Erhart and Kaffer switch to Rutronik Racing by TECE

• Duo to share the cockpit of an Audi R8 LMS again
• Elia Erhart: “I am expecting great things from the cooperation with Rutronik Racing”
• Third season for Rutronik Racing in the ADAC GT Masters

New surroundings for Elia Erhart (32/Röttenbach) and Pierre Kaffer (44/Schlieren) in the ADAC GT Masters: Last year’s Pirelli Trophy winner and the Audi Sport driver line up in the German GT Championship with the Rutronik Racing by TECE team for the first time in 2021. The duo announced the move on Sunday, in the latest edition of PS on Air – The Ravenol ADAC GT Masters Talk. The opening round of this season’s ADAC GT Masters takes place from 14th to 16th May in Oschersleben. All races are broadcast live and in full by new TV partner, NITRO.

Erhart and Kaffer are an experienced team. 2021 is their fourth season in a row in an Audi R8 LMS. In taking victory at the Sachsenring in 2018, they pulled off a remarkable feat: the duo fought their way through from 26th place on the grid to take the chequered flag. To this day, no other pair of drivers has come from so far back to take victory in the ADAC GT Masters.

“The anticipation is incredible. Personally, I am expecting great things from the cooperation with Rutronik Racing. Fabian Plentz’s team made its ADAC GT Masters debut in 2019, since when it has achieved some really impressive success,” said Elia Erhart. “I am delighted that our paths have now crossed. However, I would also like to say a big thank you to the Car Collection team for the past two years, during which we have really developed a lot.”

Pierre Kaffer is also excited about the new project: “Firstly, I am really pleased to be sharing an Audi R8 LMS with Elia again in the ADAC GT Masters in 2021. With Rutronik Racing by TECE and many great partners on our side, I feel we are really well positioned to achieve our goals for the season. On the one hand, this is to defend our title in the Pirelli Trophy competition. On the other hand, we also want to regularly finish in the points in the overall classification.”

“We can definitely expect to see an incredible strength in depth again in the ADAC GT Masters in 2021,” said team principal Fabian Plentz. “Nonetheless, we are once again looking forward to facing this challenge with two Audi R8 LMS. I am really looking forward to working with Elia and Pierre. We had a few very nice chats over the past few weeks and soon agreed to work together in the 2021 season. Unfortunately, we will not be able to announce the drivers for the second car, or the exact design of the two Audi R8 LMS, until later.”

Rutronik Racing has been racing in the ADAC GT Masters since 2019 and has quickly established itself as one of the most successful outfits. The team won both the Driver and the Team championships in its debut season, with drivers Patric Niederhauser (29/CH) and Kelvin van der Linde (24/ZA). Rutronik Racing was also in contention for the title until the very final round of last season in Oschersleben.