Press Release

ADAC GT Masters have announced a new preliminary calendar for the 2020 season amid the on-going coronavirus crisis.

The season is now due to begin at Autodrom Most on the first weekend of August, with Germany’s Lausitzring as fallback option should the Czech authorities still enforce strict restrictions by that time.

The new calendar still features all seven rounds (14 races) as per the original schedule, albeit running much later into the year with the finale now pencilled in for Oschersleben on October 23-25.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT

2020 ADAC GT MASTERS CALENDAR
UPDATED

1-2 August: Autodrom Most (Czech Republic) alt. Lausitzring (Germany)
14-16 August: Nürburgring (Germany)
21-23 August: Zandvoort (The Netherlands)
18-20 September: Hockenheim (Germany)
2-4 October: Sachsenring (Germany)
16-18 October: Red Bull Ring (Austria)
23-25 October: Oschersleben (Germany)

The ADAC GT Masters organisation has decided to postpone April’s season-opening round at Oschersleben due to the coronavirus.

The curtain-raising event was scheduled to take place on April 24-26, but the Oschersleben round has now been moved back to October 23-25, shifting it from the first slot on the calendar to the last.

Instead, the plan is currently to kick-start the season at Autodrom Most on May 15-17, although the situation might change quickly as COVID-19 evolves in Europe. 

The official pre-season test set to be staged on April 6-8, also at Oschersleben, has been cancelled altogether.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT

Jimmy Eriksson has renewed his contract with Zakspeed BKK Mobil Oil Racing for a second mutual campaign in ADAC GT Masters, one of Europe’s top GT racing championships.

Swede Eriksson will team up with Germany’s Daniel Keilwitz – the 2013 series champion – in a bid that sees the duo reunite following a successful end to the 2019 campaign where they finished second in the final race of the season.

Eriksson and Keilwitz will once again share driving duties in one of Zakspeed’s Mercedes-AMG GT3 machines, with the team set to announce a second pairing for its other car at a later stage.

28-year-old Eriksson, who recently became a father for the first time, will commence his third consecutive season in ADAC GT Masters in 2020, and the second as a Zakspeed driver.

“I am pleased to extend my relationship with Zakspeed for another season,” says Jimmy Eriksson. “We made great progress over the course of last year and, looking at the level we reached towards the end of the season, I believe we can fight for the championship in 2020. It will not be easy of course – the field is very strong – but I really enjoy working with Daniel and the team and we now have the added benefit of experience to lean on.”

The 2020 ADAC GT Masters calendar resembles that of last year, once again taking in seven double-header events across Europe for a total of 14 races. The campaign gets underway at Oschersleben on April 24-26 and concludes at Sachsenring in early October.

CALENDAR – ADAC GT MASTERS 2020

24-26 April: Oschersleben (Germany)
15-17 May: Autodrom Most (Czech Republic)
5-7 June: Red Bull Ring (Austria)
14-16 August: Nürburgring (Germany)
21-23 August: Zandvoort (the Netherlands)
18-20 September: Hockenheim (Germany)
2-4 October: Sachsenring (Germany)

New team, new team-mate, new car and new ambitions. It’s a case of start afresh for Jimmy Eriksson as he enters his second season of racing in ADAC GT Masters. Having spent the majority of last year battling towards the back of the pack, conditions have changed dramatically ahead of 2019 – and so have the objectives.
 
Moving across from Team Rosberg/Lamborghini to frontrunning squad Zakspeed and a Mercedes-AMG GT3, Eriksson finds himself in a new seat as the ADAC GT Masters campaign kicks off at Oschersleben this weekend. 
 
In teaming up with two-time Porsche Supercup champion Jeroen Bleekemolen aboard Zakspeed’s #21 machine, Eriksson has found himself paired with an experienced and quick team-mate as he takes on an established field of top-class GT contestants.
 
“This season is a really great opportunity for me,” says Jimmy Eriksson. “Towards the end of last year, it was obvious that we were not in a position to even fight for points, but that has changed dramatically now with this move. Zakspeed is one of the top teams, Jeroen is a top driver, and I’d like to think that we can put some pressure on the guys up front. It’s definitely an extremely inspiring position to be in on the eve of a new season.”
 
As always, the ADAC GT Masters boasts an impressively versatile grid once again in 2019, with 31 cars entered from eight different manufacturers (Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes and Porsche) and 19 teams. Each squad consists of two drivers, with compulsory pit stops for a driver change halfway through the one-hour races.
 
Alongside Jimmy Eriksson/Jeroen Bleekemolen in the #21, Zakspeed is also entering a second Mercedes-AMG GT3 (#20) for Kelvin Snoeks and Mick Wishofer.
 
Just like last year, each round of the campaign features two races; one on Saturday and one on Sunday. This weekend’s season-opener gets underway on Friday with a brace of practice sessions.

