ROWE RACING added another three top ten results to the six it already had racked up in the ADAC GT Masters season to date. The two entertaining races at the Slovakia Ring, held in summerly heat, saw the German team continue its upward trend after the summer break: a sixth and a seventh place for Maro Engel (Monaco) and Jan Seyffarth (Germany) and an eighth place for Jaime Alguersuari (Spain) and Nico Bastian (Germany). The results for ROWE RACING could have been even better, had it not been for the retirement of the number 22 gullwing car because of an accident not of its own fault with a top five result within reach in the race on Saturday.
ROWE RACING’s team principal Hans-Peter Naundorf: “I am very happy with the team’s performance. Due to the massive heat, conditions were anything but easy, but nevertheless, everyone in the team kept cool. In qualifying, we were really able to shine with the fifth fastest time overall. Given the quality in the field, the starting grid position is really important. Unfortunately, this good opportunity remained unrewarded on Saturday. Apart from that, we got the maximum out of the weekend. We will continue to work in a concentrated effort to hopefully score our maiden ADAC GT Masters podium finish soon.”
RACE 01: Saturday, 09 August, 2014
Nico Bastian having set the fastest lap time of all the five SLS AMG GT3 in the field in first qualifying on Friday, the ROWE RACING driver started fifth on the grid for the first race. Following a good start, the German held on to his position among the front-runners and handed the number 22 gullwing to Jaime Alguersuari during the mandatory pit stop. The ex-Formula 1 driver initially also continued the fast ride until 20 minutes before the end of the race: after contact with another SLS AMG GT3, the Spaniard’s car had to be recovered from the gravel trap. Things were going better for ROWE RACING’s sister car with number 23: starting driver Maro Engel managed to make up three positions on the opening lap, making his way up from eleventh to eighth place. During the driver change, he handed the car to Jan Seyffarth in seventh place. The latter continued to stage thrilling duels at the fast Slovakia Ring circuit and eventually crossed the finish line in a strong seventh place.
RACE 02: Sunday, 10 August, 2014
The second race of the weekend also brought plenty of entertaining action. Both of ROWE RACING’s starting drivers had a great start. From 18th place on the grid, Jaime Alguersuari managed to move up seven places right away. With the sister car, Jan Seyffarth gained two positions from 14th on the grid during the opening lap. During the following laps, the two ROWE RACING gullwings remained in the top ten. After trouble-free driver changes, an extended safety car intervention in the closing stages of the race spiced up the action once more. All the drivers in the field were running closely together again as they got one final lap in regular racing conditions with tough battles for a point-scoring finish. ROWE RACING’s final drivers Nico Bastian and Maro Engel came to the fore, resulting into a sixth-place finish for Engel with the number 23 car and eighth place for Nico Bastian.
ROWE RACING’s next ADAC GT Masters outing takes place at the Nürburgring from 29 till 31 August.