Back in Zandvoort: ADAC GT Masters heads to the Dutch coast

• Return to the North Sea coast promises thrilling motorsport
• Oosten looking forward to his home event at Circuit Zandvoort
• Action from round two of the season live on Sport1

Munich. No relaxing for the ADAC GT Masters drivers at this holiday resort: the Dutch North Sea coast in Zandvoort is the venue for round two of this season’s ADAC GT Masters, which takes place on the DTM platform from 7th to 9th June. Utmost concentration is demanded at the challenging circuit in the Dutch dunes, with its banked corners. Tom Kalender (Hamm/Sieg) and Elias Seppänen (FI, both Landgraf Motorsport) travel to the racetrack to the west of Amsterdam as championship leaders in their Mercedes-AMG. Maxime Oosten (Netherlands/FK Performance), currently second in the table and a winner at the season-opener, is looking forward to his home event in a BMW M4 GT3: “The challenging sections, the proximity to the sea and the many fantastic fans always create an awesome atmosphere. Winning there would be a special experience for me.” Sport1 is showing races three and four of the season live on German free-to-air TV, with coverage starting at 15:15 on Saturday and 13:25 on Sunday.

After a year away, the ADAC GT Masters returns to the current Formula 1 track in Zandvoort with seven different premium manufacturers. A spectacular return to the coastal circuit is guaranteed, as Circuit Zandvoort has plenty to offer, with its blind crests and banked corners. Among the top favourites in the Netherlands are Seppänen and Kalender in the Mercedes-AMG GT3, who also have their nose in front in the “Road to DTM” standings. “After the super start to the season, we want to go on the attack again in Zandvoort and get the maximum out of our car. Tom and I are really motivated and ready to go at the second round of the season,” says last year’s champion Seppänen, who is hungry to defend his title.

David Schumacher is another driver determined to do well in Zandvoort. The 22-year-old secured pole position at the season-opener in Oschersleben, but was then denied a good result by technical issues. Together with defending champion Salman Owega, the son of former Formula 1 and DTM driver Ralf Schumacher has his sights set on a first podium in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 for Haupt Racing Team. The Aston Martin and Lamborghini teams have the same goal, having left Oschersleben without a podium to their name.

Another pair to be reckoned with is that of Leon Köhler (Erlenbach am Main) and his team-mate Oosten. Like Kalender and Seppänen, they also claimed a victory at the opening round of the season. The Emil Frey Racing team has particularly fond memories of the last time the ADAC GT Masters went racing in Zandvoort in 2022. Back then, the Swiss team won both races. This season, the outfit from Safenwil lines up in the ADAC GT Masters with the Ferrari 296 GT3, with the Swiss duo of Jean Luc´Auria and Alain Valente at the wheel.