A jubilant atmosphere among the Austrian fans, a record-breaking finish, and VIPs on the podium. The Paddock Radar from the opening round of this season’s ADAC GT Masters at the Red Bull Ring.
Austrian festival
Ecstasy for those in red, white and red in the ADAC GT Masters at the Red Bull Ring. Race two on Sunday saw local favourite Leo Pichler from Weiz take a comfortable victory, together with his Austrian team ‘Razoon more than racing’ and team-mate Colin Bönighausen. This was the first success for an Austrian driver in the ADAC GT Masters since Norbert Siedler triumphed in 2011. The protagonists and fans in the grandstands smiled as brightly as the sun shone during the national anthem. And the jubilant mood around the Red Bull Ring was only enhanced by second place for Pavel Lefterov and Mark Kastelic in the second Razoon Porsche, making it a perfect one-two. There had already been cause for celebration just 24 hours earlier: Austrian Kiano Blum from Fußach finished runner-up in the Ford Mustang GT3, only narrowly missing out on victory. Another local boy to celebrate on the podium was Ernst Kirchmayr. He won both races in the Pro-Am Cup class at the wheel of a Ferrari 296 GT3. The fourth Austrian, Tim Hütter in a Lamborghini run by Liqui Moly Team Engstler Motorsport, also ensured he did not leave his home event empty-handed, picking up valuable points in both races.
Historic finish at the Red Bull Ring
When it comes to excitement and drama, the final stages of race one at the Red Bull Ring will take some beating. Race leader Niklas Kalus in the Ford and his pursuer Felix Hirsiger in the Lamborghini were embroiled in a relentless battle, which concluded in the final seconds with a slight error and the lead changing hands. Hirsiger took the chequered flag with a slender lead of just 0.147 seconds. This was the closest finish in the history of the ADAC GT Masters at the Red Bull Ring – but only just. Back in 2023, FK Performance Motorsport led Schubert Motorsport over the finish line in Styria by a mere 0.148 seconds. The closest finish in the history of the series came at the Sachsenring in 2015, when Schubert Motorsport claimed a one-two, with their BMWs separated by just 0.126 seconds.
The weekend’s biggest winner
A pole position, a victory, a podium, and the leader in the overall, Silver Cup and “Road to DTM” standings. Finn Zulauf from Liqui Moly Team Engstler Motorsport enjoyed a dream season opener at the Red Bull Ring. “I have never experienced anything like it. In the garage, we were screaming at least as loud as Felix in the car,” said the delighted 21-year-old after his race win. The fact that he made it back onto the podium on Sunday was the icing on the cake. “After that impressive start, we would have been super happy with fifth place. It was important to me to get the season off to a good start. Last year, I was on pole for the first race, and it looked like being a great weekend. In the end, my team and I failed to finish twice, and left very disappointed,” Zulauf recalled.
VIPs on the podium
The winners of Saturday’s race were greeted at the presentation ceremony by some very special guests. The trophies were presented by ADAC Honorary President Hermann Tomczyk and Claudia Pechstein. Few can have a better idea of how the drivers feel on the podium than former speed skater Pechstein. She won five Olympic gold medals and was crowned world champion on six occasions during her career, and was delighted to present the trophies to the young drivers in the ADAC GT Masters – with the odd wisecrack here and there, of course.
Top debut for HGL Racing
Newcomer HGL Racing announced its arrival with an impressive display in its very first ADAC GT Masters race. The team with the Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo 2 produced the fightback of the race, battling through to fourth place from 13th on the grid. Robin Rogalski was flawless in his first stint, before handing the car over to team-mate Simon Connor Primm. “I overtook five or six cars during my stint, and had no idea that we had climbed into fourth place,” said a delighted Primm. “The team worked really hard in the winter, and, for us as newcomers, you could tell that this good result was a weight off everyone’s shoulders.” The team underlined its impressive debut with eighth place in the Sunday race.
Class of 2026
There had to be the obligatory group photo at the opening round of this season’s ADAC GT Masters. Glorious weather greeted the 28 drivers, as they assembled in front of the dream backdrop of the Austrian Alps. Rarely has the series been as international as in 2026. Aged between 16 and 36, the drivers come from 15 countries across four continents.
