Tales from the paddock: Various podiums and two wins at Hockenheim

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Start of a new venture, reports of successes in GT #racing around the world, and the build-up to the F1 night race in Singapore

• This is what happened: Results and facts
• News from the Mercedes-AMG Motorsport teams
• Social media news: What’s new online?

This is what happened: Results and facts

• ADAC GT Masters: Indy Dontje and Maximilian Götz runners-up in Race 1 at Hockenheim
• ADAC GT4 Germany: Two wins in two races for the Mercedes-AMG GT4 at the Hockenheimring
• IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge: Victory for Dominik Baumann and Russell Ward at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey

News snippets

Singapore, here we come: With the European leg of the 2019 season now complete, Formula 1 is shaping up for one of the standout events of the year – the Singapore Grand Prix. The night race immediately established itself as one of the biggest races on the F1 calendar when it made its debut in 2008. The Marina Bay Street Circuit has not been the most favourable of venues for the team over the years. With its 23 corners, this tricky street circuit has tested the drivers to the limit. A look at the statistics shows that the team has nonetheless managed to register four victories under the floodlights since 2014 – three of them in consecutive years. Lewis Hamilton has stood on the top spot of the podium three times (2014, 2017, 2018) and Nico Rosberg once (2016). The qualifying sessions have also been highly competitive in the past five visits: on three occasions, the pole went to Mercedes, and on two others to Ferrari.

Welcome to Formula E: A couple of days before the most recent race weekend got underway, the new Mercedes-Benz EQ Formula E Team held its official launch at the Frankfurt International Motor Show. The ABB FIA Formula E Championship newcomer unveiled the car – the Mercedes-Benz EQ Silver Arrow 01 – and introduced the driver squad of Stoffel Vandoorne and Nyck de Vries alongside team principal Ian James. Further information about the presentation can be found on our Media Page.

Podium run extended and double victory at the Hockenheimring: Following podium appearances at Spielberg (P2), Zandvoort (P3) and the Nürburgring (P2), Mercedes-AMG Motorsport extended its successful #adacgtmasters run at the #hockenheimring. Indy Dontje (NED) and Maximilian Götz (GER) in the number 47 Mercedes-AMG GT3 finished second in the first race of the weekend, scoring further vital championship points. The MANN-FILTER Team HTP Motorsport duo now travel to the season finale at the Sachsenring in fourth place, still in contention for the runner-up spot. Jimmy Eriksson (SWE) and Daniel Keilwitz (GER) in the number Mercedes AMG GT3 fielded by Zakspeed BKK Mobil Oil #racing came a creditable fourth in the first race, their best performance of the 2019 #adacgtmasters. In the second race, fans at the 4.57km track witnessed an impressive all-round display by the performance and sports car brand from Affalterbach. All four of the Mercedes-AMG GT3s in the line-up for the #event finished among the points, with the number 47 (seventh) and number 21 (ninth) once again emerging as the fastest of the AMG contingent. In addition, Marvin Dienst (GER) and Aidan Read (AUS) of Schütz Motorsport (#36) took second place in the Junior class to stay third and keep alive their chances in this championship for younger drivers.

In the ADAC GT4 Germany, which also took place at the weekend at the #hockenheimring, there were two victories for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport. The first of these went to Tim Heinemann and Luke Wankmüller (both GER) of HP #racing International (#77), who left all their opponents behind in Saturday’s 60-minute race, crossing the finish line in first place. Morgan Haber (AUS) and Luca-Sandro Trefz (GER) in the number 48 Mercedes-AMG GT4 missed out on the podium by the narrowest of margins in fourth place. The Leipert Motorsport pairing more than made amends in the second race, however. Starting from ninth, they maintained a consistently good pace throughout the race and came home ahead of the rest of the 26‑strong field. Also achieving a Top Ten finish were Oliver Mayer and Jan-Philipp Springob (both GER) of Team Bremotion, who came seventh in the number 11 Mercedes-AMG GT4, a result that was enough to take Mayer to the top of the Trophy standings. Springob is in second place in the Junior classification, ahead of Luca-Sandro Trefz in third.

