New starters, new rules: What’s new in the 2021 ADAC GT Masters?

• Top qualifying performances are rewarded with points
• Extensive coverage from the RTL media group
• World premiere of the Penalty Lap, introduction of Full Course Yellow

Munich. New drivers and teams, a new status, a world first, and a new TV partner – changes have been afoot in the ADAC GT Masters ahead of this weekend’s (14th to 16th May) season-opener in Oschersleben. The two races in the German GT Championship will be broadcast live on free-to-view TV by new TV partner NITRO, from 16:00 on Saturday and Sunday. They can also be viewed free of charge in a livestream on TVNOW and at adac.de/motorsport. We have taken a quick look at the new broadcast partner and the other changes in the ADAC GT Masters.

Upgrade
Glory and honour: this year, the German Motor Sport Federation (DMSB) has awarded the ADAC GT Masters the status of “International German GT Championship” – the highest title in German automobile circuit racing – for the first time.

Television partner
The RTL media group is the new home of the ADAC GT Masters on TV. NITRO will broadcast all 14 races and can rely on a quartet brimming with motorsport experience on its live programmes. Eve Scheer will present the programmes, alongside expert Nico Menzel. Race commentary will be provided by former racing driver Dirk Adorf, with reporter and presenter Anna Nentwig completing the NITRO team. As a rule, the new start time for the races is 16:30. All the races and qualifying can be seen online on Germany’s leading streaming platform, TVNOW – free and without subscription. The ADAC GT Masters will also be shown on other platforms and digital channels within the RTL media group, including a highlight show on news station n-tv.

Points system
Last year, up to 30 cars lay within just one second in ADAC GT Masters qualifying. With the cars so evenly matched, a strong performance reaps extra reward this year: for the first time, the top three of each qualifying score points towards the championship in a 3-2-1 format.

Penalty Lap
World first in Oschersleben: the ADAC GT Masters is the first automobile racing series ever to introduce a so-called Penalty Lap to punish a driver for a less serious offense. For this purpose, a Penalty Zone is created: this is a defined corridor, through which the car in question must travel at no higher than 60 km/h.

Full Course Yellow
In the case of minor incidents on the track, the Race Director will be able to turn to a Full Course Yellow, in order to ensure that the race is controlled in a fair and safe manner. During this period, the entire circuit is subject to a maximum speed of 60 km/h and an overtaking ban.

Lower weights
The reduction of the success ballast, which the top three cars must carry for the following race, promises to produce even more excitement. The winners now receive just 20 kilograms of additional weight, instead of 30. The second-placed car receives ten kilograms and the third five kilograms. The handicap weight, which is allocated according to the classification of the driver and the car, has also been reduced.

Starting field
The field in this year’s ADAC GT Masters features new names and familiar returnees. For example, Mann-Filter Team Landgraf – HTP/WWR is set to make its debut with a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo. In contrast, Team Joos Sportwagentechnik will contest its first full season with a Porsche 911 GT3 R, having had some initial test outings in 2020. Phoenix Racing and Yaco Racing, both race winners in the ADAC GT Masters, are each making their comeback with an Audi R8 LMS. There is also a prominent comeback on the driver side: in Jules Gounon (26/F, Zakspeed Mobil Krankenkasse Racing) and Mathieu Jaminet (26/F, SSR Performance), two former champions return to the series. Ten drivers will be making their first appearance in the championship in 2021, including Luca-Sandro Trefz (19/Wüstenrot, Montaplast by Land-Motorsport) and Hugo Sasse (17/Aschersleben, T3 Motorsport): the two ADAC Stiftung Sport drivers have both stepped up from ADAC GT4 Germany. Another newcomer on the grid is Porsche Cup specialist Dylan Pereira (23/L, Küs Team Bernhard), who also starts in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). In total, 30 professional drivers will take their place on the grid at the opening round in Oschersleben.

Circuits
Demanding: while Zandvoort has hosted the ADAC GT Masters since 2019, the series is set to make its first appearance at the circuit on the North Sea coast, which underwent extensive renovation in 2019/2020 and now includes a spectacular steep turn. And all that before the circuit even hosts the Formula 1 Grand Prix.

Sustainability
Together with new partner BWT, the ADAC is working to achieve greater sustainability at racetracks in the German GT Championship. True to the message “Change the world, sip by sip”, the ADAC GT Masters paddock will be the first in the world to become a bottle-free zone.

ADAC GT Masters 2021 calendar, subject to alterations

14.05. – 16.05.2021	Motorsport Arena Oschersleben
11.06. – 13.06.2021	Red Bull Ring (A)
09.07. – 11.07.2021	CM.com Circuit Zandvoort (NL)
06.08. – 08.08.2021	Nürburgring
10.09. – 12.09.2021	DEKRA Lausitzring
01.10. – 03.10.2021	Sachsenring
22.10. – 24.10.2021	Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg