, but about my entire career. It also shows a lot of old material from East German television archives.” MDR will be broadcasting the half-hour documentary on 13th September at 23:05 (CEST).

Departure of a legend: BMW Team Schnitzer team boss Charly Lamm is set to retire at the end of the year from his role as team principal. The team was founded in Freilassing by his half-brothers Josef and Herbert Schnitzer in 1963, and 63-year-old Charly has been working there since the 1980s. During this time, Schnitzer have won various titles, including the DTM, the ALMS and the World Touring Car Championship, as well as the 24-hour races at Le Mans, Spa and at the Nürburgring. “This decision is anything but easy for me,” said Lamm. “For all these decades, I have always worked to ensure maximum success for Team Schnitzer and for BMW. Despite all the wonderful memories, I have missed out in terms of family and private life. Now is the time for me to reassess my priorities. My time in the front line at Schnitzer is coming to an end. I am eternally grateful for everything I have had the privilege of experiencing on this journey.” With effect from 1st January, Herbert Schnitzer junior will take over the team management of the racing team which has been competing in the ADAC GT Masters since 2017. This season, they have entered two BMW M6 GT3s, one driven by Timo Scheider (39, GER) and Mikkel Jensen (23, DK) and the other shared by Dennis Marschall (22, GER) and Victor Bouveng (22, SWE).

Busy schedule: Precote Herberth Motorsport are having to get by without team boss Alfred Renauer at the Sachsenring. The 33-year-old has a prior driving commitment for his team in the 24-hour in Barcelona. Twin brother and title contender Robert Renauer (33) is therefore combining the roles of driver and team principal for the duration of the penultimate weekend on the 2018 ADAC GT Masters calendar. The racing team from Jedenhofen in Bavaria also have a third engagement in their calendar for this weekend, namely the Porsche Sports Cup at Spa-Francorchamps.