Triumph for AMG at the Laguna Seca Raceway: Dominik Baumann (AUT) and Russell Ward (USA) crowned an impressive performance in the ninth round of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge with a victory. In the two-hour race at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the Winward #racing / HTP Motorsport duo in the number 33 car finished first after starting from fifth. The win was due to skilful overtaking on the track and to a perfect pit stop strategy. No fewer than four Mercedes-AMG GT4s finished in the Top Ten, thereby racking up valuable points in the drivers’ and manufacturers’ standings. Mercedes-AMG Motorsport leads the championship by a three-point margin, with one race yet to be contested.

The WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca also hosted the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship this weekend. In the eleventh #event of the 2019 season, Jeroen Bleekemolen (NED) and Ben Keating (USA) driving the number 33 Mercedes-AMG Team Riley Motorsports car finished fifth in the GTD class.

Victories and podium finishes in France, England, Italy, Norway and Asia: Mercedes-AMG Customer #racing monopolised the podium in the fifth round of the 2019 GT4 France. Thomas Drouet and Benjamin Ricci (both FRA) of AKKA ASP (#88) were victorious in the second race of the weekend and made their first appearance on the top rung this season; in fact, it was the first victory for any Mercedes-AMG in this year’s GT4 France. A historic day for the brand was further enhanced by second place for CD Sport (#187) and third place for the AKKA ASP sister car (#187). This excellent set of results also gave a boost to the teams and drivers in the two title challenges: Edouard Cauhaupé and Arthur Rougier (both FRA) of CD Sport (#187) are third in the drivers’ standings while AKKA ASP are likewise third in the team championship.

In the last race of this year’s British GT Championship, the number 6 car of RAM #racing and the number 77 fielded by Fox Motorsport each scored a Top Three result. While Ian Loggie and Callum MacLeod (both GBR) in the number 6 Mercedes-AMG GT3 finished the two-hour race at Donington Park as overall runners-up, Michael Broadhurst and Mark Murfitt (both GBR) in the number 77 Mercedes-AMG GT4 took second place in class. The GT3 championship thus ended with Loggie and MacLeod fifth overall and with Murfitt and Broadhurst third in the GT4 Pro AM classification.

Antonelli MotorSport fielded two Mercedes-AMG GT3s in the sixth of eight races in the 2019 Italian GT Championship. Stefano Colombo, Francesca Linossi (both ITA) and Ling Kang (CHN) in the number 21 car achieved a respectable result. The three-hour race at the Autodromo Vallelunga ended with the trio in P4 overall as well as P2 in class.

Meanwhile, Victor Bouveng and Mats Ek Tidstrand (both SWE) were celebrating two podium successes in the GT4 Scandinavia. The Eken Motorsport pairing in the number 71 Mercedes-AMG GT4 secured third place in both the first and second races, accumulating further valuable points towards the championship in which they are currently running fourth.

Endless Sports (#3) finished second in the ST-Z class of the Super Taikyu series at Motegi in Japan. In the five-hour race at Twin Ring Motegi, the driver trio of Tsubasa Takahashi, Yudai Uchida and Hideki Yamauchi (all JPN) finished fifth overall after starting from eighth on the grid. The number 190 Mercedes-AMG GT4 entered by Birth #racing Project finished third in class behind their fellow Mercedes opponents.

There were also successes for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport to report from the Pan Delta Super #racing Festival. Pat Wong of Team TRC (#26) put in an exceptionally strong performance at the Zhuhai International Circuit by winning his class on both days. His team-mate Terence Tse (HKN) in the number 22 Mercedes-AMG GT4 rounded off a gratifying weekend with a P3 and a P2 in class.