The successful Austrian-based team Lechner Racing will compete in the International GT Open Championship in 2021, running a Porsche 911 GT3 R with drivers Al Faisal Al Zubair from Oman and Andy Soucek from Spain. Lechner Racing, Austria's most successful sports car team, will compete in the International GT Open Championship in 2021. Lechner Racing will enter the latest GT3 model from Porsche, the 911 GT3 R. The long-standing partnership between the Salzburg-based racing squad and the Zuffenhausen-based sports car manufacturer will therefore now continue at the highest GT3 level.

The 911 GT3 R with starting number 77 is shared by two Pro drivers – Al Faisal Al Zubair and Andy Soucek, who has been given an opportunity to bounce back after the end of the Bentley GT3 program last year. The 2009 FIA Formula 2 champion Andy Soucek certainly is a great asset for Lechner Racing. Soucek, who has Austrian roots, can look back to a number of successes in GT racing.

His team-mate Al Faisal Al Zubair from Muscat won the Porsche Sprint Challenge Middle East twice and achieved regular top ten finishes in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. For Al Faisal, the start in the GT Open Championship is not only an extension of the successful partnership with Lechner Racing, but it also marks the next logical step on his career ladder.

Al Faisal Al Zubair (Driver Lechner Racing):

"After so many years of working with Lechner Racing in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Middle East, I am looking forward to taking the next step on the international stage with the same team. My thoughts will often be with Walter Lechner Sr, from whom I learned everything at the beginning of my career and to whom I owe a lot."

Andy Soucek (Driver Lechner Racing):

"By joining Lechner Racing, the dream of driving for an Austrian team can finally come true. I believe we have a strong package, and I will try to use all my GT3 experience and know-how to be a valuable asset to the team. Also it's a pleasure to return to the environment of the series, where I became Spanish Formula 3 champion in 2005."

Thomas Gollner (Team Manager Lechner Racing)

"We have already gained some experience with the Porsche 911 GT3 R, achieving two class victories at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit. For Lechner Racing, the 'GT Open' project is a perfect addition to the other activities, which means that we now cover another part of Porsche’s portfolio."

Walter Lechner Jr. (CEO und GT Open Project Manager at Lechner Racing):

"We had planned to return to the championship already last year, but due to the difficult circumstances we postponed the commitment by a year. We have never had so much time to prepare for the season – from the race car to the truck, we rebuilt everything and are now even better prepared. After the big family loss, we're sticking together even more and we're sure we’ll have a spotter looking down from above."

Jesus Pareja (CEO Series Organizer GT Sport):

"What a wonderful news to see such a top team in our field, bringing back the Porsche brand to the front of the grid. Lechner Racing is a great example of professionalism and deep passion for motorsports spanning over different generations. We extend a warm welcome to our series for raising talent Al Faisal and are happy to have Andy back, whose international career took off when he won GT Sport’s single-seater series."