Engelhart and Ammermüller take the lead in the ADAC GT Masters Championship
In Sundays ADAC GT Masters race at the Red Bull ring SSR Performance Porsche drivers Christian Engelhart and Michael Ammermuller finished in second place behind the MRS GT Racing BMW and in doing so secured valuable points to move them to the top of the championship table with only four races left to race.
The BMW team underlined there ambition to win on the very first lap. From second place on the grid Erik Johansson passed pole-setter Tim Zimmermann in the GRT Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini and took the lead. Behind them were brand colleague Nick Yelloly in the Schubert Motorsport BMW closely followed by Porsche driver Michael Ammermüller. After a short safety car phase to rescue Jordan Pepper's stranded Bentley, Klingmann maintained the lead until the driver change and handed it over to partner Johansson who brought the BMW home in first place. For Johansson it was the first victory in the “League of Super Sports Cars”. At the same time he won the Pirelli Junior classification for the first time. Team-mate Klingmann was pleased with his tenth victory in the ADAC GT Masters, the MRS GT-Racing team with the third.
Saturday winners Yelloly and Henric Skoog's crossed the finish line in second place, but was then put back in fifth place due to a 10-second penalty for repeatedly exceeding the track limits. Second place therefore went to the Porsche duo Engelhart / Ammermüller, who were behind the two BMWs for the entire race. The third podium went to Luca Stolz and Maro Engel in the best of the Mercedes-AMG’s. The two Toksport WRT drivers were initially sixth and made up numerous positions with a well-timed early pit stop. The Lamborghini works drivers Franck Perera and Albert Costa Balboa of GRT Grasser Racing Team finished fourth, just as they did on the previous day, and again narrowly missed the top 3.
Behind the subsequently punished Yelolly and Skoog, Max Hofer and Christopher Haase of Montaplast by Land Motorsport) came in sixth in the best of the Audis. Behind them followed after putting in a strong performance was Maximilian Hackländer and Nikolaj Rogivue, who fought their way up from 21st on the grid to seventh. Hackländer also set the fastest race lap. Behind them, the previous championship leaders Patric Niederhauser and Kelvin van der Linde crossed the finish line in another Audi R8 LMS. The top 10 were completed by Steijn Schothorst and Tim Zimmermann for the GRT Grasser Racing Team, who started from pole position.
Victory in the Pirelli Trophy classification for non-professional drivers this time went to Audi driver Filip Salaquarda for Team ISR.