It wasn’t actually planned at all, but the Grasser Racing Team has put together a package for the ADAC GT Masters after all. And what a thing: With the 35-year-old Italian Marco Mapelli, the Austrian team is even relying on a Lamborghini works driver, who will pilot the Huracan GT3 Evo2 together with the 24-year-old Chilean Benjamin Hites.
“Benjamin has been very fast with the Lamborghini in recent years and has also shown his enormous potential with us in the pre-season. With Marco he has an experienced professional at his side,” says team boss Gottfried Grasser with satisfaction. “I am sure that this season we will have to reckon with both of them.”
The squad based not far from the Red Bull Ring will compete in three top-class GT3 series in 2023 with the DTM, the long-distance series of the GT World Challenge Europe and the ADAC GT Masters. ADAC has reason to be happy as the announcement brings the number of vehicles entered to eight, with a number of other announcements in the near future. In addition, a Lamborghini start is certain.
Grasser: “ADAC has created positive synergies”
But why did Grasser decide to return to the ADAC GT Masters after a two-year break, in which you have clinched a total of twelve wins, 19 podiums, 16 pole positions and 21 fastest laps in seven seasons?
“Returning to the ADAC GT Masters is an affair of the heart for us,” explains team manager Grasser. “We took our first steps in GT racing here as a team and have gone through all the highs and lows. After concentrating fully on the DTM last year, we are very happy to be back in three of the best GT3 series in the world to get started.”
The fact that four out of six weekends take place in the supporting program of the DTM, in which two cars are fielded anyway, also played a role in the decision to make a comeback in the ADAC GT Masters. “As the organizer of the DTM and the ADAC GT Masters, positive synergies were created by the ADAC, with which a commitment in both series can be mapped very efficiently,” Grasser clarifies.
“In order to ensure maximum performance in both championships, an additional team will be deployed for our involvement in the ADAC GT Masters.” It will be interesting to see how the driver duo will fare. “Our driver pairing offers the perfect combination of youth and experience,” Grasser is convinced.
Mapelli and Grasser have already won the ADAC GT Masters
Mapelli is one of the fastest Lamborghini factory drivers and for this reason was also selected by Abt for the Lamborghini entry in the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife. He has been part of the Italian manufacturer’s squad since 2016 and has been in action for GRT several times in the past, including in the ADAC GT Masters. There he achieved two victories for the team, most recently in 2021 in Hockenheim alongside Lamborghini works driver Mirko Bortolotti.
In addition, the 35-year-old was also successful on the international stage. In 2020 he finished second in the GTD class for Grasser Racing at the legendary 24 Hours of Daytona. “Gottfried and the team did a great job with the new Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo 2 in the winter,” says Mapelli, looking forward to his outing.
“At the start of the GT World Challenge in Monza, we saw how well prepared the team was. The cars were very quick there, which makes me confident. I think we have a good package to compete in the ADAC GT Masters to fight at the top.”
Hites will run a double Grasser program in 2023
His new team-mate will be making his debut in the ADAC GT Masters in 2023, but he already has a lot of GT3 experience. After successes in the USA, he moved to Europe three years ago and drove the Lamborghini to victories in the Italian GT Championship and the GT Open series, as well as a title. This season he drives a double program for Grasser, because he also competes in the GTWCE.
“I’m very happy to be competing in another racing series with GRT this year,” he says, pleased about the new task. “Ever since I’ve been driving in Europe, I’ve had the goal of one day competing in the ADAC GT Masters.”