Strong statement of intent from Rutronik Racing. The team from Baden-Württemberg has announced Luca Engstler (22/Wiggensbach) and Patric Niederhauser (30/CH), who returns to the fold, as the driver pairing for the first of two new Audi R8 LMS Evo II, which the team will run in the 2022 ADAC GT Masters. Niederhauser won the German GT Championship with Rutronik Racing in 2019, while Engstler is the reigning ADAC TCR Germany champion. This top-quality duo will share the driving duties in the number 15 car. The new ADAC GT Masters season kicks off from 22nd to 24th April at Motorsport Arena Oschersleben.
Luca Engstler, who recently joined the ranks of Audi Sport customer racing drivers, has primarily made his name in touring car racing to this point. One of his biggest successes was winning the ADAC TCR Germany series in 2021, as the second-youngest driver ever to win the title. This season, Engstler has been promoted to the official Audi squad of drivers and is set to make his GT debut with Rutronik Racing. “This is the start of a new chapter in my racing career. I am pleased to be embarking on this chapter together with Rutronik Racing,” said newcomer Engstler.
His partner in the number 15 car, Patric Niederhauser, returns to Rutronik Racing after a one-year absence. The Swiss started for the team in the ADAC GT Masters in 2019 and 2020 won the German GT Championship alongside Kelvin van der Linde (25/ZA) in 2019. Like Engstler, Niederhauser is part of the official squad of drivers at Audi Sport customer racing. “I have had a lot of great success and special memories with Rutronik Racing. We want to build on that successful time together,” said the Swiss driver on his return to the team that won the championship in 2019.
Team principal Fabian Plentz on the new line-up at Rutronik Racing: “It is great to line up with a competitive duo in the ADAC GT Masters, with Patric and Luca. I am sure that the combination of the two drivers’ experience in different fields will prove to be a promising and potentially winning formula.”
Source. ADAC GT Masters
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