The ADAC GT Masters racing weekend on the Nürburgring proved challenging for the Callaway Competition team from Leingarten. With additional weight and after two turbulent races, the team earned 14 points and continues to lead the rankings despite everything.
The Nürburgring is one of the highlights in the “league of super sports cars”. After Oschersleben and Hockenheim, the Nürburgring is the most visited course. With 20 kilograms of additional weight as “baggage”, it was up to the team and drivers to make the best of the situation. This however would prove challenging over the course of the weekend.
Rocket launch in the first race
The heavens over the Eiffel opened up during the first qualifying round. But Callaway Competition was lucky: Jules Gounon took advantage of the few laps on dry asphalt before the rain started. This resulted in a comfortable starting position in fourth place.
In the rolling start, the Frenchman pulled off a surprising rocket launch that put him in second place. The restart after a safety car phase did not deter him either. But Callaway Competition fell back during the pit stops after Albert Costa – the replacement for regular driver Daniel Keilwitz – was blocked in the turmoil of the pit. In the end he took fifth place in the first race, earning a valuable ten points for the team.
Damage limitation after a tumultuous start
On Sunday, Albert Costa started the race in position 13 and took a hard hit on the front right during the initial scrimmage. “At first we were not sure whether we could even continue in the race,” said Giovanni Ciccone and Ernst Wöhr. The Spaniard was passed along to 17th place. After a few laps the 27-year-old found his speed again and battled his way back to the starting position. Switching drivers late in the race got the team further ahead, and Jules Gounon was ultimately able to cross the finish line in eighth place.
”We started the racing weekend with 20 kilograms of additional weight, and decidedly felt that as well,” say the two team owners Giovanni Ciccone and Ernst Wöhr. “It was a real challenge. In the end, we have to say that we limited the damage by collecting 14 points. Our strategy in Sunday’s race to come into the pit after Zakspeed worked today, which helped us get a placement in the top 10.”
The team continues to lead the rankings in the three assessment categories (team, drivers, juniors) after the Nürburgring weekend.
To the Sachsenring after the summer break
The ADAC GT Masters is now taking a summer break. Teams have around six weeks to prepare for the second to last racing weekend on the Sachsenring (September 15 to 17) before hearing the announcement again: “Drivers, start your engines!”
