ADAC GT Masters·11.6.2017

ADAC GT Masters: Comments after the second race: Observations from the Red Bull Ring paddock

Rolf Ineichen (GRT Grasser Racing Team, Lamborghini Huracán GT3), winner in the general classification and in the Trophy class: "We are very happy and very grateful. The car was really perfect today; it could not have been better. The team did a superb job. Thanks a lot for this. We were lucky to have reached the finish line at all. In my stint, the car kept misfiring, which is why my lap times fluctuated quite a bit. The last lap was consequently very difficult. That’s why we decided to park the car immediately after taking the chequered flag."

Sebastian Asch (BWT Mücke Motorsport, Mercedes-AMG GT3), P2 in the general classification: "I am really happy. After we finished a thankless fourth yesterday, it’s great to be on the podium this time. I got off to a good start and moved up from sixth to third. Then Lucas took over and pretty soon closed the gap on Patrick Assenheimer. He then got past him. The car was amazing from the first to the final minute. We have now scored decent points on two occasions, and we’ll be heading for Zandvoort feeling extra motivated. It’s my favourite track, and it should also suit us."

Lucas Auer (BWT Mücke Motorsport, Mercedes-AMG GT3), P2 in the general classification: "Sebastian made a mega start – just incredible! From sixth up to third, which is the position he handed over to me in. I then gained another place and we finished second. That feels mega. I am absolutely delighted, because it was also a first ADAC GT Masters podium for the Mücke team."

Daniel Keilwitz (Callaway Competition, Corvette C7 GT3-R), P3 in the general classification and winner in the Junior class: "I had a good start and gained a few positions. But then there was a traffic jam on Turn 2, and I lost two or three of those places. As regards speed, we were very good at first. We started on new tyres and that paid off. I had a tough fight with Luca Ludwig who actually pushed me off the track at one point. He was cautioned for that. We made an early pit stop because we knew we could gain some positions if we had an open track ahead of us, and that worked a treat. It’s great to make two podium appearances here."

Jules Gounon (Callaway Competition, Corvette C7 GT3-R), P3 in the general classification and winner in the Junior class: "We had a good race and, above all, a superb pit stop strategy which gained us a few places. I had a very satisfying and tight scrap with Patrick Assenheimer in the final phase for third place. Two laps before the finish, I managed to overtake him. My thanks go to the whole team. Next stop, Zandvoort. We’ll have to see how things work out for us there. Actually, it’s not a track that suits our car very much."

Maximilian Götz (Mercedes-AMG Team HTP Motorsport, Mercedes-AMG GT3), P4 in the general classification and second place in the Junior class: "When you start from second place and are third on the penultimate lap, it’s a real shame not to finish on the podium. But Patrick did a great job and kept the Corvette at bay for so many laps, which is really not all that easy here. I was very nervous in the garage and was feeling the pressure. Unfortunately, we had a bit of bad luck on the pit stop and lost two seconds because the pit lane was parked up. It meant we couldn’t make a clean entry and exit. With it being such a tight race, that may well have been the decisive factor in the battle for the podium."

Patrick Assenheimer (Mercedes-AMG Team HTP Motorsport, Mercedes-AMG GT3), P4 in the general classification and second place in the Junior class: "We set our expectations relatively low, because straight-line speed is very important here. We therefore opted for a setup with very little downforce, and that worked out well for us. Fourth place is our best result so far this year. We can see that we’re on an upward trend, and this is very important. It would obviously have been nice to get on the podium, but the other teams simply drove a superb race."

Philipp Eng (BMW Team Schnitzer, BMW M6 GT3), P5 in the general classification and third in the Junior class: "The start was tempestuous. I unfortunately lost some positions because I got hemmed in a bit. After that, I think I was eighth or ninth, but then I ploughed my way back through the field with a series of robust challenges. When I was behind Luca Ludwig, there was no way past. Getting stuck behind him obviously affected our result. The team’s pit stop strategy of staying out longer was absolutely right. It was a very successful weekend with a good haul of points. It has to be admitted that the Corvette was stronger. The Mercedes was also very strong this weekend. I think we can all be satisfied with our performance."

Ricky Collard (BMW Team Schnitzer, BMW M6 GT3), P5 in the general classification and third in the Junior class: "The race was much quieter for me than yesterday. Philipp drove really well and pulled off some fantastic overtaking moves, just like in the first race. I did my best, but there was not much more we could have achieved with the extra weight from yesterday. I’ll now make extensive preparations for the next race at Zandvoort which is another new track for me. I’ll read books, talk to people such as my team boss Charly Lamb who know the track, and I’ll watch videos of races to find out what’s what there."

Mathieu Jaminet (KÜS Team75 Bernhard, Porsche 911 GT3 R), P9 in the general classification: "We battled our way up to ninth. I think we did what was feasible. It wasn’t easy for Michael at the start. The qualifying performance was OK, but in the race itself, we had to fight very hard, and the other cars were simply stronger. But at the end of the day, we scored points in both races – we were the only Porsche to do that this weekend. This is crucial in the title fight. We will be working hard in the meantime in the hope that we’ll be in contention for victory again in the next race."

Christopher Friedrich (KÜS Team75 Bernhard, Porsche 911 GT3 R), P19 in the general classification and twelfth in the Junior class: "It was difficult today because of the intense heat. We had some problems in qualifying and had to start from the rear of the grid. But by the finish line, we had worked our way up to 19th."

Adrien de Leener (KÜS Team75 Bernhard, Porsche 911 GT3 R), P19 in the general classification and twelfth in the Junior class: "A difficult race today. The heat is not good for our car or for the balance. Even the guys in the number 17 car only just scraped into the Top Ten. There was not much we could do. It is always a tricky decision whether to take a risk for one or two positions or to get to the end of the race and at least put in some laps. That’s what we did."