AVIA W&S Motorsport with chance of victory in ADAC GT4 Germany at Sachsenring

The uphill and downhill track with 3,645 metres of track length and 14 corners, which is driven anti-clockwise, was a challenge for the drivers and the team. In the 20-minute qualifying session on Saturday, Max Kronberg in the #30 Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport qualified for 25th on the grid. The sister car, the AVIA racing Cayman GT4 with the #31, driven by Nicolaj Møller Madsen fought for the seventh starting position in the field. However, both cars had to move back five positions on the grid due to a track limit penalty from previous races. 

Starting from the last position on the grid, Kronberg made up ground quickly in a turbulent first half of the race, before handing over the Cayman GT4 #30 to Hendrik Still after 15 laps. Still routinely showed all his skills at the wheel and crossed the finish line in 10th place. 

Møller Madsen, on the sixth row of the grid, also only knew the way to the front. The Dane was already in the Top 10 after a few laps. Finn Zulauf climbed into the cockpit on the 15th race lap and rejoined the field in eighth place during a safety car phase. Breathtaking two and three-way battles for positions followed and the youngster held his own against his rivals. In the end, the team was rewarded with fifth place overall for the Cayman GT4 #31 in AVIA design and Zulauf celebrated third place in the Junior Trophy of the ADAC GT4 Germany. In the Junior Championship, the 18-year-old ranks third ahead of the season finale. 

The omens for the second race on Sunday afternoon were excellent for W&S Motorsport after qualifying in the morning as the best-placed Porsche and they started the second race from the second row of the grid. Hendrik Still qualified fourth in the #30 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport. Team mate Finn Zulauf even topped this performance and put the AVIA racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport #31 in front of him in third place as the fastest Porsche in the field. 

Once again, Zulauf proved his talent on the starting lap and had jumped ahead to second place. Countless fights for the top positions followed, in which the youngster kept a cool head. For a short time, the driver from Königstein was in the lead before he handed over the #31 Porsche to his team-mate Møller Madsen in second position. After the pit stop, the Dane took third place. As the race progressed, Møller Madsen struggled with the heavily degrading tyres and still finished in eighth place overall. 

The start of Hendrik Still in the #30 Porsche Cayman GT4 also quickly led to duels for positions in the Top 5, with Still finding the right mix of defending to the rear and attacking to the front to maintain fifth place. Max Kronberg took over the cockpit at half-time and rejoined the field in seventh position. The man from Berlin also managed to strike a balance between defence and offence and passed the chequered flag in front of the sister car in seventh place.

The grand finale of the ADAC GT4 Germany and at the same time the home race for W&S Motorsport will take place from 21 to 23 October 2022 at the Hockenheimring in the north of Baden-Württemberg. The team of Daniel Schellhaas and Patrick Wagner is aiming for further podium finishes there - as it did at the fifth round of the GT4 European Series with two class victories and two second places - and wants to support Finn Zulauf in the fight for the Junior Trophy. 

Quotes after the race 

Daniel Schellhaas, Team Principal W&S Motorsport: "I am very proud of the team and the four drivers. That was mega strong work and with a bit of luck we could have done even better. Finn did brilliantly and proved his steep learning curve once again. We were the fastest Porsche in the field and set some of the fastest lap times in the race. The competition in the ADAC GT4 Germany is tough as nails and at the highest level, we are looking forward to an exciting season finale!" 

Max Kronberg, Driver #30: "We finished both races in the top 10 and provided exciting racing, which was really fun. Hendrik was strong and the team gave us a perfectly tuned car. Especially the chase from the very back to tenth place on Saturday will stay in my memory for a long time. I am looking forward to the last two races at Hockenheim for the season finale." 

Finn Zulauf, Driver #31: "Victory - at least the podium - was within reach. But it wasn't meant to be. Both races were tough, fair and extremely demanding. But it was a lot of fun to fight for victory at the front and it is a shame that it didn't work out in the end. I was on the podium again in the Junior Trophy and I am still well in the running for the championship. In October we will settle the score at the Hockenheimring. Nicolaj fought hard and the team did their usual great and professional job. I would like to get a win as a reward for everyone, because we deserve it."