13 drivers from four manufacturers with a chance of winning the German GT Championship. Four ADAC GT Masters titles to be decided at the Nürburgring. Grasser leads hard-fought Team competition, four-way battle in the Pirelli Junior class.
Grand finale at the Nürburgring: It simply doesn’t get any more exciting than the deciding weekend of the German GT Championship. In the Drivers’ Championship of the ADAC GT Masters, no fewer than 13 drivers from Audi, Lamborghini, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche are still in with a chance of winning the championship. In pole position are Audi racers Ricardo Feller (21/CH) and Christopher Mies (32/Düsseldorf, both Montaplast by Land-Motorsport). However, their slender lead of just four points means the title race promises to go right down to the final race on Sunday. The spectators can look forward to another highlight: the public presentation ceremony in the paddock means fans will be in the thick of the action right up to the final seconds of the ADAC GT Masters season. Tickets for the final weekend are available online at adac.de/motorsport. Day tickets start at € 22.50 for ADAC members (€ 25 for non-members), while admission is free for children aged 12 and under. NITRO will broadcast both races live on free-to-air TV, from 15:00 on Saturday and Sunday. They can also be seen free and without registration in a livestream on motorsport.tv and at adac.de/motorsport.
Key facts, Nürburgring, Nürburg, races 13 and 14 of 14
Circuit distance: 3,629 metres Layout: 11 corners (seven right and four left-handers), driven clockwise 2020 winners, race 1: Michael Ammermüller/Christian Engelhart (SSR-Porsche 911 GT3 R) 2020 winners, race 2: Robert Renauer/Sven Müller (Precote Herberth-Porsche 911 GT3 R)
Title deciders
Four points is the difference: Championship leaders Feller/Mies have a slender advantage going into the finale, with a maximum 56 points still up for grabs at the Nürburgring. Luca Stolz (26/Brachbach) and Maro Engel (36/Monte Carlo, both Mercedes-AMG Team Toksport WRT) are second in the table with their Mercedes-AMG. They also have matters in their own hands: with the right results, nothing can stop them being crowned German GT Champions for the first time. Third-placed Michael Ammermüller (35/Rotthalmünster, SSR Performance) is well-placed to become the first driver ever to successfully defend the title in this prestigious series. The Bavarian and his team-mate Mathieu Jaminet (27/F), the 2018 champion, trail the leaders by 17 points. Last year, Ammermüller was third coming into the finale, and left as champion. Mercedes works drivers Raffaele Marciello (26/I)/ Maximilian Buhk (28/Hamburg, both Mann-Filter Team Landgraf – HTP/WWR) also have outside chances. The underdogs in the title race are Lamborghini works drivers Mirko Bortolotti (31/I, GRT Grasser Racing Team), his team-mates in the second Lamborghini, Rolf Ineichen (42/CH)/Franck Perera (37/F), and former champions Jules Gounon (26/F)/Igor Waliłko (24/PL, both Team Zakspeed Mobil Krankenkasse Racing).
Excitement in the Junior class
The title in the Pirelli Junior competition earns the winner 22 Pirelli tyre sets and has proven to be a ticket to a works contract in recent years – no wonder that the class for talented youngsters is so fiercely-contested. Ricardo Feller is in with a chance of winning another title, as the Swiss driver also leads the Pirelli Junior standings. His closest rivals are fellow Audi men Kim-Luis Schramm (24/Meuspath)/Dennis Marschall (25/Eggenstein, both Rutronik Racing by Tece), who are just three points back. Mercedes-AMG driver Igor Waliłko also has a mathematical chance of winning the title.
In the Pirelli Trophy competition, Florian Spengler (33/Ellwangen, Car Collection Motorsport) leads the way. With a big lead of 39 points, two finishes would be sufficient for the Audi driver to wrap up the title. Only defending champion Elia Erhart (33/Röttenbach, Rutronik Racing by Tece) could prevent him from winning the Trophy title.
Who will be the champion team?
In the Team Championship, just one point separates the leading GRT Grasser Racing Team from its closest rivals, Montaplast by Land-Motorsport. Just nine points off the lead, the Mercedes-AMG team Toksport WRT is also within striking distance. SSR Performance, Mann-Filter Team Landgraf – HTP/WWR and the Zakspeed Mobil Krankenkasse Racing team, all of whom trail the leaders by at least 20 points, also have a mathematical chance of winning the Team title.
The circuit
The finale of the German GT Championship will take place on the 3.629-kilometre sprint circuit at the Nürburgring, including the Formula 1 chicane. It is the second-shortest track on the calendar and guarantees action-packed racing.
Highlight für die Fans: Beim PItwalk gibt es jede Menge zu entdecken
The fans
Watch the title deciders live, then celebrate with the new German GT Champions: the presentation ceremonies for the ADAC GT Masters and all the support series will take place after the final races, in front of a crowd in the paddock Event Area. This is also the location of the nine-metre eBay Tower, which offers new views of the AMG Arena, and the ADAC Vorteilswelt Lounge with free coffee for all ADAC members. Other musts for fans are the “Meet the Drivers” autograph sessions (Saturday, 17:00), the popular pit walks (Saturday, 12:00/Sunday, 12:55), and the live shows “PS on Air – The Ravenol ADAC GT Masters Talk” and “ADAC GT Masters Backstage – live from the eBay Box”. Anyone wanting to tackle the Nürburgring as a sim racer should head to the RaceRoom Café in the Ring Boulevard, where they can try out the RaceRoom simulation, which is also used in the ADAC GT Masters eSports Championship powered by EnBW mobility+, free of charge.
The support programme
As well as the ADAC GT Masters, the Nürburgring is also the venue for the season finale in a further three racing series. And excitement is guaranteed, as the destination of the title will be decided at the weekend in both ADAC GT4 Germany and ADAC Formula 4. The champions have already been crowned in ADAC TCR Germany, but the touring car aces will be looking to head into the winter break on the back of a good result.
Quotes ahead of the race weekend
Maximilian Buhk (Mann-Filter Team Landgraf – HTP/WWR, Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo): “We may have lost a lot of ground in the table, due to the three races we did not score points in this season – two of which were collisions that were not our fault -, but it goes without saying that giving up is not an option. After all, we made up twelve points on the leaders on the Sunday alone in Hockenheim, which just shows how quickly the tide can turn. We have a strong package, as we have shown all season. Anything can happen at the finale – particularly in a race in the Eifel mountains at the start of November. We will just give it our all and see what happens.”
Jules Gounon (Team Zakspeed BKK Mobil Krankenkasse Racing, Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo): “Realistically, our title hopes are rather slim. However, we will try everything. The weekend is a home event for Zakspeed, so it is very special for the whole team. When we tested at the Nürburgring at the start of the season, the car felt good. I hope it will be the same again now and that we can challenge for the race wins. We will give it our all – without thinking too much about the title. We will see where we stand after the opening race. A place in the top three of the championship would be great, and is a definite possibility.”