The sixth race weekend of the German GT Championship provided some fascinating facts and stories. Here’s a glance at the notebook.
A round 50 for Müller
False start, collision, spin – Sven Müller’s 50th ADAC GT Masters race did not go entirely to plan. However, he did at least come away with ninth place after all that. “Porsche has always been fast at the Sachsenring, but we were unfortunately unable to get a top result this time. I know from experience that you cannot afford to make any mistakes in the German GT Championship if you want to be in contention at the front,” said Müller, who made his ADAC GT Masters debut in 2017 and has twice tasted victory in the series.
First single-digit finish for Salman Owega
Rookie Salman Owega from Montaplast by Land-Motorsport waited a long time for this moment. At the Sachsenring, the 17-year-old claimed his first single-digit finish in his rookie season in the ADAC GT Masters. He came home fourth and narrowly missed out on a podium in Sunday’s race, finishing just 0.281 seconds behind Maximilian Paul. His brother and team-mate Jusuf was also flying in second place, until he was forced out of the race with a puncture.
Mattias Ekström sets the drivers in motion
The FIA ETCR eTouring Car World Cup featured on the same bill as the German GT Championship at the Sachsenring. Mattias Ekström finished fourth in the final race of the season to secure second place in the fully-electric racing series. Prior to this, the Swede had chance to talk shop with ADAC GT Masters driver Jack Aitken, and took the opportunity to send the Masters drivers onto the track on Sunday. On the grid, NITRO presenter Eve Scheer asked “Eki” whether he follows the ADAC GT Masters: “Yes, but only because of Markus Winkelhock, he is simply the coolest!”
Tension in the Team competition
The Team competition in the German GT Championship has come down to a two-horse race between Mann-Filter Team Landgraf and series newcomers Emil Frey Racing. Over the course of the last two races, the two Mambas have managed to wipe out the leaders’ advantage and, with 181 points to their name, are now level on points with the Swiss team, which lines up with three Lamborghini. Montaplast by Land-Motorsport is also within striking distance with its three Audi. The showdown in Hockenheim will reveal which team comes out on top in the end.
Complicated climax in the Pirelli Junior competition
A bizarre situation is arising at the top of the Pirelli Junior competition ahead of the finale. An allotment of Pirelli tyres awaits the winner of this class, in which the points awarded are based on the driver classification of their team-mates. As such, championship leader Ben Green’s closest rivals – Niklas Krütten, Kim-Luis Schramm, Joel Sturm and Fabian Schiller – will only have a chance of winning the title in Hockenheim if they change their partner and start the final alongside a Silver or Bronze team-mate. Mick Wishofer/Konsta Lappalainen and ADAC Stiftung Sport driver Jan Marschalkowski do at least still have a mathematical chance of winning the Junior title under their own steam.
Spectator boom continues
The ADAC GT Masters remains popular with the fans. 26,000 motorsport enthusiasts made the pilgrimage to the Sachsenring for round six of the season, and in doing so set the sixth crowd record in a row. The big question is: Will this impressive run continue at the season finale in Hockenheim?
Donations keep coming
The BWT Race Lap Award is still growing. Since the start of the season, 9,739 laps have been completed in the German GT Championship. For each lap, the ADAC GT Masters and series partner BWT are donating four euros. The total amount raised at the moment stands at 38,956 euros. At the end of the season, the money will be presented to b.waterMISSION. This organisation builds wells, primarily in Gambia and Tanzania, in order to provide clean drinking water for the people there.
Serial winner
The Mercedes-AMG is a force to be reckoned with at the Sachsenring: since making its debut in 2016, with the exception of 2018, the front-engine GT car has won at least one race every year in Saxony. The Mercedes-AMG now has seven Sachsenring victories to its name. However, the Swabian manufacturer still lies second in the overall statistics. It will take a few more years to reach the 13 wins achieved by the Audi R8.
