The ADAC GT Masters is all set for the second race weekend of the 2016 season. Less than two weeks after the exciting season opener, the season will continue at the demanding Sachsenring (29th April-1st May) when supercars made by eight different manufacturers will compete for the two wins. The Super Sports Car League will celebrate a special anniversary this year at the Sachsenring when the ADAC GT Masters lines up there for the tenth time. The circuit has been an integral part of the calendar ever since the series was first inaugurated. In the past, the roller-coaster circuit has favoured mid-engine sports car that traditionally come out on top. Christopher Mies (26, DEU) and Connor de Phillippi (23, USA/both Montaplast by Land-Motorsport) head the standings after achieving good results at the season-opener in Oschersleben and will be in the hunt for their first win in the field of over 30 supercars. SPORT1 will broadcast both races live from the Sachsenring at 1.00 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Audi pair Mies/De Phillippi first to lead standings in 2016
The opener at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben had all the ingredients of an exciting race weekend - an extremely competitive field, a close qualifying, exciting races and a variety of marques finishing in the Top Ten. Mies/De Philippi secured the biggest points haul as the new generation of super sports cars debuted in Oschersleben. The American also took a double win in the new Junior class. "What a great start for us! We've still got a little bit of work ahead of us for the Sachsenring races, though." said Mies on his return to the ADAC GT Masters after a two-year break. His team-mate De Phillippi is feeling confident: "I'm looking forward to the Sachsenring which I know well from the Porsche Carrera Cup. The circuit should suit our Audi R8."
The Sachsenring weekend will be the highlight of the season for Audi team YACO Racing. The team is based in Plauen, just 65 kilometres from the racetrack. "It's definitely going to be very special," said 29-year-old Philip Geipel from Plauen, who will be lining up with former DTM driver Rahel Frey in the Audi R8. "I don't feel any great pressure, more an extra boost of motivation. We've still got to improve a bit. Our season did not get off to the best of starts. We've got a lot of potential, especially in qualifying. We can then perhaps secure our first points. At any rate, we intend to put on a good show for our fans."
Trophy driver Rolf Ineichen (37, CH) and Christian Engelhart (29, DEU, both GRT Grasser-Racing-Team) won the second race at the season-opener in their Lamborghini Huracán to everyone's great surprise. "We were, of course, on cloud nine during the days that followed after our terrific success," said Engelhart. "We'll have to wait and see whether we can carry this form over to the Sachsenring. The track should suit the Lamborghini, and me too. Whilst I've never actually won there, I've finished on the podium."
Title defenders aiming for place in Top Five
Defending champions Sebastian Asch (29, DEU)/Luca Ludwig (27, DEU, both AMG - Team Zakspeed) achieved the maiden win for the new Mercedes-AMG GT at Oschersleben as it made its first outing in the ADAC GT Masters but missed a potential double victory. Asch feels quite bullish about the second race weekend: "We'll all be starting from zero again at the Sachsenring. We should definitely be stronger there in our new Mercedes-AMG than we were in 2015 with the SLS AMG. I'll be pleased if we can achieve two Top-Five finishes."
Not only the latest models from Audi, Mercedes-AMG and Lamborghini were very quick at the season-opener, the new Corvette fielded by Callaway Competition made a very promising race debut, Bentley notched up several kilometres in the lead, and Robert Renauer (31, DEU)/Martin Ragginger (27, A, both Precote Herberth Motorsport) narrowly missed the podium in the fastest of the new Porsche 911s. A podium could now follow at the Sachsenring. "The fact that it went so well with fourth and sixth place was a surprise to us. We had reckoned on finishing somewhere between P5 and P10," said Renauer. "We were not one hundred percent happy, despite the good results. We went testing immediately after the Oschersleben weekend and did more work on set-up. We collected important data which will help us at the Sachsenring. We're still confident, despite my belief that the circuit will be more suited to the Audi and Lamborghini mid-engine cars."
Full support programme with demo drive by Marvin Kirchhöfer
Fans coming to the Sachsenring can look forward to a special highlight on the support programme when 2012 Formel ADAC champion Marvin Kirchhöfer shows off his new GP2 racing car on the Ring. During 2016, the former ADAC Sports Foundation protégé is racing in GP2, staged under the Formula 1 banner. He will perform demo laps at the Sachsenring on Saturday at 2:35 pm. Kirchhöfer will also take part in the 'Meet the drivers' autograph session in the paddock in front of ADAC Hospitality at 3:00 pm. The support series contested by the ADAC Formula 4, the ADAC TCR Germany, the DTC and the STT and the Renault Clio Cup will also ensure an extremely full programme.