The Haupt Racing Team secured the class win in the Bronze Cup at the second round of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS Endurance Cup. Arjun Maini (IND), Sébastien Baud (FRA) and Hubert Haupt (GER) crossed the finish line as class winners and fourteenth overall at the "Circuit Paul Ricard 1000 km" in the #79 Mercedes-AMG GT3.
- Haupt Racing Team Mercedes-AMG GT3 #79 wins Bronze Cup
- Arjun Maini, Sébastien Baud and Hubert Haupt take championship lead
The Haupt Racing Team laid the foundation for their success at the Circuit Paul Ricard in the 60-minute qualifying session on Saturday morning. In the top-class field of 57 cars, the trio secured 19th position on the grid, which also meant second place in the Bronze Cup with a total of 18 cars. Start driver Hubert Haupt completed a commanding double stint and made up several positions. After almost two hours of driving, he handed over to Sébastien Baud, who had come to his home race with the support of his family, in 14th position overall. Final driver Arjun Maini was on course for the podium in the closing stages of the race. A few minutes before the end of the six-hour race, Maini finally took the lead in the Bronze Cup and thus made the first victory of the season perfect for the team from Drees, which also meant 14th place overall.
The next race of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe will be the Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa from 29th June - 2nd July, which will also be the season highlight of this top-class racing series.
Hubert Haupt, team owner HRT / Haupt Racing Team #79: "We are super happy with the victory and have now also taken the lead in the class. A dream result and a top performance by the team and all the drivers. Really great. Now we just have to make sure that we also achieve a good result at the 24-hour race in Spa."
Arjun Maini, Haupt Racing Team #79: "It was a tough race, but everything worked out for us this time. Everyone did a mega job and it's a deserved result for the whole team who have been trying to win the class since last year."
Sébastien Baud, Haupt Racing Team #79: "After all, it's my home race where I could count on great support from my family. So, it's very special for me to win this race. HRT did a great job and gave us a fantastic car. Now we focus on Spa."
Sean Paul Breslin, team principal Haupt Racing Team: "A great team performance led to a second podium and the first win in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe season for the #79 Mercedes-AMG in the Bronze Cup. The intention was always to score as many points as possible in each race. Now the team is well prepared for the 24-hour race in Spa at the end of the month."
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.
