For 23-year-old Jensen, his debut season in the ADAC GT Masters may be his first but is also a return to motor racing with the ADAC after leaving in 2014 following his title win in the Formel ADAC which was a support series to the Super Sports Car League. Four years down the line, and he finds himself on the main programme, as he now shares the drive in a BMW M6 GT3 prepared by BMW Team Schnitzer with former DTM champion Timo Scheider. The duo took their first podium for third place at the season opener in Oschersleben. Their last race at the Red Bull Ring went even better. The pairing of Jensen/Scheider finished second on Saturday, which puts them in fifth place overall after three out of seven race weekends. Plus, Jensen also currently leads the Pirelli Junior classification.
“I’m highly delighted with the present state of affairs,” says Jensen. “I race with BMW Team Schnitzer, who are a great team and get to drive alongside partner Timo Scheider, who is a great guy. I never thought we’d get along so well so soon. We’ve already achieved some terrific results.” The Dane, who joined BMW’s Motorsport Junior Program in 2017, feels very much at home in the ADAC GT Masters: “I love the series. I’ve been following it ever since I was in the Formel ADAC. I think competing in German motorsport is just fantastic.”
The biggest challenge for the series newcomer is the extremely competitive nature of the field. “It’s not easy to compete up front in the ADAC GT Masters. There are about 15 cars that enjoy works support or in which works drivers sit. As far as I’m concerned, the series is the toughest GT3 championship anywhere in the world. It’s a great privilege to be part of it and to be able to compete up front.”
Jensen’s team-mate, Timo Scheider has a wealth of experience as do BMW Team Schnitzer – something that he really appreciates: “Timo has a lot of experience and is a terrific person. I’ve learnt a lot from him. He gives me tips on the best way to go about things and tells me what would be better left alone, which helps me a great deal, plus, Team Schnitzer have been around for a long time. They are extremely professional in their work and are very practised at what they do. Everyone there just knows what needs doing. You can sense it rightaway. And Team Principal Charly Lamm is a legend in his own right.”
Speaking about his goals for the remaining four races of the season, Jensen told us: “It’s never easy to predict what’s going to happen in a GT series, because the balance of power frequently changes from track to track. Personally, I would like to do well in qualifying so that we can be in a good position on the grid for the race. That’s paramount if you want to secure good results.”