Reactions from the paddock after Saturday’s race at round four of this season’s German GT Championship.

Ricardo Feller (Montaplast by Land-Motorsport, Audi R8 LMS), 1st overall and winner of the Pirelli Junior competition: “That was a perfect day for us. I am delighted with the result. The pole position was a fantastic start to the day, and we were then able to do a good job of defending the lead in the race. I was able to set a good pace in my stint without putting the tyres under too much strain. Chris brought the car home safely after the pit stop. Sitting on the outside watching the closing stages was far more nerve-racking than being in the car myself. However, I have every faith in Chris and he brought the win home in impressive fashion.”

Christopher Mies (Montaplast by Land-Motorsport, Audi R8 LMS), 1st overall: “Maro Engel attacked hard in the closing stages. That really brought me out in a sweat at times. Maro was always very close at the two re-starts. It was not as easy to shake him off as I thought it would be, as he knew exactly what I intended to do. We both broke very late for turn 1, but I stayed in front. It must have been very exciting for the spectators.”

Luca Stolz (Mercedes-AMG Team Toksport WRT, Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo), 2nd overall: “The Land team was really quick today. Despite this, we are happy to finish second, having started third. During the race, I tried to maintain my pace and set consistent lap times. I then tried to make up time in the pit lane entry, but unfortunately the dirt on the track meant that did not work so well. On the whole, it was still a good stint.”

Maro Engel (Mercedes-AMG Team Toksport WRT, Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo), 2nd overall: “I obviously tried to create an overtaking opportunity. It is a shame that it was not quite enough in the end. However, the battle with Christopher Mies was really good fun. Unfortunately, the amount of dust whipped up meant I could hardly see anything at the re-starts. It is difficult to overtake here without coming off the track. We remain really motivated and hope to make it onto the very top of the podium soon.”

Mirko Bortolotti (GRT Grasser Racing Team, Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo), 3rd overall: “We are delighted with the trophy. I think third place was the best possible result for us today. Starting from second is always tough here, and overtaking is always a challenge at this circuit. All in all, we are happy with our result today.”

Albert Costa Balboa (GRT Grasser Racing Team, Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo), 3rd overall: “Thanks to Mirko’s good stint, I was able to manage our position. The waiting time during the interruption was really stressful, but our strategy worked well after that. We are now focussing on tomorrow. Mentally, I feel strong. I will do my best in qualifying.”

Maximilian Buhk (Mann-Filter Team Landgraf – HTP/WWR), 4th overall: “An odd race. No sooner had we found a decent rhythm than we had the next interruption. On the whole, however, we can be really satisfied with fourth place. I don’t think we could have done any more. The Mamba ran well, and the Landgraf guys’ pit stop was perfect. I must now make sure I again qualify as far up the grid as possible tomorrow morning, then there will definitely be plenty to play for again in the race. The championship is incredibly close. Every point counts. You could tell that again today.”

Julien Andlauer (Küs Team Bernhard, Porsche 911 GT3 R), 9th overall: “We had a few problems with the balance, but were able to work on the car a bit during the red flag. After the re-start, it was mainly a matter of holding our position and waiting for an opportunity to overtake. I am really happy with the result – after all, we started 17th. Tomorrow is a new day and we will push hard again.”

Thomas Preining (Küs Team Bernhard, Porsche 911 GT3 R), DNF: “Qualifying was very good and I was happy that we got the maximum out of the car. More than P8 was simply not possible. At the start, we were involved in a collision through no fault of our own. After that, the race was over in the first corner. As far as the car is concerned, we have done a very good job. I am confident ahead of tomorrow.”