From the initial idea to the maiden ADAC GT Masters victory in just three months: Mann-Filter Team Landgraf – HTP/WWR has enjoyed a rapid rise in the German GT Championship. Six races into the season, the team lies second in the table and is already looking ahead to 2022.
At first glance, nothing appears to have changed: as in previous years, the ADAC GT Masters grid once again features a bright yellow Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo in a mamba livery this year. However, look a little closer and you will see that nothing is quite as it seems. Looking after the V8 powerhouse is Landgraf Motorsport, a team making its debut in the championship. The initial spark for the project came on a pleasant evening with team principal Klaus Landgraf and Norbert Brückner, founder of HTP Motorsport, the team that had been responsible for the “Mamba” until the end of 2020. “We were sat enjoying a glass of wine together in mid-February and said: ‘We could actually do something together.’ And we went ahead and did it,” says Landgraf, recalling the decisive moment. However, we were obviously under a lot of time pressure to get everything up and running. I myself have been involved in motorsport for a long time, but we did not yet have a car or the workshop equipment required for this project. We started with a blank sheet of paper.”
Just three months later, Mercedes-AMG works drivers Raffaele Marciello and Maximilian Buhk took victory at the season-opener in Oschersleben, in what was the first ADAC GT Masters race for the team, which had previously focussed on endurance racing on the Nordschleife. Landgraf: “Every single member of the team has invested a lot of time in the run-up to the season – even more than usual. We are really proud to have been rewarded so soon for that effort. Personally, I did not expect us to win the opening race. However, I am obviously delighted. Qualifying record, pole position and race win – nobody can take that away from us.”
Passionate and committed
Landgraf holds his team of roughly 15 in very high regard: “Our people are simply awesome. What makes us different to many other top teams – and it is definitely also a key factor in the rapid success – is that we have a very informal relationship with each other. We win and lose as a team. Nobody goes around the garage shouting. We are all passionate and totally committed to what we do.”
Another key factor is the two drivers: “There is not a lot to say about Raffaele – he is currently one of the fastest guys in GT3 racing and is enjoying a lot of success on the racetrack. Maxi is benefitting massively from having him as a team-mate. He has somebody who supports and motivates him. And you can see the effect that is having. What Maxi is producing at the moment is really impressive. They are one of the many cogs that must interact perfectly. From the truck driver and mechanics to the drivers – everything fits together perfectly.”
Landgraf feels the biggest challenge facing his team in the ADAC GT Masters is its lack of experience when it comes to the sprint format. “For this reason, we are working closely with HTP/Winward. This allows us to call on reference values and engineering services. I have enjoyed a close relationship with Norbert Brückner and HTP for more than ten years, culminating in this set-up.” In practice, Landgraf provides the infrastructure, including race cars and mechanics, while HTP/Winward supports the team with engineers when setting up the car. “In our rookie season, we are concentrating on one car, in order to establish the necessary structures for the sprint format. We will then be able to benefit from this with multiple cars in the future. We wanted to give ourselves a little time to learn in our first year.”
The fact that the team’s expectations have grown since the sensational debut comes as no surprise to the team principal. “The expectations have definitely grown within the team after the early win, but we are not making a big thing of that. We are continuing to take a very humble approach to it all. We want to finish and score valuable points every time. If we finish in the top ten every time, we will be happy.”
Team manager Nicolas Heinz ventures a prediction for the remaining race weekends: “I think the Sachsenring will really suit us. We also hope to race at the Nürburgring, as the Mercedes-AMG has always been strong at that circuit. Hockenheim is not necessarily our track. We will have to wait and see at the Lausitzring, Toksport was very fast there last year. However, the results often depend on a car’s form on the day. We want to achieve the best possible result every time.”
Team principal Klaus Landgraf is already looking ahead to 2022: “We are very grateful to Mann-Filter and Mercedes-AMG for supporting us this season. We would very much like to return for another crack next year. With two cars, if possible.”