WIN FOR MERCEDES-AMG DIVERS WISHOFER AND BOCCOLACCI AT THE LAUSITZRING – ADAC GT MASTERS TITLE CHASE NARROWS

From 17th on the grid to victory – the Mercedes-AMG pairing of Mick Wishofer (21, AUT) and Dorian Boccolacci (22, FRA, both Team Zakspeed BKK Mobil Oil Racing) pulled off a major coup in Sunday’s ADAC GT Masters race at the Lausitzring. In wet conditions, they delivered a superb performance to secure a surprise maiden victory in the Super Sports Car League. Second place went to Robert Renauer (35, GER) and Klaus Bachler (29, AUT, both Precote Herberth Motorsport), a result that lifts Renauer to second place in the championship. P3 went to the sister car driven by Alfred Renauer (35, GER) and Sebastian Asch (34, GER, both Precote Herberth Motorsport). With two races remaining, Audi drivers and title defenders Patric Niederhauser (29, CH) and Kelvin van der Linde (24, ZA, both Rutronik Racing) continue to lead the standings, five points ahead of Renauer and seven points clear of the Porsche duo Christian Engelhart (33, GER) and Michael Ammermüller (34, GER, both SSR Performance). “A mega result,” said a delighted Dorian Boccolacci. “I am really proud of our team, because our car has been really good for the entire race weekend.”

Strong start by Boccolacci

Mick Wishofer and Dorian Boccolacci laid the foundations for victory with an impressive first stint from Boccolacci. The Frenchman started the race from 17th place but was already up to ninth by the end of the first lap. The ex-Formula 2 driver continued to gain positions and was fifth by the time the pit stop window opened. After a relatively late change of drivers, his partner, Mick Wishofer, emerged on track in third place. The Austrian then passed the second-placed Porsche of Robert Renauer just a few laps later and immediately moved into P1 when the car that had been in the lead up until that point, the Audi driven by pole-sitters Benjamin Goethe (17, Monte Carlo) and Frédéric Vervisch (34, BEL, both Team WRT ), had to serve a drive-through penalty for a transgression during the pit stop. 21-year-old Wishofer then controlled the race from the front and was the first to take the chequered flag by a 4.6-second margin. For Wishofer and team-mate Boccolacci, this constituted a maiden win in the ADAC GT Masters. Wishofer was also winner in the Pirelli Junior classification. And for their team, Zakspeed, it was victory number six in the Super Sports Car League and their first since 2016.

A podium finish for Robert Renauer and Klaus Bachler was never in any doubt throughout the entire race, and they duly posted their second Top Three result of the weekend with the runner-up spot. Renauer has now moved up into second place overall. Renauer benefited from the cover provided by the sister car directly behind: brother Alfred Renauer and Sebastian Asch took their first podium of the year and kept the other cars at bay.

Coming home in fourth place, Mercedes-AMG drivers Luca Stolz (25, GER) and Maro Engel (35, Monte Carlo, both Toksport WRT) also banked vital points in their challenge for the title and are now fourth overall in the standings, 14 points behind the leaders. Stolz and Engel started out 19th and also went on a strong charge. Patric Niederhauser (29, CH) and Kelvin van der Linde (24, ZA, both Rutronik Racing) finished sixth behind fellow Audi drivers Indy Dontje (27, NL) and Maximilian Götz (34, GER, both Mann-Filter Team HTP-Winward) and extended their lead in the standings to five points. They had been in second place until a mistake during the pit stop earned them a drive-through penalty.

Marvin Dienst (23, GER) and Philipp Frommenwiler (31, CH, both DLV Team Schütz Motorsport) came seventh in their Mercedes-AMG GT3, followed by Albert Costa Balboa (30, ESP) and Franck Perera (36, FRA, GRT Grasser Racing) in the best-placed Lamborghini. They finished in front of Goethe and Vervisch, who had to settle for ninth after being in the lead for such a long time. Henric Skoog (24, SWE) and Sheldon van der Linde (21, ZA, both Schubert Motorsport) in a BMW M6 GT3 completed the Top Ten. The Porsche pairing of Christian Engelhart and Michael Ammermüller managed to keep their championship hopes alive by finishing 11th. They go into next weekend’s season finale at Oschersleben in third place overall.

Victory in Sunday’s Pirelli Trophy went to Audi man Filip Salaquarda (36, CZ, Team ISR).

Comments from the winners:

Mick Wishofer (Team BKK Mobil Oil Racing, Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo):
“The team did a really mega job today. Dorian [Boccolacci] got off to a great start, and it was then up to me to bring the race to a good conclusion in the second half. From the position I was in, I was able to overtake the Porsche relatively quickly and then control the race quite well. We were fast yesterday, and the car was very good, but today we really upped our game.”

Dorian Boccolacci (Team BKK Mobil Oil Racing, Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo):
“The first few laps of the race were really great! Fortunately, I made the right decisions and found the right gaps for my overtaking moves. After that, it was important to get into a good rhythm. I’m really proud of the team, because our car has been exceptionally good throughout the whole race weekend, so we didn’t have to make too many adjustments for today’s race. Mick [Wishofer] and I do everything in harmony. The key to success today in these difficult conditions was finding the limit but not overstepping it.”

Source. ADAC GT Masters