Who will be the 2026 ADAC GT Masters Champion? Six drivers are battling it out for the title

A three-way battle for the ADAC GT Masters championship. Ahead of the final round at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg (9–11 October), just five points separate the championship leaders from their challengers – the closest title race in years. At the top of the standings, with 184 points, are the BMW drivers Leyton Fourie (20/ZAF) and Tim Zimmermann (29/Langenargen/both FK Performance Motorsport). In second place, on 179 points, are Felix Hirsiger (28/CHE) and Finn Zulauf (22/Königstein im Taunus/both Liqui Moly Team Engstler Motorsport) in their Lamborghini. Mathematically, Kiano Blum (19/AUT) and Niklas Kalus (21/Duisburg/both Haupt Racing Team) in their Ford Mustang are still in with a chance of winning the trophy. They trail by 48 points, and there are still 56 points up for grabs at Hockenheim. Tickets for the grand finale as part of the DTM are available at dtm.com from 49 euros.

Five points: that is the gap between first and second place – both in the championship and in the points table. Anything is possible in the remaining two races of the ADAC GT Masters. Over the course of the season, the championship lead has swung back and forth between Fourie/Zimmermann and Hirsiger/Zulauf. Will the BMW drivers stay ahead until the end, or will the Lamborghini duo close the gap once again?

The bare statistics favour Lamborghini at the Hockenheimring, with six wins to two. Zimmermann, who celebrated his first ADAC GT Masters podium there in 2020 and won in 2023, is determined to change that. “I’ve had plenty of attempts and am grateful to be in this position now,” he explains. “It would be a massive highlight. Winning the title would fulfil a major goal and a dream.” South African Fourie has been following the successes of the Van der Linde brothers and Jordan Pepper for years and wants to emulate his compatriots: “Ever since I was a child, I’ve dreamt of winning a GT3 championship too. Sheldon and Jordan in particular have supported me a great deal over the years, and it would be lovely to follow in their footsteps.”

Zulauf also knows what it feels like to celebrate at Hockenheim. He won the ADAC GT4 Germany title there in 2024 and is sending a clear challenge to the competition. “We’re going into the weekend expecting to become champions,” says Zulauf. “We’ve fought for this for so long. Finishing second would feel like a defeat.” Team-mate Hirsiger goes into the final as a two-time champion in other series and has a clear objective: “That would be my third title in a row, and that’s my main motivation. It would mean a great deal to me and would, of course, also be extremely important for the future.”

Trailing by 48 points, Kalus and Blum in their Ford Mustang GT3 are more among the outsiders. However, the duo are not letting that discourage them and are heading into the final full of motivation. “We’d really like to secure another win,” says Kalus. “Winning the championship will be very difficult, but we’ll do our best and focus on ourselves.” Team-mate Blum is also optimistic. “Hockenheim has always been one of my favourite circuits. I’d go so far as to say that I’m personally at my fastest there, because I’ve clocked up so many kilometres there. I’m therefore confident that we’ll finish the season on a high.”

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10.10.2026 - 11:35