Haupt Racing with class win and two top finishes at 24h Nurburgring 30.05.2022: Competing under the banner of the Mercedes-AMG Team BILSTEIN, the Haupt Racing Team is celebrating a successful anniversary edition of the ADAC TotalEnergies 24h Nürburgring. In a race that delivered thrills until the finish, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 #6 with

Competing under the banner of the Mercedes-AMG Team BILSTEIN, the Haupt Racing Team is celebrating a successful anniversary edition of the ADAC TotalEnergies 24h Nürburgring. In a race that delivered thrills until the finish, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 #6 with drivers Hubert Haupt, Nico Bastian, Marin Dienst (all GER) and Gabriele Piana (ITA) secured eighth position overall and the class win in the Pro-Am standings for the SP9 class.



The team’s #12 car with Philip Ellis, Raffaele Marciello (both SUI) and Luca Stolz (GER) overcame an early setback to produce an impressive chasing performance and cross the line in seventh place.

   
 Class victory in SP9 Pro-Am for Mercedes-AMG Team BILSTEIN #6
   
 Mercedes-AMG Team BILSTEIN #12 with a strong catch-up race
   
 Fastest lap for Mercedes-AMG GT3 #12




The 50th edition of the 24h race at the Nürburgring was all about the return of fans to the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife. For the first time in two years, around 230,000 were back to generate a familiar atmosphere all around the circuit for this special race. Both Mercedes-AMG GT3s for the Haupt Racing Teams, competing under the banner of the Mercedes-AMG Team BILSTEIN, had already reached the Top Qualifying 2 ahead of the classic race in the Eifel. At the wheel of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 #12, Luca Stolz put his car in eighth position as the best-placed Mercedes-AMG. Nico Bastian drove the team’s #6 car to tenth place on the grid.



In the race, starting driver Bastian was able to steer clear of the on-track scraps during the opening laps but stayed within striking distance of the top ten. Sporting the “50 Years of Heritage” design from team partner Bilstein, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 #6 overcame numerous incidents and Code 60 phases to make up ground as the race progressed and establish itself in the top ten of the overall standings, and at the top of the Pro-Am standings. Having built up a comfortable lead over their class rivals, the quartet of Haupt, Bastian, Dienst and Piana were able to concentrate on race management. After 24 hours had elapsed, final driver Nico Bastian crossed the finishing line in eighth place, which also secured victory in the Pro-Am standings for the SP9 class.



The #12 car initially endured some poor luck. Also decked out in Bilstein colours, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 started well but then had to head for an unscheduled pit stop with tyre damage after making contact with another car while lapping. The subsequent stop for repairs then knocked the #12 out of the leading pack. However, the trio of drivers posted the fastest lap times of the entire field to work their way back up during the night, returning to the top ten in the early hours.



The Mercedes-AMG GT3 #12 remained the fastest car on the track. Ellis, Marciello and Stolz continued to exert pressure on the leaders. The changeable weather conditions in the closing phase did not give them any further opportunity to move closer to a podium finish. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 finished seventh to secure a top ten spot at the world’s greatest car race.



There is just one week before the next challenge. At the Circuit Paul Ricard in southern France, the Haupt Racing Team will be competing in the 1000km second race of the Endurance Cup in the GT World Challenge Europe.



Hubert Haupt, Mercedes-AMG Team BILSTEIN #6: “We have achieved our objective of claiming a class win. It was a shame for our second car, which was really the fastest car out there.”



Nico Bastian, Mercedes-AMG Team BILSTEIN #6: “The 24h Nürburg were a real highlight, as always. I was able to drive in Top Qualifying, and start and finish the race. The Pro-Am victory is a tangible result for us. It is great because our line-up was only put together like this at short notice. The top ten result for our team’s second car is a good team result, even though things weren’t ideal for the #12.”



Marvin Dienst, Mercedes-AMG Team BILSTEIN #6: “The Pro-Am victory was our objective. That was what we were aiming for. Although we placed well overall, we decided fairly early on to concentrate on defending our lead in the class. We managed that and we are very proud.”



Gabriele Piana, Mercedes-AMG Team BILSTEIN #6: „A very good result. Especially because the team was only formed very recently. I am very happy about the victory and I am also very satisfied with our performance.“



Phillip Ellis, Mercedes-AMG Team BILSTEIN #12: “There are plenty of positive experiences for me to take from this race. We were the fastest car in the field, regardless of the weather conditions, and we didn’t make any mistakes. Of course, we had other expectations – we had what it takes to win here.”



Luca Stolz, Mercedes-AMG Team BILSTEIN #12: “It’s a shame that we didn’t do better. We had prepared the car for the overall win. However, one careless moment early on really knocked us back in the opening phase. We can be proud of the fact that we made it to the finish in one piece, and of how the team stuck together.”



Raffaele Marciello, Mercedes-AMG Team BILSTEIN #12: “We cannot be pleased with that result. We wanted to do better here.”



Ulrich Fritz, Haupt Racing Team Managing Director: “It was a classic Eifel race with ups and downs. Of course, it was a shame for our #12, which was out of the running very early on. But the lads did a great job to get the car back on the lead lap, which allowed us to gradually battle our way back. However, when the field is so strong, it’s practically impossible to make up that deficit. But our #6 dominated the Pro-Am, winning with a big lead. We can be pleased with our performance.”



Sean Paul Breslin, Haupt Racing Team Principal: “Our aim was to win the Pro-Am class with the #6, and to get as good a result as possible in the overall standings. We achieved that objective.”






- Haupt Racing - photos AutoMobilSport.com photographers