Finn Zulauf and Felix Hirsiger dominate opening race from pole for Team Engstler Motorsport
Sant’Agata Bolognese/Nürburg, 12 July 2026 – Lamborghini remain firmly in ADAC GT Masters title contention as Team Engstler Motorsport’s Finn Zulauf and Felix Hirsiger recorded their third victory of the season in the opening race of the weekend at the Nürburgring.
The crew of the #63 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 came into the weekend off the back of a difficult previous round at the Lausitzring last time out but dominated the first of two 60-minute races at the Eifel venue.
With 20kg of success weight for race two, Zulauf and Hirsiger finished ninth. The pairing clung onto the lead of the championship, which they reclaimed after race one, but are now just one point clear heading into the next round of the season at the Salzburgring in September.
After pacing 10th quickest in the first free practice session on Friday, Hirsiger and recently announced Lamborghini GT3 Junior Driver Zulauf topped the afternoon running with a time of 1m25.998, some six-tenths of a second quicker than the next best crew. That form continued into Saturday morning, with Hirsiger again the fastest driver in qualifying, his time of 1m25.104 comfortably quicker than the competition and enough to pick up the additional three championship points.
The #63, with Hirsiger at the wheel, held onto the lead at the start of the first race on Saturday afternoon, opening up a healthy two-second margin over the chasing Ford Mustang early on. Despite the lead gap stabilising at 2.6s, Hirsiger’s pace remained consistent, and the Swiss driver set the race’s fastest lap during the opening stint.
Hirsiger made his mandatory driver-change pit-stop with just over 29 minutes remaining, handing over to Zulauf, who kept the #63 ahead during the second stint. With no success ballast in the Huracán, the German was able to extend his lead over the remaining laps, eventually coming home to claim victory by nearly six seconds. The guesting #22 GRT – Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini, driven by eponymous team owner Gottfried Grasser and Gerhard Tweraser, finished ninth.
Lamborghini GT3 Junior Driver, Finn Zulauf (Team Engstler Motorsport) said: "Tyre wear is extreme in these temperatures, which is why I tried to bring the win home safely in my half of the race. It feels good to lead the championship again. I like being the hunted. However, what really matters to us, is to be top of the table after the final race of the season."
Team Engstler Motorsport team-mate Felix Hirsiger added: "We are very happy. We really got everything possible out of the car. I had a good start and knew that the first 10 to 20 minutes of the race would be key, in order to have a cushion towards the end, which would allow us to look after the tyres.”