The 2026 motorsport season will begin for the Haupt Racing Team in mid-January. The team will compete in the first round of the GT Winter Series at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão with two Ford Mustang GT3s. These same cars will be joining again for the third round of the season at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia.
- Haupt Racing Team kicks off the new season in Portugal
- Two Ford Mustang GT3s at two GT Winter Series events
- Opening lineup with four ADAC GT Masters drivers
As part of its preparations for the 2026 motorsport season, the Haupt Racing Team faces its first test just two weeks after the turn of the year. The team from Drees will line up with two Ford Mustang GT3s at the season opener of the GT Winter Series. The first three races of the season will be held at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão between January 15 and 18. HRT will also compete with two cars at the third race weekend at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia (February 12 to 15).
Four drivers who have already been confirmed for the 2026 ADAC GT Masters season will take their seats in the two Ford Mustang GT3s. Kiano Blum (AUT) and Emil Gjerdrum (NOR) will share the cockpit of the #64 car in Portimão. Max Cuccarese (ITA) and Alain Valente (SUI) will enter the first race weekend of the year with the #74 car. Blum and Cuccarese will be driving a GT3 car under racing conditions for the first time in the GT Winter Series. Their outing in southern Portugal will therefore also serve as a test run for the upcoming challenges in the ADAC junior series. Gjerdrum and Valente, on the other hand, have already gained experience in numerous GT racing series and are now celebrating their racing debut with the Ford Mustang GT3.
The GT Winter Series has been held since 2019 and takes place annually during the teams' and manufacturers' preseason preparations. The 2026 calendar consists of five race weekends and an additional endurance event in Portimão. Each event comprises two 30-minute races and one 55-minute race. The Haupt Racing Team competed in the GT Winter Series in 2024, achieving seven victories and five further podium finishes in 15 races.
Ulrich Fritz, Chief Executive Officer Haupt Racing Team: "For us, participating in the GT Winter Series is the ideal opportunity to test the Ford Mustang GT3 under competitive conditions at an early stage. When we last took part in 2024, we were able to gain some important insights that benefited us over the course of the season. That is also our main goal this time around. At the same time, our ADAC GT Masters drivers can get used to their new race car. Two of them have no GT3 experience and will therefore benefit from every kilometer they complete in the Ford Mustang GT3."
