ZANDVOORT, The Netherlands — A decision was made by millimeters at the first round of the ADAC GT Masters at Zandvoort.
Finn Zulauf (20, GER) and Simon Connor Primm (20, GER) won Saturday’s race by a razor-thin margin, securing Paul Motorsport’s first victory in the ADAC GT Masters.
The Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 crossed the line 0.340 seconds ahead of Tim Zimmermann (28, GER) and Leyton Fourie (19, GER, both FK Performance Motorsport) in their BMW M4 GT3 Evo.
Their fellow Schubert Motorsport drivers, the twins Sandro and Juliano Holzem (both 20, GER), completed the podium.
“After losing what we thought was a sure victory at the Lausitzring, this was the best way to bounce back. The team really deserved this win,” said a delighted Zulauf. “The end of the race was even more exciting than I would have liked.” Teammate Primm added: “At the start of the race, I tried to drive the car well and safely around the track, and the lead grew ever larger. The end was nerve-wracking, but Finn did a great job.”
Primm and Zulauf ensured a perfect day for Paul Motorsport: After Maximilian Paul secured the first podium for the Dresden-based family racing team in the DTM two hours earlier, the first triumph in the ADAC GT Masters followed.
The race on the 4.259 km long dune circuit took place in dry conditions at around 22 degrees.
Polesitter Jannes Fittje (25, GER/SR Motorsport by Schnitzelalm) defended his lead at the start until a technical problem with his Mercedes-AMG GT3 stopped him and dropped him to the back of the field.
Primm took the lead and never relinquished it, securing his debut victory in the ADAC GT Masters with Zulauf. At the back of the field, the BMWs began a comeback. Sandro Holzem and Zimmermann worked their way forward from ninth and eleventh on the grid with numerous overtaking maneuvers.
After the driver change, a duel for second place developed between Juliano Holzem and Fourie, which the FK Performance Motorsport driver ultimately won. When the Mercedes-AMG, driven by Fittje’s teammate Wiskirchen (22, GER), finally came to a halt shortly before the end, the safety car was deployed. In the final laps after the restart, a fierce battle for the lead developed between eventual winner Zulauf in the Lamborghini and Fourie in the BMW.
At the same time, Sandro Holzem had to vigorously defend the final podium spot against fellow brand driver Eduardo Coseteng (21, PHL), who ultimately finished fourth with his teammate Julian Hanses (27, Hilden, both FK Performance Motorsport).
“We knew we’d have a chance after the safety car, and I tried,” explained second-placed Fourie. “We got very close, but in the end, the risk was too great for me and I preferred to secure second place. This podium was on the cards. We just had to sort out a few small things, but once that was right, the pace was there.”
For the Holzem twins, it was their first podium finish together in the ADAC GT Masters. Sandro Holzem, who had already finished in the top three once before, took over the starting line and handed the BMW M4 GT3 Evo over to his brother Juliano in second place.
He explained: “We had to fight our way forward at the beginning, which took a bit of a toll on the tires. That’s why it got really close at the end, and I tried everything to somehow salvage the podium. It couldn’t have gone better.”
Following behind the three BMWs were the three Ford Mustang GT3s of the Haupt Racing Team. Salman Owega (20, Cologne)/Finn Wiebelhaus (19, Obertshausen) crossed the finish line ahead of Max Reis (18, Ramstein)/Niklas Kalus (19, Duisburg) and Dennis Fetzer (24, Gießen)/Jonathan Cecotto (25, Ven). Leo Pichler (23, Austria)/Simon Birch (18, Denmark/both Razoon – more than racing) finished eighth in the Porsche 911 GT3 R. Jonas Karklys (35, Lithuania)/Emil Gjerdrum (18, Norway/both Liqui Moly Team Engstler by GRT) finished ninth, securing their first Pro-AM class victory in their Lamborghini. The top 10 were completed by Nico Hantke (21/Hürth)/Denis Bulatov (26/Scherer Sport PHX) in the Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo2.
