The Haupt Racing Team and THE YOKOHAMA Rubber Co. Ltd. will be tackling the “Green Hell” together again in 2026. The German racing team and the Japanese tire manufacturer are extending their successful collaboration, which began in 2024. The focus will once again be on racing at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. HRT's Ford Mustang GT3s will be equipped with high-performance ADVAN racing tires for the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) races. HRT can also rely on YOKOHAMA's products and strategic support for the Nordschleife highlight, the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring.
- Haupt Racing Team relies on YOKOHAMA's tire technology and expertise
- HRT's Ford Mustang GT3s on the Nürburgring Nordschleife with ADVAN racing tires
- Joint season highlight: ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring
The Nürburgring Nordschleife, the Ford Mustang GT3, the Haupt Racing Team, and YOKOHAMA – this combination proved very successful last season. Among other achievements, HRT secured class victory in the SP9 Pro-Am classification at the 2025 Nürburgring 24 Hours with an ADVAN-shod Ford Mustang GT3. In addition, HRT and YOKOHAMA celebrated another historic result: in the eighth NLS race, the team took the first overall victory for a Ford Mustang GT3 on the Nordschleife. YOKOHAMA tires also made a decisive contribution to the new NLS qualifying record last year, which HRT driver Fabio Scherer set with a lap time of 7:48.717 minutes.
By prolonging their partnership, HRT and YOKOHAMA intend to continue their joint success story. The long-term goal of both partners is an overall victory at the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring. Cars fitted with YOKOHAMA tires have already won this legendary endurance classic three times. The partnership between HRT and YOKOHAMA is characterized by valuable synergies: in addition to being equipped with the latest generation of ADVAN racing tires and receiving racing strategy support from YOKOHAMA engineers, the technological development of the tires in conjunction with the Ford Mustang GT3 is another key focus.
Ulrich Fritz, Chief Executive Officer Haupt Racing Team: "The close and trustful cooperation with the experts at YOKOHAMA Rubber is extremely important to us. On a track like the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, the tires are exposed to extreme conditions. Their performance is therefore crucial, as it affects our strategy and can even make the difference between victory and defeat. I am therefore very pleased that we can continue to rely 100% on YOKOHAMA's equipment and expertise."
Takayoshi Omae, General Manager, Consumer Tire Product & Marketing Planning Department, THE YOKOHAMA Rubber Co., Ltd.: "We began our collaboration with HRT in 2024, and through open, constructive, and uncompromising discussions in pursuit of performance, we have established a strong and highly effective partnership. This joint commitment led to an excellent result last year, with the team securing the SP9 PRO AM class victory at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. Since then, both organizations have continued to advance our technical capabilities, and I am confident that we now have a team fully prepared to compete for the overall win this season. We greatly value HRT’s determination to succeed and the outstanding professionalism demonstrated by their entire team."
About YOKOHAMA
Founded in 1917, Yokohama Rubber manufactures and sells a wide range of products, including tires for passenger cars, trucks and buses, construction and industrial vehicles, and agricultural machinery, as well as industrial products, aerospace parts, marine products, and golf products. YOKOHAMA is taking on challenges in the global market by implementing “Exploitation & Exploration” initiatives as it works to realize the goals in its medium-term management plan, Yokohama Transformation 2026 (YX2026). In fiscal 2024, YOKOHAMA achieved record high earnings, posting sales revenue above ¥1 trillion and business profit above ¥100 billion. YOKOHAMA is now working to complete its "transformation" under YX2026 and lay the groundwork for sustainable growth.
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 sports. 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 Drivers' Title (2025) and three consecutive Teams' Titles (2023, 2024, 2025) in the ADAC GT Masters, as well as class wins and podium finishes in the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring and Spa-Francorchamps. Since the 2025 season, HRT has been running the Ford Mustang GT3 with factory support from Ford 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.
