Sven Stoppe calls the shots in the ADAC GT Masters. The 51-year-old has been Race Director in the German GT Championship since 2021 and is responsible for the sporting procedures at every round of the series. Whether the safety car or drive-through penalties, the man from Gebersreuth, who trained as a financial official, has the final say. However, when it comes to making decisions, some of them very tough ones, he is happy to turn to his staff for advice – great emphasis is placed on teamwork within the race control crew in the ADAC GT Masters.
Sven Stoppe grew up at Schleizer Dreieck, a temporary racetrack in Thüringen. From an early age, he was passionate about motorsport. “Our home was ten metres from the racetrack and, according to my parents, they could not drag me away from the window when the engines were roaring. Mealtimes were even changed to fit in with the action on the track,” says the Race Director.
As a youngster, he initially pursued his passion as a marshal, and was ultimately tasked with circuit safety at the Lausitzring. From 2005, he was responsible for various series as Race Director. As Stoppe did not have the opportunity to actively compete in motorsport, he took part in practice sessions in a race car with Christina Tomczyk. “Although that was no replacement for racing, I wanted to understand the perspective from the cockpit. Furthermore, I often had race consultants like Bernd Mayländer, Dirk Adorf and Bernd Schneider at my side – to name but a few – and I learned a lot about the racing driver’s viewpoint from them.”
After taking up office in the ADAC GT Masters in 2021, Stoppe introduced a number of innovations, including a new start procedure, full course yellow and the penalty lap, which proved successful from the word go. His latest project: To do away with the drive-through penalty where possible. “Seen across the whole season, this penalty is, in a sense, unfair, as the drivers lose different amounts of time depending on the racetrack and length of the pit lane entry. We want to change that in the future, by handing out penalty laps instead – several, if required. This penalty hits the drivers just as hard, but is the same for everyone, which makes it fairer. Other than that, we are well equipped with the current regulations and, after last season’s changes, are focussing on consistency.”
During a race, many different situations must be analysed and evaluated. “Some things are clear, but with others we must first collate information and other perspectives from onboard cameras or cameras around the track. Our permanent team then evaluates everything; ultimately, I am responsible for the decision. If we are unable to pass a conclusive judgement on an incident during the race, the sport commissioners are called into action. They analyse the data that is not available to us in race control during the race,” says Stoppe, who re-watches every race on the Monday after each round.
His relationship with the drivers is excellent, although as Race Director he must sometimes play the role of “party pooper”. “It is the nature of things that drivers are unhappy with penalties and sometimes feel unfairly done by. For this reason, I always try to talk to them and put across my view of things. It ultimately comes down to ensure that a race is safe and fair. This works very well, as it is very simple at the end of the day: Without drivers, there would be no motorsport and no Race Director. Drivers, teams, organisers and race control are all in the same boat and must ride the waves together. After all, we all want to continue to enjoy motorsport in a similar form for many years to come.”
