A highly-acclaimed home outing, double joy on the podium, and a special guest at the presentation ceremony. The Paddock Radar from the Dekra Lausitzring.
Relief for HGL Racing at home event
“That is a great weight off my mind. To be honest, we were not expecting to be so successful at the Lausitzring,” beamed HGL Racing team principal Tobias Seyffarth after the first podium for his team in Sunday’s race. The previous weekend, in Zandvoort, the team had endured a miserable event, with electronic issues and a crash. “We worked extremely hard, just to get our Audi ready for our home race at the Lausitzring. We just made it,” said Seyffarth. Local favourite Simon Connor Primm laid the foundations for the podium in qualifying, when he secured the maiden pole position for HGL Racing, before he and team-mate Robin Rogalski brought the car home in second place. However, there was no time for celebrations. “We will have plenty of time for that in the summer break after the Nürburgring. Right now, there is more work to be done!”
Double celebrations make the perfect birthday present
When Sandro Holzem emerged victorious from his Schubert Motorsport BMW after Saturday’s race, before hugging first his twin brother Juliano and then the entire team, he received one of the biggest cheers the ADAC GT Masters has witnessed in recent times. The duo celebrated their 22nd birthday earlier in the week, but had saved probably the best gift for now: the long-awaited first victory in the ADAC GT Masters. “It is like we have finally broken the curse. We are very happy. We have waited so long for this victory, and the performance has always been there. We have finally done it,” said an overjoyed Juliano.
Patrice Aminati at the presentation ceremony
Presenter Patrice Aminati was a guest at the Dekra Lausitzring at the weekend, and she was more than happy to play a part in the presentation ceremony for the ADAC GT Masters. On Sunday, the Dresden-born influencer presented the trophies to third-placed Emil Gjerdrum and Max Reis from Haupt Racing Team.
Valuable documents in the bag
Tim Hütter has done it: shortly before the Dekra Lausitzring weekend, he completed the oral element of his school leaving examinations, and now has his qualifications in the bag. Hütter had finished the written tests before Circuit Zandvoort and now has just one thing on his mind: racing! “We have put together a really great programme, and I am very optimistic that I will soon make clear progress, now that I can focus fully on motor racing,” said Hütter. He is yet to reveal exactly what that programme is, but, with his leaving certificate in the bag, he is now free to really put pedal to the metal.
Championship leaders at the halfway point - just
The big question at the Dekra Lausitzring was who would lead the championship at the halfway point of the season. Felix Hirsiger and Finn Zulauf from Liqui Moly Team Engstler Motorsport had led the overall standings since the start of the season, and the two Lamborghini drivers took a nine-point lead into the final race of the weekend. However, it was Leyton Fourie and Tim Zimmermann who left Lusatia sitting pretty at the top of the table. This is the first time that Fourie has led the championship in the ADAC GT Masters, while Zimmermann briefly experienced that feeling back in 2023. After a difficult start at the Red Bull Ring, last year’s runners-up from FK Performance Motorsport have been on a very successful run: two wins and two second places in four races. “If somebody had told me after the Red Bull Ring that we would be leading the championship at the halfway point, I would hardly have believed them,” said a beaming Fourie after his win on Sunday.
