Donar Munding wins the Junior competition in the Prototype Cup Germany. Matthias Lüthen triumphs in the Trophy competition. Both end the season in third place in the final table.

There were celebrations in the Mühlner Motorsport camp after the final round of the Prototype Cup Germany. The pairing of Donar Munding (20/Stuttgart) and Matthias Lüthen (41/Hamburg) not only finished third in the Drivers’ Championship, but also won both the Junior (Munding) and Trophy (Lüthen) competitions. However, they were put through the wringer at the final race weekend: in the opening race, Munding handed the number 21 Duqueine over to his partner Lüthen from the lead. However, when the man from Hamburg attempted to pull away from the pit lane, the engine refused to start. Only when the team gave it a good push did it finally get going again. However, the damage had been done and they ultimately had to settle for seventh place – thanks partly to a drive-through-penalty for the push. In the final race of the year, fifth place was enough to wrap up the titles of ‘Best Junior’ and ‘Best Trophy Driver’. “I am thrilled that Donar and Matthias won the Junior and Trophy competitions,” beams team principal Bernhard Mühlner.

The blue and white LMP3 car started the season with fourth and seventh place at Spa-Francorchamps. This was followed at the Nürburgring by sixth place in race one, and then the first podium in race two. “I feel that second place was the highlight of the season,” says Lüthen. “That was my first podium in a prototype race, and we worked really hard for that success.” Munding agrees with his team-mate: “That podium was liberating, because not everything had gone to plan in Spa. And, after my poor start the previous day, it was important for me to get a good result.” At the Lausitzring, the Mühlner duo finished seventh and also made their first appearance of the season on the top step of the podium. They followed this with seventh and fifth place at the finale in Hockenheim. “The fact that we were delayed in exiting the pits, due to a technical issue, was the low point of the year,” they both agree. “That problem and the radio failure in Spa cost us second place in the final table,” says Lüthen. However, he then puts that into perspective: “That is only a small drawback in an otherwise very good season, with which I am very happy.”

The north German was one of the Bronze drivers in the field and still has relatively little motorsport experience. The latecomer was bitten by the racing bug a few years ago, when he took an old Formula 3000 car for a spin. He acquired his licence and contested his first race at the wheel of a Formula Renault 2.0 at the end of 2019. After other sporadic outings in Formula racing, the LMP3 world finally opened its doors to him. “My coach Tom Dillmann asked me at the start of 2021 whether I would like to start alongside him in a race in the Michelin Le Mans Cup. I took my place in an LMP3 car for the first time in Barcelona, and qualified fourth out of 26 drivers – that was also in a Mühlner Motorsport car, by the way.” He then lined up for the Virage team at the following events in the Le Mans Cup, but was hampered by multiple technical issues. So it was that the Prototype Cup Germany came along at exactly the right time for him at the start of 2022, as it allowed Lüthen to team up with Mühlner again. “Matthias started out late in motorsport, but works very hard and meticulously. With his professional approach and preparations in the simulator, he was also immediately competitive at circuits that were new to him,” says Mühlner, praising his protege. “Given his lack of experience, Matthias is really fast, learns quickly, and is brutally competitive. That is what makes him stand out from many other Bronze drivers, and is not something you can take for granted,” says team-mate Munding, for whom Mühlner is also full of praise. “Donar has potential. I am sure we will hear a lot more from him.”

Unlike Lüthen, the race from Stuttgart spent a number of years on the karting circuit. However, for financial reasons, he was unable to make the move to Formula racing. Instead, he opted for the route into the Porsche Sports cup and the Nürburgring Endurance Series, whilst always having an eye on prototype racing. When new regulations meant that an ever increasing number of car manufacturers announced they would be racing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, that topic became more and more attractive for Munding’s career plans. In 2021, he signed up to the Michelin Le Mans cup and, one year later, did not hesitate to choose the Prototype Cup Germany as his new field of activity. “I knew from my time in karting that ADAC racing series are always well organised. Furthermore, as a German driver, it made sense for me to race in a German series.” Just a few days before the season-opener, he met his new team-mate Matthias Lüthen, and was happy. “It worked well, both on and off the track.” Lüthen is happy to repay the compliment: “Donar is really quick and has a lot of potential. However, the chemistry between us both was just as important. We spent a lot of time together and had to agree on a lot of things. We genuinely never had a difference of opinion, everything was really harmonious.”

Both hope to continue in LMP3 racing. For the last few weeks, Munding has been juggling two things; he also studies er real estate business and technology. “However, my focus will be on motorsport, as I want to take my opportunities. Motorsport and studying at the same time demands a lot of discipline, but I think it is possible.” Lüthen is also active in the field of real estate. However, he is also a little more advanced when it comes to planning for the 2023 season. “I will attend a number of tests over the coming weeks; various teams have been in contact. My goal is to start in either ELMS or the Michelin Le Mans Cup, as well as the Prototype Cup Germany. And I would not rule out sharing a car with Donar again.”