MUNICH, Germany — The ADAC GT Masters is facing a special season: Next year, the world’s longest-running GT3 racing series will celebrate its 20th anniversary.
To mark the occasion, the ADAC is further strengthening its support for young talent within the series, backing promising drivers through its now well-established “Road to DTM” program.
The prize money pool of €775,000, comprised of both cash and in-kind prizes, is the highest ever in the series’ history. The winner of the “Road to DTM” standings will receive the lion’s share, including a €620,000 support package.
The anniversary season features six races, five of which will be held as part of the DTM program. The season kicks off from April 23rd to 25th at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, set against the backdrop of the Alps.
The ADAC’s successful junior development program, “Road to DTM,” enters its fourth season. From 2027, the competition for up-and-coming young talents will be made even more attractive. The winner of the “Road to DTM” will receive prizes and equipment worth a total of €620,000 from the series’ overall prize pool. This includes, among other things, the entry fee for promotion to the DTM, a tire package for the entire season, and cash prizes. The “Road to DTM” development concept leads from the German Kart Championship through the BMW M2 Cup to the ADAC GT4 Germany and the ADAC GT Masters, ultimately leading to the DTM and enabling the champion to advance to the next level of motorsport.
To best prepare the young drivers of the ADAC GT Masters for a move up to the next level, changes to the sporting format are planned for the upcoming season. Similar to the DTM, there will only be one-hour sprint races. During the standard driver change with a minimum pit stop time, tires will also be changed. This is intended to help drivers learn to return to the track after a pit stop with cold Pirelli P Zero tires and to maximize their potential.
“The ADAC GT Masters is the world’s longest-running GT3 racing series for good reason and has always been a breeding ground for talent. All DTM champions since 2019 have come from the ADAC GT Masters, as have more than half of all current DTM drivers. This underscores the importance of the ADAC GT Masters on the path to professional motorsport. We are addressing this with the ‘Road to DTM’ program.
The prize money pool of around €775,000 will be used even more specifically for the Road to DTM next year. With changes to the sporting format, we are preparing ambitious talents even more effectively for a move up to the DTM,” says ADAC Motorsport Director Thomas Voss.
Finn Wiebelhaus perfected the success story of the “Road to DTM” in 2026. He had already become champion in the ADAC Kart Masters X30 Junior category and, after a year in the ADAC Formula Junior Team in French Formula 4, moved to the ADAC GT Masters, which he dominated in 2025 as champion and winner of the “Road to DTM” standings.
With the entry fee for the current DTM season secured, he made the jump to the top. He drives for HRT Ford Racing and has impressed so far with two podium finishes in his rookie DTM season.
For the second time in the history of the ADAC GT Masters, the season opener will take place outside Germany at the Red Bull Ring. Following this, the ADAC’s GT3 junior series will head to the Dekra Lausitzring from June 18th to 20th. A special season highlight awaits from July 9th to 11th with the International ADAC Truck Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. This year, the event attracted 135,000 spectators to the Eifel region, providing a sensational backdrop for the young drivers of the ADAC GT Masters.
In the height of summer, the series heads to the Dutch North Sea coast, specifically to Zandvoort, where it will be held from August 6th to 8th. In September, the teams and drivers look forward to returning to the Sachsenring.
For the first time since 2023, the ADAC GT Masters will race again on the famous MotoGP circuit near Chemnitz. The grand finale will take place, as is tradition, from October 8th to 10th at the Hockenheimring in Baden-Württemberg.
ADAC GT Masters 2027 Calendar
April 23-25 Red Bull Ring (A) presented by VKB-Bank
June 18–20 Dekra Lausitzring
July 9–11 International ADAC Truck Grand Prix Nürburgring
August 6–8 Zandvoort (NL)
September 24–26 Sachsenring
October 8–10 Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg
