Season preparations by W&S Motorsport completed with more than 10,000 test kilometres

"Good preparation is the key to success. That is why we were busy with testing. And we will continue over the next weeks," says Daniel Schellhaas. The team principal explains further: "The two new Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport and the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup 992 were only delivered shortly before the test days and we then had to familiarise ourselves quickly. We succeeded because, as a team with an affinity to Porsche, we were able to draw on our extensive knowledge here. The crew and drivers did a lot of work and the number of test laps speaks for itself. We see ourselves as well prepared for our appearances in all championships." 

GT4 tests in the south of France 

The two brand new Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport cars got racing asphalt under their wheels for the first time at Le Castellet. Nicolaj Møller Madsen as well as Max Kronberg and Hendrik Still familiarised themselves with their new race cars and did valuable data and set-up work with the team for their campaigns in the GT4 European Series and the ADAC GT4 Germany. This was particularly important as the new Cayman had only just been delivered a few days before and there was no reference data available until then. 

"It has been a really good and strong pre-season test with W&S Motorsport and it is amazing to start working with the team. Everyone works very profesional and we have collected a lot of useful data and set-ups for the cars," says Nicolaj Møller Madsen. "It has also been a great pleasure to drive the new Porsche GT4 RS Clubsport. It gives the driver a lot of confidence straight away and I think we are well-prepared after the test days in Paul Ricard and Hockenheim." 

"All our drivers have been performing on a high level, which makes me confident that we can achieve great results this year. I have a lot of experience in GT4 European Series and ADAC GT4 Germany and I think that we can fight for the championship with AVIA W&S Motorsport", he adds. 

Second round of testing on home soil 

The next stop for W&S Motorsport was at the Hockenheimring. Hendrik Still and Max Kronberg as well as Finn Zulauf and Nicolaj Møller Madsen continued to prepare for the ADAC GT4 Germany with the team, while Leo Pichler and Leon Wassertheurer familiarised themselves with the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 MR. 

Daniel Blickle went on his maiden voyage with the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup 992 from W&S Motorsport and completed a rollout with his teammate Tim Scheerbarth before heading to the Nordschleife for testing a week later. Likewise, the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 MR in the Vöhringer livery awoke from hibernation and warmed up for the NLS season. The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 MR in Paravan livery was prepared for the GTC Race together with Luca Arnold. 

Luca Arnold, who already competed in the GTC Race in 2021 with W&S Motorsport, says after the test: "After the first laps this year, I am highly motivated. I am really looking forward to the first race weekend. After running strongly last year, I think we will be even more successful in the competitive championship this season. We know and trust each other, my crew always does an excellent job and looks after me very well. My goal is to get the GT3 sponsorship spot for 2023 and to impress in the junior standings." 

Finn Zulauf was able to secure the same sponsorship place in 2021 with W&S Motorsport. Together with his team-mate Nicolaj Møller Madsen, the 17-year-old wants to score podium finishes and wins in the Junior Trophy in the ADAC GT4 Germany. The Dane will share his wealth of experience in the Porsche and in the series with him. 

Zulauf is looking ahead to the season with confidence: "The test days in Hockenheim were a lot of fun and I got to do the first laps in the new Cayman 718 GT4 RS Clubsport, with which I will also compete in the ADAC GT4 Germany. We learned a lot and with every kilometre I drove I was able to adapt better to the new car. Before the season starts, the official test days in Oschersleben will be on the agenda. They are a good opportunity to get used to the track and try out different set-ups. I am very excited and looking forward to working with Nicolaj and my team again." 

Dress rehearsal on the Nordschleife 

Last weekend, the NLS test drives took place in the Eifel. W&S Motorsport fielded a total of three cars, including the AVIA racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup 992 and the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS.

The 2011 endurance champion, Tim Scheerbarth, is excited about the new Cup GT3: "On Saturday there were perfect conditions with sunshine at the Nürburgring and on Sunday we were also able to try out settings for rain. We already worked a lot on the Nordschleife on the first day and were able to improve our setup. I am optimistic that we will be in the best possible position on Saturday. The weather forecast for the Eifel promises spring sunshine again, a season opener can hardly be more beautiful." 

Alongside Tim Scheerbarth, Daniel Blickle won the 2021 Cayman Trophy in the NLS. The experienced driver completed his first laps in a GT3 car on the Nordschleife and reports: "The test days were successful and we brought driver and car forward. Especially for me, with little experience in a GT3 car, it is a big change from GT4. But I think I did very well. Now we are looking forward to the start of the season and are very excited about the first real assessment of the situation. Then we will see where we stand." 

Kick-off to the 2022 season

Things will get serious for the first time next Saturday (26/03/2022) with the first round of the NLS over four hours. At the 67th ADAC Westfalenfahrt, Tim Scheerbarth and Daniel Blicke will take the wheel of the AVIA racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup 992, while Sebastian Vittel, Daniel Bohr and Marius Rauer will share the cockpit in the AVIA racing Cayman 718 GT4 CS. Who will drive the Vöhringer Porsche Cayman 718 GT4 CS together with René Höber and Jürgen Vöhringer is yet to be announced, just as the team-mate of Scheerbarth and Blickle. The Porsche Cayman in the V5 production car class will be driven by Kevin Rembert, Niclas Wiedmann and Dirk Biermann. 

Before the start of the GT4 European Series season in Imola one week later, another test day is scheduled on the Italian circuit. As final preparation for the ADAC GT4 Germany season opener at Oschersleben from 22 to 24 April, the three Cayman GT4s will receive their fine-tuning at the official series test days in the Magdeburger Börde.