The impressive double podium for the Haupt Racing Team in Saturday's opening race of the DTM season was followed by an eventful Sunday race. Despite carrying additional weight, HRT still managed to finish in the top ten in race two of the 2021 DTM. Maximilian Götz brought the #4 Mercedes-AMG GT3 home in tenth place in Monza's Royal Park. Vincent Abril, in the #5 Mercedes-AMG GT3, followed him in eleventh place.
- Mercedes-AMG Team HRT #4: 10th place
- Mercedes-AMG Team HRT #5: 11th place
- Eventful start to the race prevents better team result for HRT
Qualifying for the second DTM race of the 2021 season took place in cooler conditions than the previous day at Autodromo Nazionale Monza. In the wake of an adjustment to the Balance of Performance (BoP) by race control, which required all the Mercedes-AMG cars to carry an additional 25 kg, both Vincent Abril (#5) and Maximilian Götz (#4) set fast lap times to qualify on rows three and four of the grid. Vincent Abril was sixth fastest in the blue and yellow Bilstein Mercedes-AMG GT3, while Maximilian Götz qualified eighth in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 with the pink BWT livery.
Race two got off to a hectic start. Vincent Abril (#5) had to defend against the opposition through the first chicane and, despite an extra 18 kg of success weight, successfully held onto his position thanks to some intelligent driving. Maximilian Götz, whose car was carrying an additional 15 kg following Saturday's third place, started the race from eighth place and maintained his position in the top ten despite the turbulent start.
On lap three, running sixth at the time, Abril was forced through the gravel following a collision involving the two cars directly in front of his Mercedes-AMG GT3. As a result, he lost valuable positions and found himself down in 15th place.
The team brought both cars in early for their mandatory pit stops, producing such quick tyre changes that both drivers returned to the race still with a chance of a top-ten finish.
Maximilian Götz ended the race in 10th place, just ahead of Vincent Abril in the second car.
At the end of the opening DTM weekend of the season, HRT lies second in the Team competition. Vincent Abril is fourth in the Drivers' Championship, with Maximilian Götz a further two places back in sixth.
The next DTM races of the 2021 season see the Haupt Racing Team head to the Lausitzring on 24th and 25th July.
Maximilian Götz, Mercedes-AMG Team HRT #4: "Unfortunately, the start did not go as I had hoped. I was hit from behind and that made it difficult to attack in the usual way for the rest of the race. You could obviously also notice the weight, and I had to be far more reserved in the middle of the race- unfortunately, that meant that we missed the boat in terms of challenging towards the front of the field."
Vincent Abril, Mercedes-AMG Team HRT #5: "The additional weight obviously made life difficult for us. Despite this, I was still able to hold my position at the start and was in a good rhythm. However, I was then simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and had to take evasive action through the gravel bed. This dropped me well down the field. Given the circumstances, I am still happy with my performance."
Hubert Haupt, team owner HRT: "Yesterday's opening race went superbly, with second and third place. Today, the success weight and BoP made life difficult. Then came the unfortunate situation for Vincent. But both cars came through it all. We have to accept that as experience gained at our first race weekend. I believe we are really well positioned in the Team competition."
Uli Fritz, Managing Director of Haupt Racing Team GmbH: "Given the additional weight, we did as well as possible today. Vince was unlucky that he had to avoid another car and lost a lot of ground. After that, it is difficult to fight your way back to the front. Despite this, we had a solid weekend with good pit stops. I'd like to thank the team, which did a great job!"
Sean Paul Breslin, team principal HRT: "We knew that it was going to be difficult for us after the successful Saturday race and the ensuing additional weight. Despite this, it has been a good race weekend for us on the whole. We are now focussing on the tasks ahead of us!"
About HRT
HRT stands for HAUPT RACING TEAM. The outings and cars are prepared in Meuspath, not far from the Nürburgring. The headquarters of Haupt Racing Team GmbH is Grünwald near Munich. The team owner is racing driver and businessman Hubert Haupt. As well as motorsport, Haupt is primarily known as a successful property developer. With his real estate company, he implements high-quality living and building concepts in southern Germany – from innovative buildings to complete districts.
