Realignment towards young drivers and ambitious amateurs. New race format at two events. Return to current Formula 1 track at Spa-Francorchamps.
The ADAC GT Masters has some exciting new aspects going into the new season. Not only will the starting grid feature new cars, teams and drivers, but there will also be a new race format, an opportunity for youngsters, and a return to one of the most iconic racetracks in Europe. The ADAC GT Masters kicks off the 2024 season from 26th to 28th April as part of the DTM race weekend at Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. While the competitors will face new sporting challenges, the ADAC GT Masters can count on consistency with its TV partner: SPORT1 remains the live TV partner of the series.
New super sports cars on the grid The ADAC GT Masters boasts great variety, courtesy of seven top-class premium manufacturers: as well as sports cars from established manufacturers Audi, BMW, Lamborghini, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche, the attractive field will also be bolstered by cars from Aston Martin and Ferrari. With the new Aston Martin Vantage GT3, the British sports car manufacturer returns to the ADAC GT Masters for the first time since 2021. Cult Italian brand Ferrari lines up with its latest GT3 version of the 296, which won the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring last year.
Exciting sprint and endurance format Fans at the Nürburgring race weekend (12th to 14th July) will be treated to a first in the ADAC GT Masters. For the first time, the drivers will contest a 40-minute sprint race, complete with a driver changeover, on the Saturday. The more compact format promises plenty of race action – after all, the drivers have less time to overtake and climb through the field. Fans of endurance races are in for a real treat on the Sunday. Good tactics and perfect teamwork between the drivers and crew are particularly important in the 80-minute race with two mandatory pit stops. The second event with this format takes place at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (30th August to 1st September).
New “Road to DTM” promotion concept With the “Road to DTM”, the ADAC is establishing a new promotion concept for talented young drivers, allowing them to progress from the German Kart Championship to the DTM via ADAC GT4 Germany and the ADAC GT Masters. The best Silver youngster under the age of 25 competing in the Silver or Pro-Am Cup in the ADAC GT Masters will receive support for the 2025 DTM in the form of the entry fee for the prestigious series.
New class structure Now with a revised class structure, the ADAC GT Masters will focus on talented youngsters and amateurs from the 2024 season. Lining up in the Silver Cup are pairs of drivers with a Silver classification. One Bronze driver shares the cockpit with a Gold or Silver driver in the new Pro-Am Cup, for ambitious amateur and junior drivers. The Am Cup is reserved for all-Bronze duos. In the future, the youngsters will score points towards the new “Road to DTM” standings, as they strive to secure a coveted DTM cockpit.
Return to the Ardennes Having last visited Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in 2015, the championship returns to the spectacular ‘Ardennes Rollercoaster’ this year. The Belgian circuit is located just 30 minutes from the German border and is very popular with the German public. At 7.004 kilometres, Spa-Francorchamps is the longest circuit on this year’s calendar.
