Sébastien Baud (FRA), Hubert Haupt (GER) and Arjun Maini (IND) finished fourth in the Bronze Cup in an eventful three hours at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and secured second place in their class.
- Runner-up finish for HRT in the Bronze Cup team and driver standings
- Sébastien Baud, Hubert Haupt and Arjun Maini end season finale in fourth place
At the season finale of the Endurance Cup in Barcelona, the Haupt Racing Team started the race from fifth place on the grid in the Bronze Cup, which had a strong field of 16 participants. With a total of 54 GT3 cars, the race was another highlight of the season. Start driver Hubert Haupt made the most of the first phase of the three-hour race, which was marked by safety car interruptions, and drove the red #79 Mercedes-AMG GT3 to second position in its class. During the third full-course yellow, Haupt handed over to his teammate Sébastien Baud, who lost a lot of time and several places in the crowded pit lane. With a clean stint, Baud was able to work his way back up a few places on the 4.657 km long track and handed over to final driver Arjun Maini in fifth position of the Bronze Cup. After exciting duels on the track and in the pits as well as further safety car phases, the team from Drees secured fourth position in the class. The Haupt Racing Team ends the season in the Endurance Cup just four points behind as vice champions in the team and driver standings in the Bronze Cup.
Hubert Haupt, Team owner HRT / Haupt Racing Team #79: „We had a good season and are happy with second place in the Endurance standings. Overall, the car was always top, the team did a really super job and the drivers drove without any mistakes."
Sébastien Baud, Haupt Racing Team #79: „It was a very good season for the whole team and for me. To finish the season in second place in the Endurance Cup is very strong. Three podiums in five races is a great achievement from everyone. I am very happy to work with this team."
Arjun Maini, Haupt Racing Team #79: „It was an exhausting race. We had a good start but unfortunately lost time due to traffic in the pits, then we fought our way back to fourth position. I'm proud of the team for working hard all year."
Ulrich Fritz, CEO Haupt Racing Team GmbH: „An exciting GT World Challenge Endurance season is coming to an end. We finished all five races, which speaks for the quality that the team delivers, but also for the few driver mistakes that happened. In the end, second place in the championship is a very good result. Congratulations to the whole team and to the drivers for all their efforts and hard work."
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.
