Qualifying is vitally important in the ADAC GT Masters. At the past three race weekends, pole position has guaranteed either a race win or a place on the podium. Furthermore, the top three in qualifying also score valuable bonus points towards the overall standings. Three points are awarded for pole position, with the second and third-placed pairings receiving an extra two points and one point respectively. However, the fastest pair in qualifying can also look forward to another surprise: the Pirelli Pole Position Award.
Since 2020, the long-term tyre partner of the German GT Championship has rewarded the fastest duo in qualifying with unusual prizes. And not only in the ADAC GT Masters, but also ADAC GT4, ADAC Formula 4 and the ADAC GT Masters eSports Championship. For the drivers, this award is like a lucky dip. At first, the fastest drivers walked away with a pair of valuable skis. Over the course of the year, the range of prizes on offer within the Pirelli Pole Position Award has expanded to include loudspeakers, GoPro cameras, Pirelli vouchers for summer and winter tyres, and coffee machines.
Trier’s Niklas Krütten, who drives for Schubert Motorsport, hit the jackpot when he secured pole position with the BMW M4 GT3 at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. “I received a barbecue, which the team brought with them to try out at the Nürburgring. It was perfect, and I was able to use it immediately in the good weather,” says the 19-year-old. Mick Wishofer (22/A) from the Emil Frey Racing team was given a Pirelli balance board for his fastest qualifying lap with the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo in Zandvoort. “The Pirelli Pole Position Award is cool, even if you don’t actually need some things as much as others. The balance board is spot on for me. I used to use them a lot when I was training, and will now incorporate it again in my regime,” says the Austrian.
The list of recipients of this award shows just how evenly-matched the cars and drivers are in the ADAC GT Masters. This year, a different driver has received the Pirelli Pole Position Award in each of the six qualifying sessions so far. Since 2020, Dennis Marschall, Raffaele Marciello and Ricardo Feller have won the most prizes, each with three pole positions to their name.
