Who will be the halfway leader? The German GT Championship at the DEKRA Lausitzring

• Tension at the top of the table: Six brands in the top six places
• Pit walk, autograph session, open pit lane, and the eBay Box: Fans return to the paddock
• Asch, Mücke and Grohs: Touring Car Classics feature on support programme

Munich. When the German GT Championship lines up this weekend (10th to 12th September), it heralds the start of an exciting autumn: not only will the halfway leader be determined at the DEKRA Lausitzring, but the teams and drivers will also be jostling for position in what promises to be a thrilling title race. The situation heading to the shortest track on the calendar could hardly be more intriguing: the top six in the championship – super sports cars from no fewer than six different manufacturers – are separated by just 15 points. Fans can watch the ADAC GT Masters live at the circuit again and, for the first time since 2019, will be permitted in the paddock, on the pit walk and at the autograph session again. The races can be watched in a free livestream at motorsport.tv and adac.de/motorsport.

Key facts, DEKRA Lausitzring, Klettwitz, races 7 and 8 of 14
Circuit length: 3,478 metres
Layout: 12 corners (5 right, 7 left), driven anti-clockwise
2020 winners, summer, race 1: Luca Stolz/Maro Engel (Toksport WRT, Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo)
2020 winners, summer, race 2: Charles Weerts/Dries Vanthoor (Team WRT, Audi R8 LMS)
2020 winners, autumn, race 1: Max Hofer/Christopher Haase (Montaplast by Land-Motorsport, Audi R8 LMS)
2020 winners, autumn, race 2: Max Wishofer/Dorian Boccolacci (Team Zakspeed BKK Mobil Oil Racing, Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo)

Favourites

Among the favourites in the field of 30 super sports cars are defending champion Michael Ammermüller and Porsche works driver Mathieu Jaminet, who are the only drivers to have won two races already this season in the SSR Porsche 911 GT3 R and consequently top the table. Their closest rivals are Mercedes-AMG drivers Maximilian Buhk (28/Hamburg) and Raffaele Marciello (26/I, both Mann-Filter Team Landgraf – HTP/WWR) in the Mercedes-AMG, and the Audi duo of Ricardo Feller (21/CH) and Christopher Mies (32/Düsseldorf, both Montaplast by Land-Motorsport). Both teams travel to the Lusatia region of Germany with high hopes. The sports cars with the star and the four rings shared the victories in last year’s four races at the Lausitzring among themselves. It is now two years since Lamborghini last won a race in the ADAC GT Masters, something that the fourth-placed pair of Mirko Bortolotti (31/I) and Albert Costa Balboa (31/E, both GRT Grasser Racing Team) are out to change. Jeffrey Schmidt (27/CH) and Marvin Kirchhöfer (27/Luzern, both Callaway Competition) trail the leaders by just 14 points in the only Corvette C7 GT3-R in the field. Rounding off the six manufacturers at the top of the table are Nick Yelloly (30/GB) and Jesse Krohn (31/FIN, both Schubert Motorsport) in the BMW M6, who have featured on the podium at each of the race weekends so far.

Local favourites

The Lausitzring is the home circuit for several drivers and teams. Lamborghini Junior Maximilian Paul (21) and his team T3 Motorsport have the shortest journey of just 65 kilometres from Dresden. Also at the wheel of a Huracán GT3 Evo is Mike David Ortmann (21, GRT Grasser Racing Team), whose hometown of Ahrensfelde in Brandenburg is located on the doorstep of Berlin. Leipzig-born Marvin Kirchhöfer and Leipzig resident David Jahn (30, Team Joos Sportwagentechnik) also come from the area around the racetrack.

Fans

Not only are fans welcome in the stands at the Lausitzring weekend, but they can also return to the paddock for the first time since the 2019 season finale. As well as the “Meet the Drivers” autograph session, Saturday and Sunday also see the return of the popular pit walk and an open pit lane on Saturday evening, during which fans can watch the teams at work in the pit lane and watch “PS on Air – The Ravenol ADAC GT Masters Talk” live. The eBay Box is a totally new feature: visitors can also follow the race action from the eBay Box in the pit lane. A new episode of “ADAC GT Masters Backstage” will be broadcast from there at 11:30 on Sunday. The 8.5-metre eBay Tower, from which fans can watch the race unfold from the infield, is also set for its premiere at the Lausitzring. Tickets are available online in advance at adac.de/motorsport. A day ticket starts at € 22.50 for ADAC members, weekend tickets are available from € 36. (€ 25 and € 40 for non-members). There is a special offer for families: admission is free for children aged twelve and under when accompanied by a paying adult.

Support programme

The race weekend in Lusatia sets motorsport fans’ pulses racing. As well as the fiercely-competitive ADAC TCR Germany, a wide range of GT sports cars also line up in the GTC Race. In the Touring Car Classics, fans can look forward to legendary cars like the Ford Sierra RS 500 Cosworth, BMW M3 E30, Mercedes 190E 2,5-16, Audi A4 quattro STW, and Opel Vectra STW. The drivers at the wheel of these iconic cars include Sebastian Asch, Stefan Mücke and Harald Grohs.

Quotes ahead of the race weekend

Michael Ammermüller (SSR Performance, Porsche 911 GT3 R): “We are optimistic ahead of the Lausitzring. We expect the opposition to be very strong here. Our main aim remains to score as many points as possible in both races, in order to defend our position in the table. We are delighted to be racing in front of fans again. The spectators can definitely look forward to a very exciting race with a close finish. The Lausitzring is always good for a surprise.”

Marvin Kirchhöfer (Callaway Competition, Corvette C7 GT3-R): “The weekend will not be easy for us, as the Lausitzring does not have many straights, on which we are able to utilise the power of our Corvette. However, we will approach the weekend the same way we do every other weekend. We want to qualify as well as possible, in order to then get the best result possible in the race. The track has an awful lot of bumps, so a good set-up is vital. It is important to carry a lot of speed onto the start/finish straight in the final sector, as this is the best overtaking opportunity. It is great to have fan sat the circuit again. That obviously makes us even more motivated.”

Ricardo Feller (Montaplast by Land-Motorsport, Audi R8 LMS GT3): “I am really looking forward to the Lausitzring after the relatively long break since Zandvoort. Our Audi R8 LMS should do well on this track. Tyre management in the largely slow corners will be key to success. Our goal is two top-five finishes.”

ADAC GT Masters 2021 calendar, subject to change

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)
10.09. – 12.09.2021	DEKRA Lausitzring
01.10. – 03.10.2021	Sachsenring
22.10. – 24.10.2021	Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg
05.11. – 07.11.2021	Nürburgring