ADAC GT Masters starts 2017 season with milestone race at Oschersleben

• Oschersleben hosts curtain-raiser for eleventh season of Super Sports Car League
• SPORT1 to bring live coverage of the action on Saturday and Sunday starting at 1pm

Munich: Preparations are coming to a head for the opening of the 2017 ADAC GT Masters at
Motorsport Arena Oschersleben next weekend (28th - 30th April). A high-calibre line-up of super
sports cars from seven manufacturers entered by 17 teams will as always be providing top-class
motorsport. On Sunday, the ADAC GT Masters also reaches a special milestone as it stages its
150th race. All of the ADAC GT Masters races will be broadcast live and in full on SPORT1. Tune
in on Saturday and Sunday at 1 pm CEST.

It is difficult to pick a favourite for the opening weekend from the super sports cars on the grid:
Audi, BMW, Corvette, Lamborghini, Mercedes-AMG, Nissan or Porsche? In the official test
sessions at the race track near Magdeburg two weeks ago, it was the Porsche teams that
dominated the timesheets. Topping the ADAC GT Masters drivers’ standings was Sven Müller
(25, GER) from Bingen. The Porsche works driver is a newcomer to the series and is looking
forward to his debut in the 911 GT3 R entered by Precote Herberth Motorsport. “I just can’t wait
for the weekend to come around,” says Müller, who shares a cockpit with Robert Renauer (32,
GER). “I’ll be competing against a lot of top drivers – so far, I know them only by name. The tests
went very well for us. We have a superb setup, both for qualifying and for the race, so I’m hoping
for at least a podium. Let’s see what the other teams can come up with at Oschersleben.” The
excellent early form of the Porsche drivers was underlined in the tests by Klaus Bachler (25,
AUT, Schütz Motorsport) and newcomer Mathieu Jaminet (22, FRA, KÜS TEAM75 Bernhard) who
each posted a fastest time in one or other of the six sessions.

Defending champions at Montaplast by Land-Motorsport well placed

The Montaplast by Land-Motorsport drivers clearly have to be considered among the favourites.
The Westerwald-based outfit won the drivers, Junior and team titles in 2016. Last year’s
champions Connor De Phillippi (24, USA) and Christopher Mies (27, GER) will settle for nothing
less than Top Three finishes for their Audi R8 again this year. “This will be the first time we’ve
had the number one emblazoned on our car, and we intend to vindicate it,” says Mies. “That’s
not going to be easy, though, because the standard of competition is even stronger than last
year. We’ll get an idea of how strong the individual teams really are at the weekend.” The new
team-mates of the title defendants – former champion Christopher Haase (29, GER) and Jeffrey
Schmidt (23, CH) – will certainly be a force to be reckoned with at Motorsport Arena
Oschersleben.

Two-time champion Sebastian Asch (30, GER) also sees himself as a strong contender for the
season opener, having won the first race of 2016 on the 3.69km track. This year, he will be
competing for the first time in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 prepared by BWT Mücke Motorsport: “Our
team may be new to the ADAC GT Masters, but it comes with plenty of experience. What’s more,
I know the Mercedes AMG very well. It’s a track that should suit our car, so I’m hoping for a Top
Five result.”

Luca Ludwig (28, GER, Mercedes-AMG Team ZAKSPEED) will be the most successful driver at
Oschersleben in terms of ADAC GT Masters race wins (four) and is a contender for the front of
the grid, as is fellow Mercedes driver Maximilian Götz (31, GER). The 2012 ADAC GT Masters
champion is making a comeback this year with Mercedes-AMG Team HTP Motorsport. Two other
former champions are also seeking to regain their title – Daniel Keilwitz (27, GER) and Kelvin
van der Linde (20, ZA). Record ADAC GT Masters championship winner Keilwitz remains faithful
to the Corvette C7 and to Callaway Competition, while Audi R8 man van der Linde joins the
squad of Aust Motorsport.

Full programme of entertainment to launch new campaign

Visitors to Motorsport Arena Oschersleben can look forward to a comprehensive and exciting
programme of racing activities on all three days of the weekend. In addition to the ADAC GT
Masters, the ADAC Formula 4 and ADAC TCR Germany support series are also getting their
season underway at the same venue. The Renault Clio Cup and KIA Lotus Race – two singlemake
competitions – are also part of the schedule. Off the track itself, fans have the opportunity
to see what goes on behind the scenes during the 25-minute pit walk (Saturday and Sunday). On
Saturday, there will be a Meet the Drivers session at the ADAC hospitality suite, during which the
drivers will be available for autographs and selfies (4pm - 4.30pm local time).


Tickets for the seven race weekends are available online at www.adac.de/motorsport.