Five points-scoring finishes from six races, including three podiums; After a solid start to the season and ahead of the next race during the ADAC Truck Grand Prix weekend at the Nürburgring (13th to 15th July), Maximilian Götz and Sebastian Asch in the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 (kfzteile24 MS RACING Team) are the closest rivals to championship leaders Alessi/Keilwitz. "Actually, my form is even slightly better than you might think because I finished on the podium last year at the season finale in Hockenheim along with Maximilian Mayer," says 26-year-old Götz laughing.

In almost all of the races so far this season, Men in Black Asch/Götz co-driving the jet-black SLS AMG have been the fastest pair in a Gullwing. Götz believes that the good results are down to teamwork and meticulous preparation: "The team has prepared to the nth degree for the new season and is focused exclusively on the ADAC GT Masters. We gained a lot of experience with the Mercedes last year and are now seeing the fruits of that experience. Kfzteile24 MS RACING competes exclusively in the ADAC GT Masters and is able to concentrate exclusively on anything that comes their way, such as acquiring a new tyre partner as happened this season. Plus, we have two very good, extremely knowledgeable engineers who help work on setup. I was a development driver myself for Volkswagen back in Formula 3 some years ago and consequently am not without experience."

Last but not least, Götz also benefits from this being his second season in a row with the Mercedes team from Germany's Black Forest region: "I know the team and now the team knows me very well, which is to everyone's mutual benefit. Sebastian Asch too hit it off with the team straightaway and also brings a wealth of experience with him."

Götz and Asch have managed to finish on the podium at each of the previous three ADAC Masters Weekends but so far have had to be content with positions lower down the podium, which does not worry Götz one bit: "There have been five different winners in the six races contested to date in the ADAC GT Masters, which shows how open the series is and how important it is, with an eye to the championship, to be consistent."

Götz and Asch hope to reduce the deficit on leaders Alessi/Keilwitz by securing a good points haul in the next race at the Nürburgring. The Nürburgring proved to be ideal territory for the Mercedes-Benz last year, when the 3-pointed star secured its first ADAC GT Masters Championship victory in the Eifel some twelve months ago. Götz: "The Nürburgring sprint track is a stop-and-go affair and quick acceleration and keen brakes are of paramount importance, whereas good aerodynamics are more likely to pay off on the longer Grand Prix circuit. We are optimistic about the car's performance, however, qualifying will once again be crucial. Position on the grid at the start of the race is extremely important in view of the tremendous power density in the ADAC GT Masters. Our goal is to be in the top five of qualifying in both races at the Nürburgring and then we will have a good platform for the race itself."