Following the team and driver championship in the ADAC GT Masters, the Haupt Racing Team will continue to promote young talent in the coming season and compete in the well-known GT3 junior series. Four drivers for 2026 have already been confirmed.
- HRT to compete in the 2026 ADAC GT Masters
- Three-car Ford Mustang GT3 entry is planned
- Four talents have already been confirmed
With the consistent continuation of its junior program, the Haupt Racing Team will also compete in the ADAC GT Masters in the 2026 season, planning to field three Ford Mustang GT3 race cars. The young drivers will battle for victories and championship points in the twelve races of the ADAC GT Masters.
Kiano Blum (AUT) is an up-and-coming talent in the HRT driver squad. The Austrian won the 2021 rookie title in the German Karting Championship and became overall runner-up the following year. In 2024, Blum moved to the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany, where he also attracted attention with strong performances.
Italian driver Max Cuccarese will also be chasing points in the ADAC GT Masters with HRT. The 19-year-old has spent the last few years competing in the BOSS GP series in powerful monopostos, where he finished the 2024 season as Rookie of the Year.
Emil Gjerdrum (NOR) has been confirmed as another driver for the ADAC GT Masters. Despite his young age, the Norwegian already has several years of experience in GT racing under his belt. The 18-year-old competed in the 2023 GT4 European Series, in the 2023 and 2024 ADAC GT4 Germany, and in the 2025 ADAC GT Masters. Gjerdrum therefore brings a wealth of experience to his new team.
Alain Valente (SUI) is an old acquaintance who will be back behind the wheel and will be competing for the Drees-based team in the coming season. Valente already has some experience in the ADAC GT Masters, where he finished second in the drivers' championship for HRT in 2023. In the same year, Valente competed for the Haupt Racing Team in four races of the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup, scoring one victory and three second places in the Silver Cup.
With these promising talents, the Haupt Racing Team will take on the title defense in the ADAC GT Masters, where the team won five titles last season: the drivers' and team championship, the Silver Cup championship and the “Road to DTM” classification with Finn Wiebelhaus. HRT will thus continue to consistently pursue its concept of promoting young talent, which ranges from karting to the DTM, in the coming season. Plans are in place for the entry of additional Ford Mustang GT3 cars. The other drivers and the final vehicle lineups will be announced at a later date.
The ADAC GT Masters is aimed equally at young talents and amateur drivers. With the Silver Cup and the Pro-Am Cup, the ADAC GT Masters offers an interesting platform for drivers with silver and bronze classifications. The ADAC's support with the “Road to DTM” concept for the best young drivers and attractive cash and non-cash prizes round off the package.
The ADAC GT Masters will kick off its new season from April 24 to 26, 2026, at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. In preparation for the upcoming challenges, Blum, Cuccarese, and Valente will compete in selected events of the GT Winter Series, which will take place in Spain and Portugal from January to March 2026.
Ulrich Fritz, Chief Executive Officer Haupt Racing Team: “Following an extremely successful 2025, we will continue our junior program in the ADAC GT Masters next season. We have once again secured promising talents for the coming season who will be able to develop further in the ADAC GT Masters. We also want to fill our other Ford Mustang GT3 with equally strong and young drivers in order to finish well ahead in the championship once again.”
