• International German GT championship starts at Hockenheim next weekend
• Mercedes-AMG takes on 2023 season as the title defender in the drivers‘ championship
• Haupt Racing Team and Landgraf Motorsport enter three Mercedes-AMG GT3s between them

The 2023 motorsport year is getting more and more up to speed. Two one-hour races at the Hockenheimring mark the start of the 17th season in ADAC GT Masters on June 10th and 11th. The sprint race series, also known as International German GT championship, which, in contrast to DTM, requires a driver change at the halfway point, is highly regarded among customer sport teams all over the world. Last year, Performance Driver Raffaele Marciello (SUI), racing for MANN-FILTER Team LANDGRAF, wrapped up the drivers’ title early. And the rest of the season track record of the Customer Racing Teams was respectable, too: in total, they won six of the 14 races with the Mercedes-AMG GT3.

Race schedule includes six events in Germany and Austria
For the 2023 season, the planned number of races has been reduced by two. Following the season opener at Hockenheim, the teams head to Norisring (July 8th and 9th), Nürburgring one week later (July 15th and 16th) and after the summer break to the Sachsenring (September 9th and 10th). The fifth race weekend at the Red Bull Ring (September 24th and 25th) is the only round outside of Germany and the season finale will be held at the Hockenheimring (October 21st and 22nd). Four of the six events are held on the DTM support package.

Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing represented by three Mercedes-AMG GT3s 
To avoid sporting overlaps of the two series, ADAC has changed the scope of the ADAC GT Masters over the winter. In 2023, each vehicle must be driven by at least one driver with an FIA silver or bronze rating. Therefore, defending champion and platinum driver Raffaele Marciello is no longer competing for Landgraf Motorsport. Instead, Salman Owega (GER) and Elias Seppänen (FIN) will be racing the #84 Mercedes-AMG GT3. Following a few guest starts in 2021, 18-year-old Owega completed his first full season in the “super sports car league” last year and reached, among others, a fourth-place finish at the Sachsenring. Seppänen, only one year older, already raced for MANN-FILTER Team LANDGRAF in 2022. His best result also was a fourth place. Now, the two young drivers intend to make the next step and celebrate their first podium results together.  

In 2023, Haupt Racing Team will make its ADAC GT Masters debut with two Mercedes-AMG GT3s. Mercedes-AMG Junior Driver Ralf Aron (EST) and Alain Valente (SUI) will alternate behind the wheel of the #2 car. Like for the team, it is the maiden season in the prestigious GT3 series for the two drivers as well. The second car with the starting number 3 will be shared by Arjun Maini (IND) and Razvan Umbrarescu (ROU) for the time being. As a long-time DTM driver, Mercedes-AMG Junior Arjun Maini has proven himself to be a skilled sprint racer. The experienced Umbrarescu, meanwhile, was part of the field in the GT World Challenge for many years and is now to contribute with his experience to the Haupt Racing Team’s series debut.

“Having won the drivers’ championship last year, we want to be regular contenders for the positions at the front this season again, too. As our customer sport teams use this platform to educate young and talented drivers, we have to be slightly patient and wait for the first couple of races to be able to judge where we are compared to our rivals. I am confident that our experienced teams and the young driver pairings are able to achieve quite something and I wish them all the best for the season opener at Hockenheim!”
Stefan Wendl, head of Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing

“I am very happy to be able to drive for the Haupt Racing Team in the ADAC GT Masters. I have come to know the series as one of the best GT3 championships, in which many well-known names have already raced. I want to use this year to develop personally and to repay Mercedes-AMG for the trust they have placed in me. I will give it my best and aim for top results.”
Ralf Aron, Haupt Racing Team #2

„I was able to gain great experience in this series in 2022 with Landgraf Motorsport and the Mercedes-AMG GT3. Now I'm very happy to continue the journey by racing another year for Landgraf Motorsport, where I have a great team behind me and a strong teammate in Salman Owega by my side. Last year, the team won the drivers' championship, which I want to defend this season together with Salman.”
Elias Seppänen, Landgraf Motorsport #84