Paddock radar from the ADAC GT Masters at the Lausitzring

• Great start to the 2020 ADAC GT Masters eSports Championship
• ADAC GT Masters as experimental lab for technology of the future
• Callaway once again supporting RTL charity Wir helfen Kindern

Here’s to good partnership
Martin Kimm, Managing Director of FaberExposize, presented Thomas Voss, Head of ADAC Motorsport and Classic, with a special trophy at the Lausitzring to celebrate the start of the partnership between his company and the ADAC GT Masters. The international media print service provider, event and trade fair constructor became an official partner to the Super Sports Car League earlier this year and supports the series with innovative branding concepts that increase the visibility of series partners at race events.

Future technology in the ADAC GT Masters
The innovative Porsche 911 GT3 R driven by Martin Ragginger (32, AUT) and Norbert Siedler (37, AUT, both Space Drive Racing operated by Küs Team75 Bernhard) made a successful ADAC GT Masters debut at the Lausitzring. The ‘nine-eleven’ is equipped with Space Drive steer-by-wire technology developed by Schaeffler Paravan which dispenses with any mechanical connection between the steering unit and the steering gear. This is the basis for future technologies such as autonomous driving and the design of new interior concepts. Commenting on the development platform for the drive-by-wire application in racing, Space Drive Racing team principal Axel Randolph said: “With its adapted Space Drive system, the Porsche has been able to more than hold its own in the field, and that includes overtaking manoeuvres. This was the first race over such a long distance and under such challenging conditions, by which I mean the high ambient temperatures and the high-calibre starting field – the steer-by-wire Porsche was able to cope with both. Over the full distance, we were matching the race leaders for lap times, and we also managed to gain several places.”

Spectacular photos
The opening weekend of the 2020 ADAC GT Masters at the Lausitzring started on Thursday evening with the traditional photo shoot of the racing cars. The impressive sight of the 30-plus GT3 cars sporting seven different manufacturers’ logos on their grilles all lined up in the pit lane garnered plenty of media attention.

New partners of the ADAC GT Masters take a bow
Several companies were making their debut as new partners of the Super Sports Car League. The logos of Montana and of Remus made their first appearance at the racetrack and in the corner of the onboard camera shots. H&R returned as sponsor of the number plate holders for every car on the ADAC GT Masters grid.

Start of the ADAC GT Masters eSports Championship
The ADAC GT Masters eSports Championship kicked off with a one-two victory for the Williams Esports team. The Simracing series, which has a total prize pot of €80,000, got underway on Saturday in parallel with the ADAC GT Masters season opener. As in the real world, the virtual race at the Lausitzring resulted in a win for the Mercedes-AMG. Jack Keithley (GB) won the first of the season’s eight races ahead of his team-mate Nikodem Wisniewski, who also drove a Mercedes-AMG. Both are members of the Esports team run by Formula 1 outfit Williams. Néstor García ensured that Mercedes-AMG monopolised the podium by finishing third. The Spaniard competes for the Red Bull Esports team.

For a good cause
As in previous years, Callaway Competition has joined with Sportwagen Club e.V. from Leipzig and the Berlin-based car dealership Kramm to support Wir helfen Kindern (RTL Foundation charity for children in need). The racing team from Leingarten interrupted its preparations for the season opener at the Lausitzring to attend a special event last weekend, namely a charity golf tournament in Markkleeberg where a grand total of €30,000 in donations was raised. Among the items up for auction was a racing suit worn by Corvette driver Markus Pommer (29, GER). There were several celebrity guests present, including project sponsors and event hosts Verena Kerth and Mara Bergmann (n-tv), as well as legendary football manager Ralf Rangnick.