Daniel Juncadella: “I have always been a fan of the ADAC GT Masters”

• Mercedes-AMG Performance driver Daniel Juncadella has his sights set on victories
• Spaniard is optimistic ahead of his debut in the German GT Championship
• Newcomers ZVO Racing to field two Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo

München. Daniel Juncadella (30/E) is going on the offensive. Despite the fact that he and the ZVO Racing team will be making their debuts in this season’s ADAC GT Masters, the 30-year-old is already looking to challenge at the front of the field. The Spaniard will share the cockpit of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo with Motorsport Team Germany driver Jan Marschalkowski (Inning/19) and is feeling confident: “We have everything you need to be successful in the ADAC GT Masters.” This season’s ADAC GT Masters gets underway from 22nd to 24th April at Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. TV station NITRO will broadcast all the races live, from 12:30 on Saturday and Sunday.

Daniel Juncadella started out in motorsport at the tender age of 13, when he saw his compatriot Fernando Alonso winning in Formula 1. “Fernando’s success inspired me. I wanted to be like him. I initially drove for the Red Bull Junior Team and finished runner-up in Formula BMW Europe. In 2011, I won the Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix as a Mercedes Junior. That was my breakthrough. That victory gave me a lot of confidence and I was crowned European Formula 3 champion in 2012,” says the Spaniard, who went on to spend several years driving in the DTM before looking for a new challenge in 2022.

Juncadella believes the ADAC GT Masters is one of the strongest GT3 series in Europe. The Catalan has followed the races for years and used to check the situation in the German GT Championship with his colleagues and German friends. “I have always been a fan of the ADAC GT Masters. The standard of the drivers and the cars is incredibly high, and the races are extremely exciting. As such, I am delighted to be part of this great series. However, I will have to adapt, as I am no longer solely responsible for everything in the car. I have a partner, upon whom I am dependent. Up until now, a team-mate has often been my fiercest rival. Now, they are the most important person if we are to achieve success,” says the official Mercedes-AMG Performance driver, describing his new challenge.

Jan Marschalkowski is the young partner, with whom Juncadella is hoping to win races in his first season in the ADAC GT Masters. The 19-year-old is regarded as hugely talented and can learn a lot from his team-mate in his first season of GT3 racing. Juncadella is looking forward to the teamwork: “I am pleased to be sharing the cockpit with such a young driver. That is a great combination, and I am sure we can learn a lot from each other. It is important for Jan to find his feet quickly in the new GT3 environment, and I will help him with that. Our team may be new to the ADAC GT Masters, but it is vastly experienced and lines up with two fast Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo and strong crews. I am confident that ZVO Racing will give me the opportunity to be successful. I love racing and winning, and want to show that in the ADAC GT Masters.”