Past champion Patric Niederhauser joins the Eifel-based team. Newcomer to the series Jusuf Owega is the second driver in the Audi R8 LMS.

A big-name addition to the ADAC GT Masters: the return of Phoenix Racing to the German GT Championship sees one of the most successful German teams of recent years make its comeback in the series. The team from Meuspath will field one Audi R8 LMS on its return. The car will be driven by former champion Patric Niederhauser (29/CH) and rookie Jusuf Owega (18/Cologne). Oschersleben hosts the opening round of this season’s ADAC GT Masters from 14th to 16th May. New TV partner NITRO will broadcast all races live and in full.

Phoenix Racing can look back on an impressive record. The team last lined up in the ADAC GT Masters in 2018, when it won the opening race in Oschersleben. To date, Phoenix drivers have taken their place on the top step of the podium six times in this prestigious series. Ernst Moser’s team can also point to five victories in the Nürburgring 24 Hours and recently raced in the DTM. “This year, we once again have an extensive motorsport programme,” Moser explains. “This includes the ADAC GT Masters. In the past, we have enjoyed quite a bit of success in this series. That is the goal again in 2021.”

To achieve that success, Phoenix Racing has acquired the services of the 2019 ADAC GT Masters champion, Patric Niederhauser. “Phoenix Racing is a hugely successful team,” says the Audi Sport driver. “We obviously want to challenge for victories and podiums.”

In Jusuf Owega, the Swiss driver has a talented youngster at his side. Despite being just 18 years old, the man from Cologne already has plenty of GT experience. In 2019, Owega lined up in ADAC GT4 Germany, in which he claimed four podium finishes. The following year, he switched to a GT3 cockpit and showed what he was capable of in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup.

“It’s all in the mix,” says Ernst Moser. “In such a high-class field, you obviously need a lot of talent, but also a lot of experience, to be successful. Our duo of drivers has both. Our team is also very familiar with the series. The races will definitely not be easy, but we can be confident with this line-up.”

Phoenix Racing is also competing in the 2021 Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, which starts as a partner series at six ADAC GT Masters race weekends.