Ben Green is the best junior in the 2022 ADAC GT Masters. The Brit lined up for the Schubert Motorsport team in his debut season and won the Pirelli Junior competition at the first attempt. He not only picked up the Junior title as a reward for his efforts, but also 22 sets of DHF tyres from series partner Pirelli. Together with team-mate Niklas Krütten, the 25-year-old also claimed the only double of the season: the two youngsters won both races at the Red Bull Ring in their BMW M4 GT3, and in doing so took the lead in the overall standings. In an interview, Green discusses his rookie year in the fastest GT3 series in Germany.
How did you find out that you had won the Pirelli Junior title?
My team told me that I had done it over the radio after the Saturday race at the Hockenheimring. It felt great. My first year in the ADAC GT Masters, and my first success in the Pirelli Junior competition. My team-mate Niklas also deserved the title, but he missed a race weekend, and so was unable to score points at that round.
Hopefully you celebrated your success in style?
It took a while for me to realise that I had actually won the Pirelli Junior competition. Everything happens very quickly in the ADAC GT Masters. I had to focus on Sunday’s qualifying, then came the race. However, it dawned on me what I had achieved at the party that evening.
How was your first season in the German GT Championship?
My relationship with Niklas was very good. We supported each other and gave it our all for the team. The absolute highlight was obviously our two victories at the Red Bull Ring, particularly because that was the first race win with the new BMW M4 GT3. In the second half of the season, we tried to keep pushing and get the maximum out of ourselves and the car. That was not always the case.
What were your expectations going into your rookie year in the ADAC GT Masters?
I never have expectations ahead of a season. I only expected us to win races towards the middle or end of the season, if at all, as neither of us had any experience of this strong series. The fact that we won so early in the season was a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, we were unable to repeat those top results.
You previously drove GT4 cars. How do GT3 cars differ?
The cars are much faster and have more aerodynamic downforce. That makes it hard to drive behind another car for too long, as the turbulence means you lose downforce. However, it was incredibly enjoyable to drive our BMW M4 GT3, particularly at the finale at a high-speed circuit like the Hockenheimring.
What do you have planned for the coming year?
I don’t know yet. I’m going to take a holiday first.
