Rookies Birch/Pichler prove unbeatable at the Dekra Lausitzring

• Birch/Pichler from Razoon top the ADAC GT Masters standings after two wins
• Lead changes hands frequently during thrilling duels in a rain-soaked race
• Fach/Schwarzer claim Pro-AM class win, Birch wins Road to DTM

Klettwitz. Leo Pichler (23/AT) and Simon Birch (18/DNK/both Razoon – more than racing) have tasted victory again at the Dekra Lausitzring. Despite heavy rainfall during the second ADAC GT Masters race, the two rookies in the Porsche 911 GT3 R enjoyed an 8.699-second lead as they crossed the finishing line. “You dream of a weekend like that. We got everything right and now we can head home as championship leaders with maximum points,” said a beaming Birch, who also won the Road to DTM. “I was not expecting it to go so well at all. I knew that we were set up well for the season, but I would never have expected two wins in two races,” added Pichler, who also won the Silver Cup with Birch. The top 3 was rounded off by Nico Hantke (21/Hürth)/Denis Bulatov (26/both Scherer Sport PHX) in the Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo2 and Jannes Fittje (25/Langenhain)/Moritz Wiskirchen (22/Euskirchen/both SR Motorsport by Schnitzelalm) in the Mercedes-AMG GT3.

The heavens opened as the race was about to start, meaning that most drivers opted for wet-weather tyres from the word go. Fittje emerged from the turmoil at the start to take the lead. When Simon Connor Primm (20/Großschirma/Paul Motorsport) slid off the track in his Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 after contact, his return to the circuit distributed some liquid on the surface that led to a race interruption. After the restart, Fittje defended his lead ahead of Birch and Jonathan Cecotto (25/VEN/Haupt Racing Team) in the Ford Mustang GT3, while Bulatov worked his way up to fourth place. While Razoon chose to go with a long stop and change tyres during the first pit stop phase, their rivals just refuelled and Hantke returned to the race directly behind Wiskirchen as a result. A slip by the Mercedes driver allowed Hantke to take the lead, which he extended before pitting for a long stop and tyre change.

By this stage, Pichler had worked his way back up to second and now benefited from the shorter second stop to re-enter proceedings side by side with Bulatov. This developed into a thrilling duel for victory, with an error by the Audi driver proving decisive. “I stayed calm and was able to bring it all the way home. It was really fun in those conditions,” explained Birch. His rival Bulatov added: “The rain helped us, and without that red flag we might have got the win. When the Porsche came out of the pits after the stop, I knew I only had one chance. Unfortunately, I made a mistake but luckily nothing happened and we finished second.”

The drivers in third place were also happy with a podium after racing in difficult conditions. “Those are some important championship points,” said Wiskirchen. “I struggled a bit after the pit stop and slid into the gravel trap on two occasions, which cost me the lead. Generally speaking, I like the endurance format a lot. It delivers tension and gives us more wiggle room in terms of strategy.”

Salman Owega (20/Köln)/Finn Wiebelhaus (19/Obertshausen/both Haupt Racing Team) finished in fourth place. Their team-mates Dennis Fetzer (23/Gießen) and Cecotto crossed the line in fifth position in the Ford Mustang GT3 after duelling with Eduardo Coseteng (21/PHL)/Julian Hanses (27/Hilden/both FK Performance Motorsport) for several laps. Seventh spot went to Carrie Schreiner (26/Völklingen)/Alain Valente (28/CHE/Land-Motorsport) in the Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo2, ahead of the BMW M4 GT3 Evos with FK Performance Motorsport with Tim Zimmermann (28/Langenargen)/Leyton Fourie(19/RSA) and the Holzem twins Sandro and Juliano (20/Polch/ both Schubert Motorsport). The top 10 was completed by Alexander Schwarzer (36/DEU)/Alexander Fach (22/CHE/both Fach Auto Tech), who also topped the Pro-Am standings.

The next race weekend will take place at Circuit Zandvoort. The first sprint weekend in the ADAC GT Masters will be part of the DTM programme from 6th to 8th June. The drivers will face off twice in the familiar 60-minute format on the 4.259 km circuit in the Dutch dunes.