• Race 2: #47 MANN-FILTER Team HTP Motorsport in second place
• Race 1: Three Mercedes-AMG GT3s in the point-scoring positions

Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing scores its first podium finish of the season in the third round of the ADAC GT Masters at Spielberg in Austria. Maximilian Götz (GER) and Indy Dontje (NED) of the MANN-FILTER Team HTP Motorsport finished second after a strong performance in the race on Sunday and are also back in contention for the title race as a result. Mercedes-AMG Driver Götz thus also got himself the podium result as a nice present for his 100^th race in the ADAC GT Masters. On the previous day, the three Mercedes-AMG GT3s of the Team Zakspeed BKK Mobil Oil Racing (#21 and #20) as well as the MANN-FILTER Team HTP Motorsport #48 finished in the point-scoring positions in the first race.

The duck is broken: in the sixth race of the season at the Red Bull Ring, a Mercedes-AMG GT3 finished on the podium for the first time. The yellow-and-green ‘mamba’ with starting number #47 secured the first podium success with a strong performance both on track and during the pit stop in Styria on Sunday. Maximilian Götz, who drove his 100^th ADAC GT Masters race, already posted the third-fastest time during qualifying in the morning.

In the turmoil during the first metres of the race, Götz initially lost a position. Then, a collision involving several cars at the back of the field led to an early safety car intervention. After the restart, the 2012 ADAC GT Masters drivers’ champion was involved in a relentless fight for third place that he claimed back with a well-prepared manoeuvre on lap three. The duo of Götz and Dontje completed the scheduled driver change halfway through the race quickly and exactly within the required minimum time, enabling the Dutchman to make up a position in the pit lane and to rejoin the race in second place. Like Götz had done before, Dontje also drove consistently fast lap times and brought an undisputed second place home. With this podium success, the driver duo moved up into fourth place in the battle for the title.

The sister car with starting number #48 was on course for a top ten finish until just before the end of the race until the bonnet that had been damaged during contact came loose and hit the windscreen. Fabian Vettel (GER) came off the track, but remained unscathed. He and Philip Ellis (GER) were classified 20^th. The  Team Zakspeed BKK Mobil Oil Racing #21 was the second-best Mercedes-AMG GT3, scoring points in eleventh place. The Schütz Motorsport duo Aidan Read (AUS) and Marvin Dienst (GER) achieved the same feat by making it to the finish in 14^th place in spite of a drive-through penalty.

On Saturday already, things had been looking good for the Customer Racing Teams in the first race. From ninth on the grid, Indy Dontje made up four positions with the yellow-and-green ‘mamba’ at the start of the race already. After that, he continued his progress to fourth place, but then was forced to make a pit stop due to technical problems. The crew succeeded in getting the car back out again with Maximilian Götz behind the wheel, but eventually, the #47 car had to retire. Local hero Lucas Auer (AUT) had more luck, moving the Zakspeed Mercedes-AMG GT3 into the top ten from 14^th on the grid during his stint. Jimmy Eriksson (SWE) took over halfway through the race and scored valuable points for the team from Niederzissen by finishing eighth. For the first time this season, the #20 sister car with Mick Wishofer (AUT) and Kelvin Snoeks (NED) also scored championship points on 14^th place. With the #48 MANN-FILTER Team HTP Motorsport car, Fabian Vettel (GER) and teammate Philip Ellis (GER) showed a strong comeback. Vettel had dropped to the back of the field follwing a spin on the opening lap, but the duo still worked its way up to finish 13^th.

Maximilian Götz, MANN-FILTER Team HTP Motorsport #47: “Being on the podium in the 100^th race is something really cool indeed! Indy has done a super job, the entire team has been working very well. We are really massively happy with second place here at the Red Bull Ring. Another important thing is that nothing happened to Fabian and that he is okay. That was a bit of a heart-stopping moment shortly before the end of the race.”

Indy Dontje, MANN-FILTER TEAM HTP MOTORSPORT #47: “We were on the pace in the practice sessions and in qualifying, so we kept our confidence, also after the technical problems we had yesterday. Today, we did our utmost, Maxi has done a super job in qualifying and also huge compliments to the team for the pit stop strategy. That enabled me to move up into second place. We are really happy with our first podium success. In the championship, there is still everything to play for, there are still many races to be run. Next up is Zandvoort, which is my home round. I am already looking forward to that very much.”   

* excerpt subject to confirmation by the organisers