Maro Engel: From Australia to the ADAC GT Masters

• Former DTM driver to line up for ROWE RACING in ADAC GT Masters
• Comeback in Germany after a stint contesting Australian V8 supercar series
• Engel already successful in Australia with Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

Maro Engel (28, Germany) will have a much shorter journey to races this year. The former DTM driver is returning to Germany after a season in Australia, racing sports cars in the V8 supercar touring car series. Engel will line up for newcomers ROWE RACING in the ADAC GT Masters, sharing a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG with three-time ADAC GT Masters race winner Jan Seyffarth (27, Germany). Engel’s results to date in the SLS AMG are impressive: He achieved victory in the gullwing on his first outing in Australia, whilst he was in pole position at Bathurst last February for his penultimate race with the Mercedes-Benz. In this interview, Engel talks about the switch from down under to the Super Sports Car League.

You have been busy racing for Mercedes-Benz in Australia. How did the move back to Germany come about?
Maro Engel: “I liked Australia but am pleased to be lining up in Germany again. The time in Australia was great and it was a terrific experience which I would not have missed for the world, but there’s nothing like racing on your home turf. The ADAC GT Masters is a brilliant series and I’m looking forward to racing again in front of the home fans.”

What made you decide on the ADAC GT Masters?
“The ADAC GT Masters is Europe’s best national GT racing series and a big challenge for me as a driver, for sure. I was at the ADAC GT Masters in person last year and was able to form my own impressions of the series. I get along very well with my new team-mate, Jan Seyffarth, and am delighted to be lining up with him.”

How did the contact with ROWE RACING first come about?
“I know Hans-Peter Obernaundorf, team principal at ROWE RACING, from my time in the DTM. He even acted as my engineer at my first DTM test some years ago. I contested a race for ROWE RACING on the Nürburgring Nordschleife back in 2012, so the contact with the team has always been there. We worked jointly on the ADAC GT Masters project after it was established last year that I would be returning to Germany from Australia.”

How are preparations for your first ADAC GT Masters season going?
“We have already tested twice and further tests are on the programme before the start of the season so as to be well prepared for the first race. The ADAC GT Masters is a hard-fought championship and requires meticulous preparation.”

You and the ROWE RACING crew are both new to the series in 2014. How do you expect to do in your first ADAC GT Masters season?
“ROWE RACING were very successful with the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, establishing themselves as one of the top teams there. And so, I assume that our chances in the ADAC GT Masters are good. We’ll see where we stand for the first time at the official pre-testing in early April. It’s very difficult to make any predictions about the season before then. Competition in the ADAC GT Masters is awesome, and we’ll definitely not underestimate our opponents.”