Ulrich, the first victory with the Ford Mustang GT3 on the Nordschleife was a historic milestone. Things didn't go according to plan at the start of the weekend, though. How did you manage to achieve this success despite that?
"Unfortunately, the automatic clutch system failed during Saturday's race, which meant we couldn't continue after the pit stop. Nevertheless, we made perfect use of the driving time up to that point and were well prepared for the next day of racing. Qualifying on Sunday wasn't easy because choosing the right tires on a drying track was a matter of luck. Due to a Code 60 phase, it was then no longer possible to improve. In the afternoon, we drove a very solid race. Frank Stippler laid the foundation with his outstanding start, and Vincent Kolb also impressed with fast lap times. In the end, it was a flawless team performance that made this victory possible. We are, of course, overjoyed about this historic success because it also shows that we are on the right track in our development program together with Yokohama."
You initially described the 2025 season as a “learning year.” Did success come earlier than expected with the NLS triumph and two further victories in the ADAC GT Masters?
"It's still a learning process where it's all about gaining experience. If you manage to do a flawless job in this process, as was the case on Sunday, then success can follow. Nevertheless, we saw on Saturday that we still have a thing or two to learn and that there is still room for improvement. Especially when it comes to tires, we still struggle more than the competition under certain conditions. Just because you're learning doesn't mean you can't win sometimes – in fact, you never stop learning and can never be completely satisfied. This is especially true in motorsport: there is always something to improve. If someone had told us before the season that we would win our class at the 24h Nürburgring right away and take overall victory in the NLS, I would have signed up for that, of course."
Now the debut season is slowly coming to an end. What goals have been set for the final weekends and how will the last races influence preparations for next season?
"We want to do a good, flawless job as a team again on the final weekends. Ending the year on a positive note is also important for motivation — you never want to go into the winter break having lost. That's why we're aiming to take the next step in the DTM at Hockenheim and achieve our big goal in the ADAC GT Masters: to win the drivers' and team championships. In the GT World Challenge, we competed for a podium finish at the Nürburgring. We want to do the same in Barcelona."
About HRT
The Haupt Racing Team (HRT) was founded in 2020 by racing driver and entrepreneur Hubert Haupt and has firmly established itself in international GT3 sport. Its greatest successes to date include the 2021 DTM Drivers' Championship, the 2023 GT World Challenge Europe Drivers' and Teams' Titles (Sprint and Silver Cup) and the 2023 and 2024 ADAC GT Masters Teams' Titles, as well as class wins and podium finishes in the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring and Spa-Francorchamps. From the 2025 season, HRT will run the Ford Mustang GT3 with factory support from Ford Performance in several high-profile racing series and championships. HRT is also actively involved in the promotion of young talent, covering the entire pyramid of driver development from entry into motorsport in the HRT Kart Team to the highest level of GT racing in the DTM. The joint operations center is the state-of-the-art HRT RACE BASE in Drees at the Nürburgring, where technical development projects and motorsport events of all kinds are also carried out.
