The 2015 ADAC GT Masters champion has so far contested four races in his new red car. Ludwig, together with team-mate Dominik Schwager, made it onto the podium on the very first weekend of the 2018 campaign. Ahead of the home fixture for his team HB Racing at the Red Bull Ring, he sums up progress so far.

You’ve now completed two race weekends with Ferrari and HB Racing. How is it going so far?

Luca Ludwig: “I’m really satisfied, especially with the two Sunday races in which we had a P3 and a P4 finish. I feel very much at home in the team, and I am mega motivated. The confirmation for that is to be found in our results. The key to the two results was good qualifying, and in the races themselves, I got off to decent starts which allowed me to gain a few places. Of course, we also have to take the other two race results into account. Things didn’t go one hundred percent right in them, and there is room for improvement. We are still lacking a bit of consistency, even though you can’t always expect to achieve top finishes in this very strong field of contestants. But if you want to be in contention for the championship – and I’ve set my sights on that – you have to score points on a regular basis. If you’re aiming to be among the Top Four or Top Five, then you need consistent results on both days. Otherwise, you won’t keep up with the front-runners.”

How do you rate the Ferrari 488 GT3?

“The GT3 cars are still different in terms of their basic characteristics, but with the ever more advanced aerodynamics, they now perform pretty much the same once you’re into the window where the car works best. For example, I find that the Mercedes AMG has the most downforce and takes the fast corners marginally better. The Corvette is faster on the straights than we are. But over a complete lap, all of the makes are fairly close together. That’s why the time intervals are so low. You have 25 cars in the ADAC GT Masters that are all within a second of each other.”

How well do you think the team understands the Ferrari after two races?

“In Michele Rinaldi, we have a great technician supporting us. He has a lot of experience with the car, and he also fits in with our team on a personal level. That’s why we’ve been setting such a high standard right from the start. I don’t think there are any big changes on the horizon. Further development is prohibited in GT3 racing, so it’s all about exploiting the potential of the car to the full. We did a good job on the first two race weekends, and if we can do that again in the upcoming races, we should be able to get ourselves into the Top Eight. But to do that, of course, you have to have the necessary element of luck, which means timing your hot lap to perfection in qualifying and then consolidating your position at the front in the race itself.”

The event at the Red Bull Ring on the weekend of 8th - 10th June is the home fixture for your team, HB Racing. That must make it quite a special occasion...

“Definitely. There will be many partners, sponsors and guests in attendance. If we can get everything out of the car, we’ll be in contention once again. I have relatively high expectations. Compared with many of the other drivers in the line-up, I’m competing in significantly fewer races this year. That’s why every race is very important to me. I would like to make my contribution to the success of the team and, if possible, be up there on the podium again – especially with it being the home race for the HB guys. So yes, this race is a special occasion for them.”