In just four weeks, it will be that time again: On 28th May, the lights will go green, signalling the start of the 50th staging of the ADAC TotalEnergies 24h Nürburgring. This weekend (6th to 8th May), Haupt Racing team will be in action at the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers. The team from Meuspath will contest two three-hour races on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, as it looks to secure a good starting position for the 24-hour classic.
HRT lines up with two Mercedes-AMG GT3s at the 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers. Both cars will receive extended works support from Affalterbach and appear in the SP-9 class under the entry “Mercedes-AMG Team Bilstein”.
At the wheel of the #12 Mercedes-AMG GT3, sporting the iconic blue and yellow livery of technology partner Bilstein, will be Raffaele Marciello (SUI), Manuel Metzger and Luca Stolz (both GER). In the #6 car, Nico Bastian (GER), Philip Ellis (SUI) and team owner Hubert Haupt (GER) will share the driving duties. HRT and Bilstein have come up with something special for the design of their Mercedes-AMG GT3: The Bilstein camouflage livery, developed specially for the 24h Qualifiers, is a real eye-catcher and set to cause a stir both on and off the track. For the 50th anniversary edition of the 24-hour race, a unique HRT Bilstein Art Car will be unveiled.
New format for the 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers
The dress rehearsal for the 50th edition of the 24h Nürburgring has a new format this year: for the first time, the programme features two separate three-hour races – instead of the single six-hour race, as was previously the case. This gives the teams another opportunity to secure a good starting position for the 24h Nürburgring – and also to get more valuable kilometres of the Nordschleife under their belt in race conditions.
The Qualifiers are not mandatory for participants in the 24h Nürburgring. For this reason, the final grid positions for the legendary 24-hour race in the Green Hell will be determined on the weekend of the 24h Nürburgring itself.
The 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers can be followed live on the official website of the organiser or on their YouTube channel. Intermediate standings and final results are also available in the live timing.
About HRT
HRT stands for HAUPT RACING TEAM. Formed in July 2020 by racing driver and entrepreneur Hubert Haupt, the team enjoys success in GT3 racing. Among other things, HRT secured the 2021 DTM drivers' championship in just its second motorsport season. HRT lines up with extended works support from Mercedes-AMG in many of the team's outings. The outings and cars are prepared in Meuspath, not far from the Nürburgring. HRT is also involved in professional sim racing and is a sought-after partner for motorsport events of all sorts. HRT can call on a host of experts with a wealth of motorsport and engineering experience, which the diverse motorsport company leverages when implementing technical development projects for and with its partners. The headquarters of Haupt Racing Team GmbH is Grünwald near Munich. The team owner is racing driver and businessman Hubert Haupt. As well as motorsport, Haupt is primarily known as a successful property developer. With his real estate company, he implements high-quality living and building concepts in southern Germany – from innovative buildings to complete districts.
