HRT Increases to Three Mercedes-AMGs; No Pro Entry

Haupt Racing Team has increased its Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup entry to three cars but will focus on competing for class honors rather than overall wins.

After running a Pro-class Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo in the last two campaigns, HRT has announced that it will operate a pair in Silver Cup and one in the new Gold Cup category this time around.

One of the Silver Cup cars, the No. 777 machine, will participate under the Al Manar Racing by HRT banner with Al Faisal Al Zubair, Axcil Jefferies and Fabian Schiller driving.

Al Zubair raced with HRT at the Hankook 24 Hours of Dubai in January and teams up with Jefferies who formed part of the winning MS7 by WRT Audi crew.

Schiller, meanwhile, joins HRT after recent Endurance Cup seasons with Mercedes-AMG customer teams GetSpeed Performance and RAM Racing.

The No. 4 Silver Cup entry, which previously competed in Pro, will be driven by Jannes Fittje, Jordan Love and Alain Valente.

All three drivers are new to HRT’s GTWC Europe setup, with Love moving across from fellow Mercedes-AMG outfit SPS Automotive Performance and Fittje signing after a season in ADAC GT Masters with Timo Bernhard’s Team75 Porsche squad.

Valente, meanwhile, drove in British GT last season as part of a McLaren junior affiliation and is set for his first GT3 spell since the 2017 Italian GT Championship.

HRT’s Gold Cup crew consists of team owner Hubert Haupt alongside Florian Scholze and Arjun Maini, who also drives for the team in the DTM.

Gold Cup lineups require the strict combination of one professional, one Silver and one Bronze-rated driver.

Maini is the Gold-rated driver for HRT, with Haupt listed as the Silver and Scholze on board as the Bronze.

“We achieved some eye-catching success in our first two seasons in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup,” said team principal Sean Paul Breslin.

“This year, we line up with two strong groups of drivers in the Silver Cup. We are aware of the big challenge facing us and want to achieve the best results for the team – just as we do in the new Gold Cup.

“Our whole team is highly motivated and looking forward to the start of the season.”