The first start in the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup and the first start at Brands Hatch – Walkenhorst Motorsport ventures into new territory on the traditional British circuit.
The GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup starts its new season on the traditional British circuit at Brands Hatch. Following the start of the Endurance Cup season in April, the SRO sprint series is now set to follow. Walkenhorst Motorsport will line up with an Aston Martin Vantage GT3, which will be driven by Aston Martin factory driver Henrique Chaves and Mateo Villagomez and will compete in the Pro class.
‘The race weekend will be completely new territory for us: we have never competed at Brands Hatch before and it will also be our first ever start in the Sprint Cup. We hope that our experience from the ADAC GT Masters and the DTM will benefit us, but each series has its own subtleties,’ says team founder Henry Walkenhorst.
There is a long motorsport tradition at the Brands Hatch Circuit in the county of Kent. The first racing events were held there on a grass track back in 1926, before the current circuit was opened in 1950. Almost 100 years after the first events, the British circuit will host the season opener of the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup. The track is popular with drivers and fans and is characterised in particular by its ultra-fast sections in the forest. The run-off areas are tight, meaning that mistakes can be severely penalised.
The race format of the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup is similar to that of the ADAC GT Masters. Two one-hour sprint races are held. A mandatory pit stop with driver change is prescribed between the 25th and 35th minute. A special feature of the SRO series is that good pit work is rewarded, as there is no mandatory minimum pit stop time, instead the stops are completed as quickly as possible. In addition to the driver change, two mechanics must change all four tyres on the car.
‘In the Sprint Cup, the pit stops are particularly crucial, as they are performance pit stops, which in my opinion are more demanding than those in the DTM. Only two mechanics are allowed to run around the car once and change all four tyres. The driver must also be changed. The best teams have already achieved stop times of around 20 seconds. We have practised the pit stops hard and hope that we can sell ourselves well at our first race weekend. There will only be limited practice time at Brands Hatch due to local regulations, so it will be difficult for us as the track is also new to us. In addition, the two races will follow only a short time apart, so it is important that the car does not have any major damage after the first race, as there is little time for repairs,’ says Managing Director Jörg Breuer.
The two races start on Sunday at 12:00 and 16:45 German time. Both races can be followed on the official live stream of the racing series. SRO offers broadcasts in several languages, including German and English. Qualifying will take place on Saturday at 17:35 and, like the two practice sessions, can also be followed on the stream.