SPORTSCAR

 He had one foot in Formula 1, was part of the Ferrari Driver Academy and raced against Carlos Sainz jr. and Danil Kvyat on the karting scene: Raffaele Marciello (26/I, Mann-Filter Team Landgraf – HTP/WWR) has every reason to puff his chest out proudly as he strolls through the paddock. However, the Italian, who is battling for the title in the German GT Championship, is an unassuming character: “I am not a star, but just a normal person doing his job.” The Mercedes-AMG works driver will have another opportunity to ‘do his job’ this weened (1st to 3rd October), when he lines up alongside Maximilian Buhk (28/Hamburg) in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo at the Sachsenring.

The suspense is rising: The title race in the German GT Championship travels to the Sachsenring this weekend (1st to 3rd October) for the sixth of this season’s eight events, and the contenders for the championship can afford no signs of weakness at the challenging and undulating circuit. Just three points separate championship leaders Ricardo Feller (21/CH) and Christopher Mies (31/Düsseldorf, both Montaplast by Land-Motorsport) in the Audi from their closest rivals, Mercedes-AMG works drivers Raffaele Marciello (26/I) and Maximilian Buhk (28/Hamburg, both Mann-Filter Team Landgraf – HTP/WWR). As well as being able to follow the action from the grandstands at the Sachsenring, fans will again be allowed in the paddock, where they will be in the thick of the action.