- Five drivers from three different teams are battling for the win in the drivers’ classification at Hockenheim
- This is what the title favourites had to say ahead of the two final races
- Audi, Porsche and BMW drivers in title race
Hockenheim. Two races and five title contenders in three different super sports cars: Five drivers fielding an Audi, Porsche and BMW will do battle in the two final ADAC GT Masters races (Saturday and Sunday, live on kabel eins, commencing at 11:45 am) at the weekend (October 3rd-5th) in Hockenheim to decide who wins the drivers’ standings in the ADAC GT Masters. These are the five candidates in the frame to secure the winner’s title in the 2014 ADAC GT Masters:
Championship leaders in the Audi R8 prepared by Prosperia C Abt Racing: Kelvin van der Linde (18, South Africa) and René Rast (27, Germany), 205 points
A mixture of youth and experience has propelled Kelvin van der Linde and René Rast to the very top of the standings in the Audi R8. The Audi duo achieved three race wins, securing points in every race so far. In the final two fixtures, the two leaders now have the best chance of lifting the title. Van der Linde impressed in his first season in the ADAC GT Masters with a performance that was both strong and flawless, and Rast just seems to make a success of everything this year; he has already won the 24-hour races at the Nürburgring and at Spa in the Audi R8. Now the German, who is based in Frankfurt, intends to crown his season with the title at his home race. Taking part in the title fight has become routine for Rast. For seven years on the trot, he has been in the running to take a championship in a Porsche one-make cup or in the ADAC GT Masters. “I’m not nervous in the run-up to the finale, because I’ve often been in this situation during the last few years, but I’m already a wee bit tense,” said Rast. “Our cushion is very large with a lead of 35 points, which is reassuring. However, anything can happen in a finale, especially in Hockenheim, as I know myself only too well. The races there and the hairpin on the opening lap in particular are something else. We’ve seen that already during the past few years in the ADAC GT Masters, and I’ve lost a title there myself in the past.”
The rival in the Porsche 911 fielded by GW IT Racing Team Schütz Motorsport: Jaap van Lagen (37, Netherlands), 170 points
This is Jaap van Lagen’s first season in the ADAC GT Masters, but he is already a title contender. The winner of two races this season will be supported in the finale by Christian Engelhart, who fought for the title just two years ago. Van Lagen is feeling quite bullish ahead of the last race weekend of the season: “I have nothing to lose, I can only win. Therefore, I’m not at all nervous before the last race. I’ll just try to do an excellent job in both races and aim to win them both. Of course, I’ll need a bit of luck to pull it off and will have to hope that van der Linde and Rast fail to score in one of the races. Friday qualifying will be exciting at Hockenheim, because a good grid position is very important in both final races. In the past, I’ve already enjoyed some success in other series at Hockenheim and have lined up several times in pole position there.”
The outsiders in the PIXUM Team Schubert BMW Z4: Claudia Hürtgen (43, Germany) and Dominik Baumann (21, Austria), 159 points
Claudia Hürtgen and Dominik Baumann were out of luck at the Nürburgring and at the Sachsenring, as they headed down the home straight towards a possible championship win. And so, the BMW duo line up as outsiders in the Z4. However, the winners of two races this season have not written off their chances just yet. Baumann: “We certainly don’t have a realistic chance of clinching the title anymore, so there’ll be absolutely no pressure on us as we line up in Hockenheim where we’ll be battling for the team title together with our team-mates. I think that our performance on the track is good, and you never know what might happen in the finale. We intend to go on the offensive once again in the last two races, aiming to finish the season with the runners-up title if possible.”
