The Haupt Racing Team can look back on a successful season. In an exciting debut year with the Ford Mustang GT3, the team from Drees won the ADAC GT Masters championship and took class victory at the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring after continuous development. HRT also celebrated the American muscle car's first overall victory in the Nürburgring Endurance Series, as well as several podium finishes.
- Championship in the ADAC GT Masters
- Class victory and fourth place overall at the 24h Nürburgring
- Overall victory and podium finishes on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife
- Nordschleife lap record for the Ford Mustang GT3
- First championship in karting
- Strong performance in other top series
The first weeks and months of 2025 were marked by HRT's switch to the Ford Mustang GT3. The team met the challenges this presented with intensive preparations for several high-class racing series. Thanks to continuous development and a steep learning curve for everyone involved, good results were quickly achieved. In the final analysis, the championship titles in the ADAC GT Masters and overall and class victories on the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife are the highlights on HRT's credit side.
ADAC GT Masters: Four titles for HRT
The Haupt Racing Team competed in the ADAC GT Masters with three Ford Mustang GT3s. At the wheel were six young HRT junior drivers who delivered strong performances throughout the season. HRT's impressive record in the GT3 junior series includes a total of three overall victories, seven further podium finishes, and four pole positions. Salman Owega and Finn Wiebelhaus (both GER) deservedly secured the drivers' title and the Silver Cup championship in the #1 Ford Mustang GT3. In addition, Finn Wiebelhaus won the ADAC's “Road to DTM” classification. With strong results, the two other driver pairings, Dennis Fetzer (GER) and Jonathan Cecotto (VEN) in the #2 car and Niklas Kalus and Max Reis (all GER) in the #3 Ford Mustang GT3, also contributed to the team title, which HRT has now secured for three years in a row. HRT's multiple title successes in the ADAC GT Masters were also the first championships worldwide to be won with the new Ford Mustang GT3.
Season highlight: Class victory at the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring
At the 53rd ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring, the Haupt Racing Team, competing under the name HRT Ford Performance, secured a prestigious SP9 Pro-Am class victory with the #65 Ford Mustang GT3. Dennis Fetzer, Jusuf Owega, Salman Owega, and David Schumacher (all GER) worked their way to the top of an extremely strong field of competitors during the endurance classic. The quartet also achieved a very strong overall result, finishing in fourth place. This success marks an important milestone for HRT and for the Ford program at the Nürburgring.
Historic victory: First overall win and record lap for the Ford Mustang GT3 on the Nordschleife
In addition to this class victory, HRT celebrated another historic result on the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife: in the eighth round of the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS), Frank Stippler and Vincent Kolb (both GER) secured the Ford Mustang GT3's first overall victory on the legendary Nordschleife. Three further overall podium finishes – including a double podium in the following race – and a class victory in the SP9 Pro-Am at the end of the season demonstrate how quickly the Ford Mustang GT3 has established itself on the endurance racing scene. The competitiveness of the new car was also evident in the final qualifying session of the NLS season, when HRT driver Fabio Scherer (CHE) set a new qualifying record for the NLS with a lap time of 7:48.717 minutes.
DTM: Debut year with steady improvement
HRT competed in the DTM with two Ford Mustang GT3s, bringing the Ford brand back to Germany's top series after more than 30 years. With Arjun Maini (IND) in the #36 and Fabio Scherer in the #64, two experienced drivers piloted the two new race cars. After continuous improvement, Arjun Maini achieved an excellent fifth place overall at the season's highlight at the Norisring. In the following races, the two Ford Mustang GT3s repeatedly showed themselves to be in podium contention, but were unlucky in the races. Nevertheless, the progress made over the entire year was enormous and provided valuable insights that will be a major factor in 2026.
GT World Challenge Europe: Learning curve and top positions
In the GT World Challenge Europe, the Haupt Racing Team competed with a total of three Ford Mustang GT3s – two in the Endurance Cup and one in the Sprint Cup. The team attracted attention with its strong performance in this highly competitive championship. At their home event at the Nürburgring, Arjun Maini (IND), Jann Mardenborough (GBR), and Thomas Drouet (FRA) finished fifth overall in the three-hour endurance race. At the season highlight, the 24 Hours of Spa, both cars put in a strong performance, but were not rewarded with the good results they had hoped for. Nevertheless, these achievements show good development and competitiveness throughout the season.
Promoting young talent: First championship in karting
In 2025, the Haupt Racing Team further expanded its commitment to young talent, including through close cooperation with the SIM-ON karting team. The aim of the collaboration is to specifically promote young talent and prepare them for future challenges in GT racing, right up to the DTM. In its first year, the joint venture celebrated its first championship title in the German Kart Championship (DKM). Lars Ramaer prevailed against his competitors in the X30 Senior category. Drivers competing under the Haupt Racing Team banner also achieved strong championship placings in other classes.
The championship wins by Finn Wiebelhaus and Salman Owega in the ADAC GT Masters are also attributable to HRT's targeted youth development program. In line with the ADAC initiative “Road to DTM,” the team from Drees offers young drivers a comprehensive program that ranges from karting to the top class of the DTM.
Broad support from fans and partners
The Ford Mustang GT3 also made its mark off the track in its first year. The American muscle car became a crowd favorite. It established a broad fan base right from the start, particularly in the DTM and on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. The Ford Mustang GT3 also inspired numerous other campaigns, such as the official DTM aircraft, which is used in regular service by German Airways, the official airline partner of HRT. The Ford Mustang GT3 adorns one side of the aircraft in full format.
The team would like to express its sincere thanks to Ford Racing, its partners, its employees, and, of course, all its fans for their support during this exciting season. With the experience gained and a clear path for development, the Haupt Racing Team is motivated to tackle the tasks ahead—with the goal of further improving performance and securing even more victories. The first evolutionary stage of the Ford Mustang GT3 will be launched in the coming season, which is expected to deliver a further boost in performance.
Ulrich Fritz, Chief Executive Officer Haupt Racing Team: “The switch to Ford was a big step for all of us. We wanted to take on the challenge of further developing the car. Looking back on the first season, we can draw a positive conclusion. Our initial successes in the ADAC GT Masters and on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife prove us right. We have continuously developed the vehicle and have been able to improve steadily. This trend is thanks to the hard work of the entire team and the cooperation with Ford Racing. We have not yet reached our full potential. We have an equally exciting and hopefully even more successful 2026 season ahead of us. The announced Evo version of the Ford Mustang GT3 will contribute to this. Thank you to Ford Racing for their trust and to all our partners and fans who have supported us throughout the year.”
