Team Joos Sportwagentechnik is in a strong position in the 2022 ADAC GT Masters season, and that is also reflected in the results. After six of 14 races this year, the Porsche duo Christian Engelhart/Ayhancan Güven leads the overall standings together with Land-Audi driver Jusuf Owega.
“Last year was good. And this year the driver pairing is just right. They get to the point,” says team manager Michael Joos in an interview with ‘Motorsport-Total.com’, praising his fast duo. With Engelhart and Güven one is “very satisfied so far.”
Especially since the German-Turkish duo also impresses with consistently good results. The #91 Porsche finished four out of six races in the top 6. It could have been five out of six if the gearbox hadn’t gone on strike on the last lap on Sunday in Zandvoort.
“The boys routinely work through. So far, the goal has always been to score as many points as possible,” Joos reveals about his team’s approach. But the demands are increasing: “Now we’re talking about victories and the championship.”
Christian Engelhart helps Ayhancan Guven
Engelhart/Güven are still missing their first win. In Spielberg they were close with second and third place. The fact that Güven, as a GT3 rookie, can keep up so well and adapt so well to his experienced team-mate is a blessing for Joos.
“He comes from the Carrera Cup and was always alone in the car. Now he has to share it with Christian. Always finding two perfect drivers who can handle the same set-up” is the challenge in a driver pairing . But looking at his team, Joos thinks: “This is perfect here!”
Especially since Engelhart can pass on his many years of experience to the Turkish rookie. The German competed in the German GT Championship for the first time in 2011 and, like his teammate Güven, drove successfully in the Porsche one-make cups for many years.
“Of course he always brings in a tip or an experience,” Joos explains the role of the experienced Engelhart. Joos cites correct behavior at the start and optimal warming up of the tires in qualifying as examples of this.
This allowed Güven to flourish alongside Engelhart in his first year in GT3 racing. In any case, the team has nothing to blame Joos for: “From a technical point of view, from the car, from the preparation, we are perfectly positioned.”