The ADAC GT Masters is a grand tourer-based auto racing series founded by the international Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO) and supported by the German ADAC automotive club. Similar to an earlier ADAC GT Cup series in the 1990s, the new GT Masters ran their first season in 2007. Although the series is based in Germany, select events are run elsewhere in Europe.
ADAC GT Cup The original ADAC GT Cup was created in 1993, as a national grand tourer championship similar to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM). The series initially used two divisions, with the upper class running a variety of sports cars, and the smaller class for small coupes. Following dwindling support for the top division, the two classes were combined in 1995. By 1997, the series continued to dwindle, as the series was running only small coupes instead of high powered sports cars. The championship was officially cancelled after the 1997 season as most teams turned to the VLN championship.
Competition
The ADAC GT Masters uses a similar formula to the one used in the FIA GT3 European Championship, also created by the SRO. The ADAC GT Masters is a "PRO-AM" Championship in which a professional driver shares a car with an amateur driver. The exact criteria for what determines an amateur driver and professional driver is laid out by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Drivers run in pairs, with each race requiring the team to make a pit stop and swap drivers.
The cars that run in the ADAC GT Masters are also regulated by the FIA. Only cars which have been approved are allowed to compete. Of the cars that are currently approved, all are artificially performance balanced in such a way that the performance of each type of car is as close to equal as possible. This makes the skills of the driver paramount. Vehicles that ran in the 2019 championship include Porsche 911 GT3 R, Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo, Ferrari 488 GT3, Corvette C7 GT3-R, BMW M6 GT3, Lamborghini Huracan GT3, Mercedes-AMG GT3, Aston Martin Vantage GT3, Honda NSX GT3 EVO.
Each event consists of two races, with a duration of 60 minutes plus one lap. Each car must make a pit stop during each race and switch drivers. In the first race usually the amateur driver starts, if so the professional driver must drive the start in the second race of each round.
The current driver champions are Elias Seppänen and Tom Kalender in the No 1 Mercedes-AMG GT3.
Circuits
Nürburgring (2007–present) Motorsport Arena Oschersleben (2007–2022, 2024) Lausitzring (2007–2017, 2020–2022, 2025–present) Circuit Zolder (2007, 2011) Sachsenring (2007–2023, 2027) Hockenheimring (2007, 2009–present) Norisring (2008, 2023) TT Circuit Assen (2008–2011) Red Bull Ring (2011–present) Circuit Zandvoort (2012, 2014–2019, 2021–2022, 2024–present) Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (2013, 2015, 2024) Automotodróm Slovakia Ring (2013–2014) Autodrom Most (2018–2019) Salzburgring (2025–2026)
Champions
Season Champion Car Team Champion Secondary Class Champion 2007 Christopher Haase Lamborghini Gallardo GT3 Reiter Engineering Jan Seyffarth Christopher Haase 2008 Porsche 997 GT3 Cup Team Flatex-Reiter (2) Christopher Haase Albert von Thurn und Taxis #30 Hexis 2009 Christian Abt Audi R8 LMS Callaway Competition Toni Seiler #6 Abt Sportsline 2010 Peter Kox Albert von Thurn und Taxis Lamborghini Gallardo LP560 GT3 (2) Abt Sportsline Toni Seiler (2) Jürgen Bender Martin Dechent 2011 Dino Lunardi Alexandros Margaritis Alpina B6 GT3 Reiter Engineering (3) Mark A. Hayek 2012 Sebastian Asch Maximilian Götz Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 MS Racing Team Swen Dolenc 2013 Diego Alessi Daniel Keilwitz Corvette Z06.R GT3 Prosperia C. Abt Racing (2) Christina Nielsen 2014 René Rast Kelvin van der Linde Audi R8 LMS ultra Prosperia C. Abt Racing (3) Handlos Herbert 2015 Sebastian Asch (2) Luca Ludwig Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 (2) BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert Andreas Weishaupt 2016 Connor De Phillippi Christopher Mies Audi R8 LMS Montaplast by Land-Motorsport Remo Lips Connor De Phillippi 2017 Jules Gounon Corvette C7 GT3-R (2) Callaway Competition (2) Remo Lips (2) Jules Gounon 2018 Mathieu Jaminet Robert Renauer Porsche 911 GT3 R HTP-Winward Motorsport Remo Lips (3) Sheldon van der Linde 2019 Patric Niederhauser Kelvin van der Linde (2) Audi R8 LMS Evo Rutronik Racing Sven Barth Max Hofer 2020 Michael Ammermüller Christian Engelhart Porsche 911 GT3 R (3) SSR Performance Elia Erhart Tim Zimmermann 2021 Ricardo Feller Christopher Mies (2) Audi R8 LMS Evo (5) Montaplast by Land-Motorsport (2) Florian Spengler Ricardo Feller 2022 Raffaele Marciello Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo (3) Mann-Filter Team Landgraf Florian Spengler (2) Ben Green 2023 Elias Seppänen Salman Owega Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo (4) Haupt Racing Team Elias Seppänen Salman Owega 2024 Tom Kalender Elias Seppänen (2) Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo (5) Landgraf Motorsport (2) Tom Kalender Elias Seppänen Alexander Fach Alexander Schwarzer Elias Seppänen 2025 Salman Owega (2) Finn Wiebelhaus Ford Mustang GT3 Haupt Racing Team (2) Salman Owega Finn Wiebelhaus Alexander Fach (2) Alexander Schwarzer (2) Finn Wiebelhaus
References
External links
Racing Sports Cars – ADAC GT Cup and ADAC GT Masters results