Who will win the Junior competition in the Prototype Cup Germany? Battle for the final few points in the Team classification. Two new drivers line up at the finale of the German LMP3 series.
This weekend (12th to 14th September), the journey undertaken by the teams and drivers in the Prototype Cup Germany will take them to the Red Bull Ring in the Austrian region of Styria for the finale of their season. Danny Soufi (22/USA) and Pavel Lefterov (27/BUL, both Konrad Motorsport) wrapped up the title at the Nürburgring, while Thomas Ambiel (45/Eppingen, Rinaldi Racing) also confirmed that he would end 2025 as the top Trophy driver. However, there are still unanswered questions: Who will win the Team trophy, and who will be crowned champion among the Juniors? Mühlner Motorsport, with Marcel Kopp (30/UAE, Mühlner Motorsport) at the wheel, is also set to make its return to the Prototype Cup Germany at the finale. ARC Bratislava is making its first appearance of the season, with Miro Konopka (63/SVK) named as the driver. Both qualifying sessions and the two races will be broadcast at youtube.com/adacmotorsports. The races start at 11:40 on Saturday and 16:35 on Sunday.
One of the questions still to be answered that of the top Junior in this year’s field. Mattis Pluschkell (21/Elmenhorst) and Maksymilian Angelard (18/POL, both BWT Mücke Motorsport) top this particular table at the moment. However, they are far from assured of winning the title. That is because Maxim Dirickx (21/BEL, Aust Motorsport) is lurking just eight points off the leaders, while Riccardo Leone Cirelli (17/ITA) and Mattias Bjerre Jakobsen (18/DEN, both BWT Mücke Motorsport), who trail the BWT Mücke Motorsport duo by 20 points, are still in with a chance of winning the title. However, this situation is not enough to make Pluschkell nervous. “I am taking it like any other race weekend. I’m not thinking about the title race. Maksymilian and I will do our best as always, then see what that brings us.” Dirickx is also relaxed about the task facing him: “I am the hunter, Mattis and Maksymilian are the hunted. I think it is more enjoyable to be the hunter.”
Like his team-mate Angelard, Pluschkell is contesting his rookie season in the Prototype Cup Germany, while Dirickx is in his second year. However, the Belgian came straight from the world of karting, while the German already had already gained experience of automobile racing in ADAC GT4 Germany and the ADAC Touring Car Junior Cup. “Maxim has taken a great leap forward in 2025. He has done a good job so far, said Pluschkell, heaping praise on his rival. He obligingly repays the compliment: “Mattis is a very fast driver, and Maksymilian is also quick. However, my team-mate Sven Barth is strong too. As duos, I think we are on a similar level.” The winner of the Junior competition will follow in the footsteps of Soufi – perhaps a good omen, as the American has taken another step forward this year and was crowned Prototype Cup Germany champion.
Another title still up for grabs is the Team competition, in which Konrad Motorsport currently leads the way. BWT Mücke Motorsport could still knock Franz Konrad’s team off top spot, but the Berlin-based outfit would have to overturn a 26-point deficit to do so.
Two new competitors have signed up for the finale, in the form of Kopp and Konopka. 63-year-old Konopka comes from Slovakia and is the owner of the ARC Bratislava team, for whom he will be racing at the Red Bull Ring. Kopp is a German living in the United Arab Emirates, where he has started in the Gulf Radical Cup. Kopp and Konopka line up as Bronze drivers, and will therefore be listed in the Trophy classification. That means Ambiel and Michael Herich (48/Brühl, Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsport) have two new rivals in their class. While Ambiel, Kopp and Konopka have their cars to themselves, Herich shares his seat with Mikkel C. Johansen (38/DEN, Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsport).
Broadcast times for the 2025 Prototype Cup Germany at the Red Bull Ring
Saturday, 13th September 2025 08:10 Qualifying 1 – Live youtube.com/adacmotorsports 11:40 Race 1 – Live youtube.com/adacmotorsports Sonntag, 14th September 2025 08:45 Qualifying 2 – Live youtube.com/adacmotorsports 16:35 Race 2 – Live youtube.com/adacmotorsports
