HRT Announces Two-Car Entry with Mercedes-AMG

Haupt Racing Team has announced that it will enter the DTM with a pair of Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evos.

The team, which was made its competition debut last year, is joining the German single-driver series in addition to planned programs in other European GT3 championships.

HRT has yet to name the drivers for its two-car DTM effort, which is receiving factory support from Mercedes-AMG.

The team is also set to field Mercedes-AMG machinery in Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup, the Nürburgring 24 and the NLS.

A return to the GTWC Europe Sprint Cup, which HRT contested last year, was not mentioned in the team’s 2021 program announcement on Tuesday morning.

HRT competed in both parts of the GTWC Europe structure during its inaugural season, in addition to an extensive endurance campaign at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

It won the Silver Cup class at the Total 24 Hours of Spa with team owner Haupt driving, while its AMG factory driver pair Maro Engel and Luca Stolz placed sixth in Sprint Cup.

“I am really looking forward to the DTM,” said HRT team principal Hubert Haupt, who raced in the DTM with Audi in the early 1990s and Opel in 2001.

“This series is closely linked with my own personal career as a racing driver – and now as a team owner too.

“We only started out with HRT in the middle of 2020, and have already claimed some major successes on the GT3 scene as a Mercedes-AMG Performance Team.

“Entering the DTM is now the logical next step for us. We know it is going to be a huge challenge, but that is exactly what we love.

“All of us here at HRT are passionate about motorsport and will take our usual professional approach to this challenge.”

HRT was established as a new entity for the 2020 season with Haupt expanding into motorsport management, in addition to his roles in driving and the property sector.

The Nürburgring-based team set up using the Mercedes GT3 assets previously owned by the successful Black Falcon race team, while former Black Falcon staff including team principal Sean Paul Breslin and chief engineer Renaud Dufour also joined HRT.

In addition to its GTWC Europe exploits, Haupt’s organization achieved the pole position for last year’s Nürburgring 24 through Engel, and led part of the race before an evening accident curtailed Mercedes-AMG’s victory bid.