Fabian Vettel, younger brother of four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel (31), has been signed to compete in the 2019 ADAC GT Masters. The 20-year-old will share the cockpit of a Mann-Filter Team HTP Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Philip Ellis (26).

Fabian Vettel, who has been competing at a professional level for only the past two years, is seen as a rising talent in the sport. In 2017, Vettel contested the Audi Sport TT Cup, making one podium appearance finish and finishing the campaign in ninth place. Last season, he competed in the Lamborghini Trofeo, gaining valuable experience of driving a high-performance GT car in the 620-horsepower Huracán.

He and co-driver Philip Ellis aim to catch the eye in the forthcoming season. Ellis, who hails from Munich, clinched the 2017 Audi Sport TT Cup title in the same season as Vettel finished ninth. Last year, Ellis caused a sensation when he won the opening race of the ADAC GT Masters at Oschersleben.

HTP team boss Norbert Brückner has high hopes for his driver pairing: "In Philip Ellis and Fabian Vettel, we have secured the services of two of the best GT Juniors in the field. Philip has proven that he has what it takes to be up there among the frontrunners in the highly competitive ADAC GT Masters. Fabian is embarking on only his third season in motor racing, but he made a big impression on us during the test drives. He is talented, ambitious and eager to learn; he therefore has all the qualities to succeed at the enormously high level of the ADAC GT Masters."

Jörg Engels, Director of Brand Management Automotive Aftermarket at MANN+HUMMEL: "Philip has already gained some GT3 experience and proved that he has a winner's DNA. Fabian will benefit immensely from this experience. His strong performance at the wheel of our Mamba in the September tests at Hockenheim convinced us of his natural ability. I'm sure our two Juniors will be shaking up the GT establishment on a regular basis in the future."