TIME TABLE

ADAC GT Masters | Rd. 1
 Oschersleben (Germany)

All times local (GMT+02:00)

Friday 26 April
Free Practice 1: 11.55-12.55
Free Practice 2: 16.20-17.20

Saturday 27 April
Qualifying 1: 08.55-09.25
Race 1: 13.05-14.05

Sunday 28 April
Qualifying 2: 09.10-09.40
Race 2: 13.05-14.05

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ADAC GT Masters

Jimmy Eriksson will race for multiple title-winning team Zakspeed in Germany’s ADAC GT Masters championship this season. 

28-year-old Eriksson made his debut in the competitive sportscar series last year, driving a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 for Team Rosberg.

Ahead of his sophomore campaign in the championship, however, Eriksson has agreed a deal that will see him move across to 2015 ADAC GT Masters champions Zakspeed (Zakspeed BKK Mobil Oil Racing) on the back of a promising test at Hockenheim last month.

The iconic team – which competed in Formula 1 between 1985-1989 – is fielding two Mercedes-AMG GT3 cars this season, with Eriksson set to share one of them with an as-of-yet unnamed driver.

”I am really excited to be joining Zakspeed in ADAC GT Masters this season,” says Jimmy Eriksson. “I made my debut in the championship last year, so I know how competitive it is. It takes a lot to run near the front, but Zakspeed have got a proven track record and we really found each other straight away at the Hockenheim test.

“On top of that, I’m already familiar with the Mercedes-AMG GT3 following my 2017 season in the Blancpain GT Series, and it’s a car I definitely enjoy driving. This is exactly the kind of opportunity I was looking for over the winter and I would like to thank the team for putting their trust in me.” 

Based in Niederzissen not far from the Nürburgring, Zakspeed is a team steeped in history, clinching a total of 22 championship titles and 480 race wins across endurance, GT and touring car racing since its foundation in 1968.

“When you near the end of the winter break, the new season can’t come quick enough,”says team principal Peter Zakowski. “We’re pleased to be entering two Mercedes-AMG GT3s in ADAC GT Masters again this season and I’m excited to have Jimmy take all his speed and experience to us. The competition looks incredibly strong this year, but we want to be up there and mix it with the best.”   

The seven-round ADAC GT Masters season gets underway at Oschersleben on April 26-28. Official pre-season testing will take place at the same track next week, on April 8-9.

The 2019 grid looks set to boast in excess of 30 cars, built by some of the world’s most exclusive sports car manufacturers. Among the newcomers this season is Fabian Vettel, the brother of four-time F1 world champion Sebastian. 

CALENDAR – ADAC GT MASTERS 2019

26-28 April: Oschersleben (Germany)
17-19 May: Autodrom Most (Czech Republic)
7-9 June: Red Bull Ring (Austria)
9-11 August: Zandvoort (the Netherlands)
16-18 August: Nürburgring (Germany)
13-15 September: Hockenheim (Germany)
27-29 September: Sachsenring (Germany)

Jimmy Eriksson and team-mate Jonathan Judek were left wishing for more in round three of the ADAC GT Masters season, struggling at the Red Bull Ring.

Eriksson/Judek entered the Austrian round of the German-based GT championship hoping to slowly but surely edge closer to the pace, but instead found themselves in an opposite situation.

The Team Rosberg duo finished the weekend’s two races in 26th and 31st place respectively, the second race being further compromised by a rival Audi turning in on Eriksson – who was then making progress up the field – on a wet track in the early stages.   
 
“I have to say I’m disappointed,” says Jimmy Eriksson. “We were hoping to edge closer to the others this weekend, but instead we ended up going in the other direction. The pace is not there at the moment, even though the car actually feels pretty good. I’ve done enough driving over the last ten years to know what a car should be like, and the balance is not bad. We’re just not getting any lap time out of it, but all we can do is keep on working and hopefully it will turn later in the season.” 
 
The ADAC GT Masters season resumes at the Nürburgring on August 3-5.

Located in the idyllic Austrian Alps overlooking the village of Spielberg, the undulating Red Bull Ring plays host to round three of the ADAC GT Masters campaign this weekend, with Jimmy Eriksson eager to return to his Team Rosberg GT3 Lamborghini following a six-week break.

Looking back
Rd. 2 – Most (27-29 April)

The most recent ADAC GT Masters round took place at the end of April at Most in the Czech Republic. 

Jimmy Eriksson and co-driving team-mate Jonathan Judek came home 20th in the 34-strong field in the opening Saturday race, finishing as the third best Lamborghini on a weekend when the Italian manufacturer was struck down by Balance of Performance rules following recent successes.   

In Sunday’s Race 2, the Swedish/German Team Rosberg duo was then black-flagged following an incident at the first corner.

