Three championship wins, three overall victories, ten overall podiums, 13 class victories and a further 22 class podiums - achieved on a total of 27 race weekends. These are the impressive results of the Haupt Racing Team's season. The team from Drees can look back on the most successful season in the company's history.
- HRT is the best GT3 team in the Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing Championship and wins the trophy for the "Best Looking Car"
- Championship titles in the Asian Le Mans Series, GT World Challenge Europe and ADAC GT Masters
- 24h Nürburgring: Success with the Mercedes-AMG GT2 and GT3
- Best Mercedes-AMG team of the DTM
- Relocation to new HRT Race Base and expansion of the service portfolio
The prize-giving ceremony of the yearly Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing Championship in Valencia was the crowning glory of an extremely successful season for the Haupt Racing Team. HRT came out on top as the best GT3 team against more than 80 competitors in the brand's internal competition. The race results achieved with the Mercedes-AMG GT3 over the course of the season and the points collected as a result were decisive for this. HRT was also able to secure the title of "Best Looking Car". In a social media survey, the HRT-GT3 with its art car design specially created for the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring was voted the most beautiful car of the season. Frank Bird (GBR) provided another highlight at the Young Driver Test in Valencia. The driver, who was nominated by HRT and looked after on track, impressed with his performance. As a result, he secured one of the two coveted grid positions at the season finale of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, the Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi (8 - 10 December).
The starting point for the successful 2023 season was the Asian Le Mans Series. The Haupt Racing Team was able to celebrate right at the start of the year, securing two class victories and another class podium. After the four races of the season, this meant the runner-up titles in the GT team and driver championships.
In the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS, the Haupt Racing Team was successful in several categories. In the Silver class of the Sprint Cup, the championship titles in the team and driver standings went to HRT. Jordan Love (AUS), Frank Bird and Alain Valente (SUI) delivered a strong performance with four class wins and five further podium finishes in the ten races of the season. In the Endurance Cup, the season also went very well for Sébastien Baud (FRA), Hubert Haupt (GER) and Arjun Maini (IND) in the #79 Mercedes-AMG GT3: they secured one class win and two class podiums in the Bronze Cup in the five races. At the end of the season, this meant the runner-up title in the team and driver championships. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 #75 of SunEnergy1 Racing, supported by the Haupt Racing Team, took another class victory at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. Thanks to an impressive fightback from the pit lane, the team took the lead in the Pro-AM category in the final phase and successfully defended this top position until the end of the race.
In the ADAC GT Masters, in which the team drove two Mercedes-AMG GT3s, there were more titles for HRT. With an overall victory and two podium finishes at the season finale, the Haupt Racing Team won the team championship. Drivers Ralf Aron (EST) and Alain Valente rounded off their year with the runner-up title in the drivers' standings. The Haupt Racing Team achieved a total of seven podium finishes and one victory during the season.
The team also showed a strong performance in the endurance races on the world's most demanding race track - the Nürburgring Nordschleife. The Haupt Racing Team was able to impress here with the newly deployed Mercedes-AMG GT2. The Mercedes-AMG GT2 #46 secured a class victory in the ADAC TotalEnergies 24h Nürburgring as well as in the 24h qualifying race and in NLS 4. Also with the Mercedes-AMG GT3 #4 in the Art Car design, the Haupt Racing Team was able to clinch an overall podium, while the sister car in the blue and yellow complete design of the team partner BILSTEIN achieved a class podium in the Pro-Am class.
The DTM, which as always features a top-class line-up, was contested by the Haupt Racing Team with drivers Luca Stolz (GER) and Arjun Maini. Under the name Mercedes-AMG Team HRT, the team secured one race win and three additional podium places. As a result, Stolz and HRT finished the season as the best-placed driver and team of the performance and sports car brand from Affalterbach.
Away from the race track, the Haupt Racing Team has also expanded its range of services in 2023. With the move to the new HRT Race Base in Drees at the Nürburgring, which was completed in the summer, there are now ideal conditions for further growth. HRT's portfolio has already been significantly expanded this year with customised track day packages, the first merchandising collection and the extensive event options offered by the new HRT Race Base.
Hubert Haupt, Team owner Haupt Racing Team: „Looking back, we had a very strong 2023 season in which we were able to celebrate many successful results. These achievements are thanks to the entire team, which we have continuously built up over the past few years. Having accomplished a lot this year, the goals for the 2024 season are clearly ambitious and we are continuing to work on constantly improving.“
Ulrich Fritz, CEO Haupt Racing Team GmbH: „This has been the best season in HRT's history. We were able to celebrate great victories and championships, but we also mastered the difficult moments together. Without the entire team and without our committed partners and sponsors, a season like this would not have been possible, so my thanks go to everyone who has contributed to these achievements. The results are impressive and we are looking forward to next year with confidence.“
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. In 2023, the team celebrated its most successful season to date, competing in the DTM, the Nürburgring Endurance Series, the GT World Challenge Europe and the 24-hour races at the Nürburgring and Spa-Francorchamps, among others. 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.
