They succeeded in finishing in all 16 races, achieved eleven points-scoring finishes and occupied the top spot on the podium five times - that's briefly how Diego Alessi and Daniel Keilwitz lifted the ADAC GT Masters title in their Corvette Z06.R GT3 prepared by Callaway Competition. However, the two Corvette drivers had a real roller coaster of a season. After a strong start with a win at the season opener, there followed a points famine that saw the new champions drop down to eleventh place in the standings for a time. A strong final push with four wins in six races at the Red Bull Ring, Lausitz Ring and Slovakia Ring, however, then brought them the title. But let's look more closely at how the new champions secured the championship.

Oschersleben: First win

There was nothing to suggest after the first race at Oschersleben that the Corvette drivers would finish on top at the end of the year. On a wet track, Alessi/Keilwitz were only 13th and finished the first race of the season out of the points. Things went much better on Sunday in the dry. From grid position two, Keilwitz took the lead on the approach to the first turn and went on to secure the first win of the season along with Alessi.

Bad luck in the Ardennes

Travelling to Belgium was hardly worth the effort for Alessi and Keilwitz. As rain began to fall in the first race at Spa- Francorchamps, the Corvette drivers could only manage eighth place. The new champions' gamble with choice of tyre went wrong in the second race since they switched to slicks too early on a drying track and were relegated to P13. They plummeted from third place to ninth position in the standings.

Sachsenring: Rock bottom

Alessi/Keilwitz had their worst weekend of the season at the Sachsenring and came away without any points. In the first race, a penalty after a pit stop that was too brief thwarted any hopes of a top-ten result. In the second round, there was another penalty for a minor misdemeanour during a yellow flag period. They were only eleventh in the standings after the weekend in Saxony.

Nürburgring marks comeback

The summer break of nearly two months did the Italian and his German opposite number a power of good. The Corvette drivers were back in the points at the Nürburgring after Alessi secured pole for Race One. The first race saw them come home in fourth place; the second fixture brought them P5. Slowly, they were on their way, edging up into ninth position in the standings.

Dream weekend in Austria

Alessi/Keilwitz made their title ambitions clear with a perfect weekend in Austria. The Callaway drivers clinched a win in both races. On Sunday, Alessi/Keilwitz won by just 0.2 seconds in a race that produced the closest finish ever in the history of the ADAC GT Masters. The double win catapulted them up the table from ninth to second place and put them in contention for the title.

Good luck at Lausitz Ring

Lady Luck gave Alessi/Keilwitz a helping hand at the Lausitzring. Alessi was in fourth place in the first fixture when the red flag came out and the race was stopped. After the restart, the Italian was the first in the entire field to come into the pits to change drivers. This tactic resulted in Keilwitz emerging back on track in the lead once the changeover had been completed. Keilwitz retained P1 until the end of the race. A P5 followed in the second race, and so, with four races remaining until the end of the season, the drivers of the Corvette bearing start number two took over the championship lead for the first time.

Surprise victory at Slovakia Ring

A setback in the first race was followed by the fifth win of the season in Race 2. On a wet track in the first race at the Slovakia Ring, the championship leaders were without points, relinquishing their lead in the standings to Robert Renauer for the day. However, Alessi/Keilwitz hit back on Sunday. Keilwitz charged up the field at the start from grid position ten to take the lead and kept it at the finish line. They travelled to the Hockenheim finale at the top of the championship table with a slender lead of 14 points.

Sixth position enough to secure title in Hockenheim

The finale turned into a real thriller as the pair chased the title. Alessi/Keilwitz finished fifth in the first race, but their lead shrunk to six points after a second place for title rivals Buhk/Götz in the Mercedes-Benz. The Mercedes retired to the pits in the final race, so the title was as good as in the bag - Alessi subsequently took the Corvette to sixth place, securing the championship.