HRT ended the season in the DTM and the ADAC GT Masters on a high note last weekend from 18th to 20th October. With Arjun Maini and Jules Gounon, who stood in for Luca Stolz at short notice, Mercedes-AMG Team HRT celebrated the manufacturers' championship for Mercedes-AMG in the DTM. In the ADAC GT Masters, the Haupt Racing Team successfully defended the team championship title.
- Mercedes-AMG Team HRT wins the DTM manufacturers' title with Mercedes-AMG
- HRT successfully defends championship in the ADAC GT Masters teams’ standings
An eventful DTM season came to an end for Mercedes-AMG Team HRT on the eighth and final weekend of the year with points finishes for Arjun Maini and Jules Gounon. The Indian driver achieved P8 and P13 in the two races at the Hockenheimring with the #36 Mercedes-AMG GT3 in MANNOL colours. The sister car sporting the Merbag livery was driven this time by Jules Gounon, taking over from Luca Stolz, who was unable to race due to illness. The Mercedes-AMG Performance Driver from Andorra impressed on his DTM debut with sixth place and the fastest lap of the race on Saturday, but a puncture prevented him from seeing the chequered flag in Sunday's race.
In the championship, Mercedes-AMG Team HRT made a crucial contribution to Mercedes-AMG winning the DTM manufacturers‘ title this season, delivering one victory and four podiums. The brand finished the season with 434 points in first place among the seven manufacturers. At the Sachsenring, Luca Stolz and HRT claimed the only victory of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the past DTM season. The German finished ninth in the drivers’ standings. For Arjun Maini, 2024 was his most successful year so far. With a podium at Zandvoort, a pole position and two further third places at the Red Bull Ring, he finished seventh in the drivers‘ standings. In the teams’ standings, HRT concluded its fourth season in the DTM in fifth place with 272 points.
Jules Gounon, Mercedes-AMG GT3 #4: “I hadn't expected to be driving a DTM race this year. I would have preferred to make my debut in this great racing series under different circumstances, and I hope that Luca gets well soon. I didn't have an opportunity to prepare for the weekend, and it was three very intense days. I think we can be satisfied with our performance in these circumstances. It's a shame that I couldn't finish the race on Sunday. Otherwise, a top-5 finish or even a podium could have been possible. Many thanks to Mercedes-AMG and to the HRT team for their trust in me.”
Luca Stolz, Mercedes-AMG GT3 #4: “Of course it was disappointing not to be in the car for the finale. I kept my fingers crossed for my team, and it seems that it helped. I would like to thank the entire Mercedes-AMG Team HRT for the past season. We had some really good races in which we were able to show our potential. It feels good to have clinched the only victory for the Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the DTM this year, but overall, we lacked consistency. We had definitely hoped for more with regard to the championship.”
Arjun Maini, Mercedes-AMG GT3 #36: “For me, it was a really good year. We got off to a strong start and were able to maintain that level throughout the season. With a few exceptions, we always managed to get the maximum out of our opportunities, which I am very proud of. Above all, the pole position at the Red Bull Ring was a very special moment for me. Many thanks to the crew from Mercedes-AMG Team HRT, who provided me with a great car throughout the year.”
ADAC GT Masters
The Haupt Racing Team enjoyed another successful season in the ADAC GT Masters. The team from Drees entered three Mercedes-AMG GT3s with promising young talents on the six race weekends of the prestigious GT3 series this year, successfully defending the teams’ title. Salman Owega and David Schumacher took their third victory of the year in Saturday's race, giving the team their fourth win of the season. This result meant that HRT secured the championship for the second year in a row with one race to spare. Owega and Schumacher finished the season in third place in the drivers' championship.
The duo achieved five podiums in the #2 Mercedes-AMG GT3 this year, including two victories at the Nürburgring and in Saturday’s race at Hockenheim. In addition, Mercedes-AMG Junior Driver David Schumacher claimed two pole positions and two fastest race laps. In the drivers' standings, Jannes Fittje and rookie Finn Wiebelhaus finished the season in fourth place. The driver pairing took three podiums, including a victory in Saturday’s race at the Red Bull Ring. Kwanda Mokoena and Max Reis took a podium finish at the season opener in Oschersleben. Newcomer Max Reis also impressed with a pole position at the Red Bull Ring.
David Schumacher, Mercedes-AMG GT3 #2: “The year had its ups and downs. We would have liked to have had more weekends like the one at the Nürburgring and to have joined the fight for the championship, but it wasn't quite enough. The cooperation with the Haupt Racing Team was excellent and things went very well with Salman too. Thanks to everyone involved for the past season.”
Salman Owega, Mercedes-AMG GT3 #2: “It would have been nice to defend the title in the drivers' championship this year. Third place is a good result, but David and I have not quite met our own expectations. However, the fact that we were able to win again at Hockenheim is a successful end to the season. Winning the team championship for HRT is definitely a great achievement, of which we can all be proud as a team.”
Ulrich Fritz, Chief Executive Officer Haupt Racing Team: “We are very proud to have contributed to Mercedes-AMG's title win in the DTM. We relied on a proven driver pairing with Luca and Arjun, and it paid off. Both drivers and the entire crew have shown strong performances throughout the season. Winning the team championship in the ADAC GT Masters again is also a great success. We started this season with a line-up of young drivers, and this approach has paid off. The victories and the championship title are proof of the positive development of the drivers as part of our junior development programme. Many thanks to Mercedes-AMG and to our partners for their support in this past season.”
