Haupt Racing Team will line up in the ADAC GT Masters for the first time in 2023. The team from Drees will run a Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the “League of Super Sports Cars”, with drivers Ralf Aron (EST) and Alain Valente (SUI) set to contest the full season.
- ADAC GT Masters debut for HRT
- Ralf Aron and Alain Valente start in the #2 Mercedes-AMG GT3
- Four events feature on the same bill as the DTM
HRT is expanding its involvement in GT racing and using the newly structured ADAC GT Masters as a platform, on which to promote youth. The team will run a Mercedes-AMG GT3, with the goal being to offer talented youngsters an ideal opportunity to continue their development. Ralf Aron and Alain Valente will share the cockpit of the number 2 car in the 2023 season.
26-year-old Swiss driver Alain Valente drove for HRT last year, performing strongly in the Endurance Cup in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe, as well as the 24 Hours of Spa. Ralf Aron is set to make his debut for Haupt Racing Team. Up to now, the 24-year-old Estonian has done most of his driving in Formula racing and won the Italian Formula 4 championship in 2015. The following year, he lined up with current Formula 1 driver Lance Stroll in the European Formula 3 series. In 2017, Aron finished third to claim a spot on the podium at the FIA F3 World Cup in Macau. He later moved into team management, but is now set to return to the racetrack.
With Ralf Aron, Alain Valente, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 and the experienced HRT crew, the ADAC GT Masters welcomes another strong contender. Aron and Valente impressed Hubert Haupt’s team at the Mercedes-AMG Young Drivers Test last autumn. HRT and the ADAC GT Masters are now offering both drivers a great opportunity to show what they are capable of in the professional environment of this iconic sports car series. This also sees the new concept of the series take effect: as of this season, it is obligatory for each car to have one driver with an FIA classification of Silver or Bronze. This year’s ADAC GT Masters comprises a total of twelve races over six weekends, of which four will share the bill with the DTM. The opening round of the season takes place at the Hockenheimring from 9th to 11th June. The final livery of the #2 Mercedes-AMG GT3 will be finalised soon in consultation with the drivers and team partners and published at a later date.
Ralf Aron, Haupt Racing Team #2:
“I am very excited to line up in the ADAC GT Masters in 2023 with Haupt Racing Team and Alain. HRT has put together a fantastic package here. I can hardly wait to go racing at some of the most famous racetracks with the team and my fellow drivers. The competition is going to be tough, but we will give it everything we have to challenge at the front of the field.”
Alain Valente, Haupt Racing Team #2:
“I am really looking forward to my first season in the ADAC GT Masters with HRT. Up until now, I had not had the opportunity to start in this championship. I think we can get good results in this very competitive series, and we obviously want to win as many races as possible.”
Ulrich Fritz, Chief Executive Officer Haupt Racing Team GmbH:
“With the new driver concept in the ADAC GT Masters, it was a logical step for us to expand our portfolio to incorporate this racing series. Above all, we also see potential synergies with the DTM. The ADAC GT Masters starts at the same racetracks and on the same tyres as the DTM. This allows the young drivers to test themselves against colleagues from the DTM – indirectly, at least. Competing in both series also allows us to try out a few more things and then to implement what we learn. We see that as a big advantage and a chance to develop our talented young drivers in GT3 racing, perhaps for the DTM.”
About HRT
HRT stands for HAUPT RACING TEAM. The motorsport team was founded in July 2020 by racing driver and entrepreneur Hubert Haupt and has firmly established itself in international GT3 sport within a very short time. As well as numerous race wins and top results, HRT’s greatest success came in 2021 when it won the Drivers’ Championship in the DTM. The team’s programme is demanding and diverse: among other things, HRT starts in the DTM, the Nürburgring Endurance Series, the GT World Challenge Europe, and the 24-hour races at the Nürburgring and Spa-Francorchamps. Many of these race outings are as a Mercedes-AMG Performance Team with extended factory support. HRT is also involved in professional sim racing and is a sought-after partner for technical development projects and motorsport events of all kinds. As of the 2023 season, the team’s new operations centre is the HRT Race Base in Drees, which is located at the Nürburgring. The headquarters of Haupt Racing Team GmbH are in Grünwald near Munich.
