Salaquarda debuted in 2017 with BWT Mücke Motorsport in the Super Sports Car League. For his second season, he has switched to compete with Team ISR which is run by his father, Igor Salaquarda. The Czech outfit will be lining up for the first time in the ADAC GT Masters in 2018 and will field an Audi R8 LMS which Salaquarda shares with Audi Sport driver, Frank Stippler. “The ADAC GT Masters is a great racing series, and the competition is very strong,” said the 34-year-old. “But we’re ready for the challenge. A plus point is that most of the races are relatively close to team headquarters, which makes things easier, logistically speaking.”

The second round of the season in Most (27th - 29th April) will be the highlight of the year for Salaquarda and Team ISR. This will be the first time that the Czech Republic and the circuit near the border with Germany have featured on the ADAC GT Masters’ calendar. ISR run an Audi and Volkswagen dealership in Čestlice, south-east of Prague, and it’s only about 100 kilometres to the autodrome. “I hope many fans will come along. The races in Most are important for marketing purposes. We aim to get a good result there. I think the track should suit the Audi R8 LMS.”

Salaquarda has hardly ever driven in Most in recent years. “I contested a race there last summer for the first time in ten years. I know Most, but I don’t think that will give us an advantage, as the other teams will test there before the race weekend. The track has a mix of turns with plenty of second and third-gear corners and some fast sections. The main straight is relatively short. The track is quite bumpy in places. It’s bound to be really exciting with 37 cars in the running.”

Salaquarda’s team-mate for 2018 will be Frank Stippler, an old friend of his. They both raced previously for Team ISR in various other racing series in 2016 and 2017. “I’m very pleased to be sharing a car with Frank again,” says Salaquarda. “He’s an excellent team-mate and very experienced. We like to have the car set up in a similar sort of way. We intend to score points consistently and become one of the best Audi teams. It won’t be easy, though, because this particular series is new to our team.”