Read more: Eriksson/Judek outside the points at Most

Looking ahead
This weekend

“We actually made quite a number of improvements to our package for Most, but we weren’t able to show it that weekend because all Lamborghinis were hit by more stringent BoP regulations. For Red Bull Ring, these have been eased again, so it will be interesting to see where in the pecking order we’ll slot in.

We know that we’re still not where we want to be, but hopefully we can be in the mix and take the fight – first and foremost – to the other Lamborghini teams. That is our main target for now.” 

TIME TABLE

ADAC GT Masters | Round 3
Red Bull Ring (Austria)

All times local (GMT+02:00)

Thursday 7 June
Test

Friday 8 June
Free Practice 1: 10.25-11.25
Free Practice 2: 16.25-17.25

Saturday 9 June
Qualifying 1: 08.45-09.15
Race 1: 13.15-14.15

Sunday 10 June
Qualifying 2: 09.00-09.30
Race 2: 13.08-14.08

Entry list
ADAC GT Masters entry list

Live streaming
adac.de/motorsport / youtube.com/adac

Jimmy Eriksson and team-mate Jonathan Judek endured a challenging weekend of ADAC GT Masters racing at Most in the Czech Republic.

Eriksson/Judek came home 20th in the 34-strong field in the opening race on Saturday, finishing as the third best Lamborghini on a weekend when the Italian manufacturer was struck down by Balance of Performance rules following recent successes.   

In Sunday’s Race 2, the Swedish/German Team Rosberg duo was then black-flagged following an incident at the first corner.

The two races were won by Stefan Mücke/Jeffrey Schmidt (Audi) and Maximilian Götz/Markus Pommer (Mercedes) respectively.
 
“A difficult weekend in many ways, but there are positives as always,” says Jimmy Eriksson. “We were closer to the other Lamborghini teams here than at Oschersleben, and I’m quite pleased with my qualifying run. We haven’t been able to compete with the other manufacturers here due to BoP, but as a team, I think we’ve taken a small step forward.” 
 
The next ADAC GT Masters round takes place at the Red Bull Ring in Austria on June 8-10.

Round two of the ADAC GT Masters season takes place in the Czech Republic this weekend, as Jimmy Eriksson and Team Rosberg driving partner Jonathan Judek head to Autodrom Most aiming to improve on their performance at the Oschersleben opener.

Looking back
Rd. 1 – Oschersleben (13-15 April)

A difficult start to the season for Eriksson/Judek. The inexperienced Judek qualified the #35 Team Rosberg Lamborghini in 34th place for the Saturday race, which the duo then finished in 27th following a positive final stint from Eriksson. In the Sunday race, they then came home 28th to cap off a challenging curtain-raiser.

Read more: Challenging GT Masters debut for Eriksson/Judek

Looking ahead
This weekend

“I hope, and I think, that Most will suit us better than Oschersleben. We had a positive test there before the season and that was the best the car has felt so far.

For me personally, all I can do for now is try to provide as much relevant feedback as possible, and make the most of my outings in the car. Hopefully we’ll take a solid step in Most.” 

TIME TABLE

ADAC GT Masters | Round 2
Most (Czech Republic)

All times local (GMT+02:00)

Thursday 26 April
Test

Friday 27 April
Free Practice 1: 11.00-12.00
Free Practice 2: 16.35-17.35

Saturday 28 April
Qualifying 1: 09.15-09.45
Race 1: 13.15-14.15

Sunday 29 April
Qualifying 2: 09.00-09.30
Race 2: 13.08-14.08

Entry list
ADAC GT Masters entry list

Live streaming
adac.de/motorsport / youtube.com/adac

The opening round of the ADAC GT Masters season proved a difficult affair for Jimmy Eriksson and team-mate Jonathan Judek, with the new driving duo unable to challenge for points at Oschersleben.

Sharing a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 for ADAC GT Masters newcomers Team Rosberg, Eriksson/Judek had to make do with 27th and 28th place respectively in the two one-hour races staged.   
 
“Not the start we wanted this season, but there’s not much we can do,” says Jimmy Eriksson. “It’s still very early days for all of us, for the entire team here in GT Masters, and this weekend was basically more of a test than a race for us. We’re just not quick enough, but we’ve experimented a lot with the car and were able to see some of its potential. For example, I had a positive stint in the first race, nearly matching the pace of the frontrunners lap by lap, so there are some positives to take.” 
 
Moving on from Oschersleben, the next round takes place at Most, Czech Republic, in two weeks’ time.   
 
“We tested at Most some weeks ago and found it to be a lot better suited to the car than Oschersleben, where we also tested before the season,” Jimmy Eriksson continues. “Hopefully that will remain true for the race meeting. I’m not saying we’re going to win there, because we’re not, but I’m convinced that we’ll make decent progress over the rest of the season.”