Baumann to line up as ADAC GT Masters championship leader in home race

• BMW driver Dominik Baumann looking forward to home race at Red Bull Ring
• Claudia Hürtgen/Dominik Baumann are champions mid-way through season after second win
• Championship leader Baumann tells us in an interview about the pitfalls of the Red Bull Ring

Along with team-mate Claudia Hürtgen (41, Germany, PIXUM Team Schubert), Dominik Baumann (20) from Rum near Innsbruck comes as championship leader to his home race at the Red Bull Ring (9th-11th August) in Styria, Austria. The second youngest driver in the Super Sports Car League achieved his second win of the season in the BMW Z4 last weekend in Nürburgring. Baumann, who is now in his third ADAC GT Masters season after two years in Formel ADAC, is currently ‘mid-season champion’, topping the standings with Hürtgen. The reigning FIA GT3 European champion tells us in an interview about his expectations for his home race and for the second half of the season.

You moved from Mercedes-Benz to BMW during the winter. Did you expect to have such a good first half to the season after switching manufacturers?
“I was not expecting it but hoped it might happen, of course. We prepared meticulously for the start of the season. It was not always easy, because the winter was very long and the first weekend at Oschersleben didn’t go exactly as expected to begin with. The Sachsenring and Spa really suit the BMW, so we assumed that we would secure some decent points. Things went better for us than expected at the Nürburgring. We didn’t reckon on a win there. It was important that we do well in the initial few races, as things will be hard from now on, especially at the Red Bull Ring.”

Why are you expecting a tough race at the Red Bull Ring?
“At only 4.4 litres, our BMW has a small engine compared to the competition. The Z4 is designed to give plenty of traction and is very good, especially through fast turns, but top speed is needed above all at the Red Bull Ring, and large-displacement vehicles like the Corvette or cars that have a very high top speed like the Porsche are at an advantage. We achieved good lap times in testing at the Red Bull Ring, but I still don’t think it will be easy for us, and I’m expecting to finish in the top eight.”

You are continually under pressure as championship leader. Are things even more difficult when you are championship leader and it’s a home race?
“I feel really relaxed and laid back in the run-up to my home race. It’s a good sign that we are in front mid-way through the season and we’ve worked really hard to get there.”

What demands does the Red Bull Ring make on car and driver?
“The Red Bull Ring is a very difficult track, even though the layout may appear fairly simple with only seven turns. Loads imposed on brakes are extremely high due to the hard braking needed after the long straights. Posting a lap where everything goes like clockwork is much more difficult for a driver here than at other circuits. You make lots of small mistakes and lock up very often. Let’s say that during practice, you put in ten laps of the Red Bull Ring, then only two or three of them will actually be perfect.”

Austria marks the start of the second half of the ADAC GT Masters season. What do you expect to achieve in the remaining races?
“Things should be a little easier at the Lausitzring as compared to the Red Bull Ring. After that, I’m very much looking forward to the ADAC GT Masters premiere at the Slovakia Ring. I’ve already won a race there previously and the circuit should suit our BMW. Last year, Team Schubert, my team, won the Hockenheim finale. We’ve tested at all the tracks that are left on the programme and so are well prepared for the second half of the season. I’m optimistic, and my goal is to still head the standings at the end the season.”

Tickets for all ADAC GT Masters races start at €20 and can be purchased online at www.adac.de, from any ADAC branch office, online at www.eventim.de or from one of the more than 20,000 Eventim outlets throughout Europe.