ust Motorsport are looking to upcoming talent for the second of their two Audi R8s in the ADAC GT Masters. Dennis Marschall (20, GER) and Patric Niederhauser (25, CH) will be contesting the 2017 championship in the number 55 car and will be lining up alongside fellow Aust drivers Pierre Kaffer (40, GER) and Markus Pommer (27, GER) in the sister R8. Whereas Marschall, who finished last year’s Audi Sport TT Cup as championship runner-up, is new to GT3 competition, Niederhauser has already ventured into the ADAC GT Masters on an irregular basis.

“We are delighted to have secured the services of another fast duo for our second cockpit,” says team principal Frank Aust. “With this exciting mix of three experienced and successful veterans and one promising young talent, we can look to the future with optimism.”

For former ADAC Sports Foundation protégé Marschall, who finished the 2014 Formel ADAC in sixth position, graduation to the ADAC GT Masters comes at just the right time: “I have seen my motorsport career in the world of sports cars for a long time. After two successful years in the Audi Sport TT Cup, I feel optimally prepared for this challenge. The car is obviously a great step up for me. I am definitely going to need a certain period of familiarisation to acquire a feel for it. Even so, my aim is to regularly feature in the Top Ten. A podium finish in my first year would be a great achievement, of course.”

Meanwhile, Swiss co-driver Niederhauser is excited about his first full season in the Super Sports Car League: “I’m really looking forward to the new challenge in the ADAC GT Masters. As early as the first test drives, we could see that the chemistry was just right. The whole team structure here, with highly motivated and capable people, fills me with confidence that good results are possible. What’s more, I have a very powerful car in the Audi R8 LMS.”