Paddock Radar from the Dekra Lausitzring

All the details we noticed at the races five and six in the Prototype Cup Germany at the Dekra Lausitzring.

Great debut

Zino-Ferret Fahlke (18/Hergiswil, Konrad Motorsport) delivered a great performance at the Lausitzring on his first appearance in the Prototype Cup Germany. He claimed top spot in the first practice session and then finished third in race one to secure a maiden podium. He was on course for the rostrum again one day later, before colliding with leader Mattias Bjerre Jakobsen (18, BWT Mücke Motorsport) when attempting to overtake the Danish driver. The Konrad racer received a 15-second penalty that was added to his race time, pushing him back to fifth position. “Of course, that was annoying, but racing is like that. I think I can be happy with the weekend despite that.”

Two podiums for Maxim Dirickx (left) and Sven Barth (right) © Photo: ADAC

Premiere on the podium

Maxim Dirickx (21/BEL) and Sven Barth (44/Eberbach, both Aust Motorsport) celebrated the first two podiums of their career in the Prototype Cup Germany at the Lausitzring. Marco Werner has played a key part in that success, supporting the young Belgian as a coach and mentor. “It has been a long journey to this first podium, as we have been working together since 2024. That makes it a particularly special result for me. Maxim had plenty of bad luck last year, so I feel that this result is long overdue. At the start of the week, I noticed that he had come to the Lausitz with a different mindset. A lot of it is in his head, as he has now proved that he has the driving skills,” says Le Mans winner Werner.

Fastest LMP3

Danny Soufi (21/USA, Konrad Motorsport) was the only driver to break the 1:20-minute barrier in the first qualifying session, posting a time of 1:19.853 minutes. The following day, five drivers then followed in his footsteps during the second session; Riccardo Leone Cirelli (17/ITA, BWT Mücke Motorsport) was the fastest, lapping in 1:19.001 minutes. This was also the fastest lap ever recorded by an LMP3 car at the Lausitzring. “I just missed out on the fastest LMP3 lap in Hockenheim, but now I have managed it,” explained the delighted young Italian at the home race for his Berlin-based team BWT Mücke Motorsport.

Riccardo Leone Cirelli recorded the fastest-ever LMP3 lap at the Lausitzring © Photo: ADAC

Valentino Catalano replaces Oscar Tunjo

Having made a first solo appearance in the Prototype Cup Germany 2025 in Hockenheim, reigning champion Valentino Catalano (19/Westheim, Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsport) shared driving duties with Mikkel C. Johansen (37/DEN, Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsport) in the Lausitz. That seat had been occupied by Oscar Tunjo on the first two race weekends, but the Colombian driver had returned to his home country due to prior commitments. “Team principal Fritz Gebhardt had called me before the two races in the Lausitz to ask if I would like a drive. I wasn’t going to say no to that,” revealed Catalano.

Double wins in the Trophy and team standings

Thomas Ambiel (45/Eppingen, Rinaldi Racing) topped the Trophy standings on Saturday, while his sole Trophy rival Michael Herich (47/Brühl, Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsport) triumphed on Sunday. The latter almost reached the podium after being classified in fourth place together with Alexzander Kristiansson (25/SWE, Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsport). Dirickx twice lifted the trophy for the best Junior driver, celebrating the achievement of reaching the top 3 in the Prototype Cup Germany for the first time after two second-place finishes. Konrad Motorsport, the team led by Franz Konrad, twice topped the team standings thanks to Soufi und Pavel Lefterov (27/BUL), who claimed victory in both races.

A Trophy triumph for Michael Herich © Photo: ADAC

Ligier beats Duqueine twice in the battle of the chassis

The battle of the chassis between Duqueine and Ligier entered its third round at the Lausitzring. A Ligier emerged victorious from two races at the circuit formerly known as EuroSpeedway, located between Berlin and Dresden, with the Soufi / Lefterov duo at the wheel on both occasions. The first race even ended in a triple triumph for Ligier, with Barth / Dirickx in second place and Fahlke finishing third. In heat two, Barth and Dirickx claimed second to ensure that the top two spots were reserved for Ligier pairings.

Dekra chairman presents trophies

Guido Kutschera, Chairman of the Board of Management of Dekra Automobil GmbH, presented the trophies to the winners and podium finishers after race one. He also took the opportunity to take a closer look at the Prototype Cup Germany and its spectacular LMP3 race cars while visiting the Lausitzring. Dekra is a key partner for the German LMP3 series and has been involved since the very first race in 2022.