Three-time race winner Martin Ragginger returns to the German GT Championship this weekend.

The Austrian lines up in Hockenheim alongside regular driver Maximilian Hackländer in the Porsche 911 GT3 R of MRS GT-Racing, which sports a new livery. “It is great to start in the ADAC GT Masters again. I always thought this was a great racing series, but was not able to compete in it recently due to other commitments. When I received the enquiry, I said yes immediately. The weekend will definitely be challenging, as I am not familiar with the tyres. However, I love challenges. We will try to learn as much as possible in Thursday’s test.”

The 33-year-old has fond memories of Hockenheim: “My last victory in the ADAC GT Masters came with Robert Renauer in the Sunday race there in 2016. As such, I am really looking forward to returning. The standard is very high in the series, and every tenth of a second counts. However, I want to be up there at the front of the field and qualify in the top five. That is my motivation.”

Ragginger drove in the ADAC GT Masters from 2011 to 2016, during which time he contested 60 races, winning three. His most successful seasons were 2013, when he finished fourth overall, and 2016, when he was fifth in the table. Last year, he made a guest appearance at the Lausitzring in the steer-by-wire Porsche.

The MRS Porsche has a new look for Hockenheim: Instead of white and green, the 911 will line up at the circuit near Heidelberg in the blue and yellow Ravenol design.

“We want to try out as many things as possible at the end of the season, in order to be even better equipped for the coming season,” says team principal Karsten Molitor. “For this reason, we are delighted to welcome Martin Ragginger, who has a wealth of experience with the Porsche GT3 R. We are also pleased to be lining up in Ravenol colours at the Hockenheimring – the same colours adorned the first MRS Porsche Cup cars in 2003. We are optimistic about the races in Hockenheim, as the track should suit the Porsche.”