Team W&S Motorsport is well prepared for the 2022 season. With eight Porsches, the team of Patrick Wagner and Daniel Schellhaas tested in recent weeks on three race tracks for the races in the ADAC GT4 Germany, the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS), the GT4 European Series and the GTC Race. On a total of ten days, 1,693 laps or the equivalent of 10,423 kilometres were completed at the Circuit Paul Ricard in France, the Hockenheimring and the Nürburgring.

"Good preparation is the be-all and end-all to be successful. That's why we were busy testing. And this will continue in the coming weeks," says Daniel Schellhaas. The team principal continues: "The two new Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport and the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup 992 were delivered shortly before the test days and we then had to familiarize ourselves quickly. We succeeded in this because, as a team with an affinity for Porsche, we were able to draw on our extensive knowledge here. The crew and pilots did a lot of work and the number of test laps speaks for itself. We see ourselves as well prepared for our appearances in all series."

GT4 tests in the South of France

The two brand-new Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport had racing asphalt under the wheels for the first time at Le Castellet. Nicolaj Møller Madsen as well as Max Kronberg and Hendrik Still familiarized themselves with their new racing cars and provided valuable data and setup work with the team for the races in the GT4 European Series and the ADAC GT4 Germany. This was particularly important because the new Cayman had only been delivered shortly before and there was no reference data until then.

"It was a really good and strong test with W&S Motorsport and it's great to work with the team. Everyone acted very professionally and we collected a lot of useful data and setups for the cars," says Nicolaj Møller Madsen. "It was also a great pleasure to drive the new Porsche GT4 RS Clubsport. He gives the driver a lot of confidence right away and I think we are well prepared after the test days at Paul Ricard and Hockenheim."

"I'm confident that we can achieve good results this year because all our drivers have performed well. I bring a lot of experience from the GT4 European Series and ADAC GT4 Germany and I think we can fight for the championship with AVIA W&S Motorsport," he adds.

Second round of testing at home

The next stop for W&S Motorsport was the Hockenheimring. Hendrik Still and Max Kronberg as well as Finn Zulauf and Nicolaj Møller Madsen continued to prepare for the ADAC GT4 Germany with the team, while Leo Pichler and Leon Wassertheurer familiarised themselves with the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 MR.

Daniel Blickle went on its maiden voyage with the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup 992 from W&S Motorsport and completed a rollout with his team-mate Tim Scheerbarth before going to the Nordschleife test a week later. Likewise, the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 MR in a Vöhringer dress awoke from hibernation and warmed up for the NLS season. The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 MR in Paravan design was prepared for the GTC Race together with Luca Arnold.

Luca Arnold, who already competed in the GTC Race with W&S Motorsport in 2021, said after the test: "After the first laps this year, I am highly motivated. I'm really looking forward to the first race weekend. After we were strong last year, I think we will be even more successful in the competitive series this season. We know and trust each other, my crew always does an excellent job and looks after me very well. My goal is to get the GT3 funding place for 2023 and to convince in the junior classification."

Finn Zulauf was able to secure this funding place in 2021 with W&S Motorsport. Together with his team-mate Nicolaj Møller Madsen, the 17-year-old wants to achieve podium finishes and victories in the Junior Trophy in the ADAC GT4 Germany. The Dane will share his wealth of experience in the Porsche and in series production with him.

Zulauf is confident about the season: "The test days at Hockenheim were a lot of fun and I was able to do the first laps in the new Cayman 718 GT4 RS Clubsport, with which I will also start in the ADAC GT4 Germany. We learned a lot and with every kilometre I drove I was able to adapt better to the new car. Before the start of the season, the official test days in Oschersleben are still on the agenda. They are a great way to get used to the track and try different setups. I am very excited and looking forward to working with Nicolaj and my team again."

Dress rehearsal on the Nordschleife

Last weekend, the NLS test drives took place in the Eifel. W&S Motorsport fielded a total of three cars, including the AVIA racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup 992 and the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS.

The 2011 endurance champion, Tim Scheerbarth, is visibly enthusiastic about the new Cup GT3: "On Saturday there were perfect conditions with sunshine at the Nürburgring and on Sunday we were also able to try out settings for rain. We already worked a lot on the first day at the Nordschleife and were able to improve our setup. I am in good spirits that we will be optimally positioned on Saturday. The weather forecast for the Eifel promises spring sunshine again, a season opener can hardly be more beautiful."

Alongside Tim Scheerbarth, Daniel Blickle won the 2021 Cayman Trophy in the NLS. The experienced driver drove his first laps in a GT3 car on the Nordschleife and reports: "These were successful test days and we brought the driver and car forward. Especially for me, with little experience in a GT3 car, it's a big change from THE GT4. But I think I managed to do that very well. Now we are looking forward to the start of the season and are very excited about the first real assessment. Then we'll see where we stand."

Kick-off for the 2022 season

For the first time it will be serious next Saturday (26.03.2022) with the first run of the NLS over four hours. At the 67th ADAC Westfalenfahrt, Tim Scheerbarth and Daniel Blicke take the wheel of the AVIA racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup 992. In the AVIA racing Cayman 718 GT4 CS, Sebastian Vittel, Daniel Bohr and Marius Rauer share the cockpit. Who will drive the Vöhringer Porsche Cayman 718 GT4 CS together with René Höber and Jürgen Vöhringer will be announced, as well as the reinforcement of Scheerbarth and Blickle. The Porsche Cayman in the production car class V5 is driven by Kevin Rembert, Niclas Wiedmann and Dirk Biermann.

Before the GT4 European Series starts the season at Imola a week later, another day of testing is on the agenda at the Italian circuit. As a final preparation for the season opener of the ADAC GT4 Germany from 22 to 24 April in Oschersleben, the three Cayman GT4s will receive their finishing touches at the official series test days in the Magdeburg Börde.