Mercedes-AMG squad HRT has announced an expanded three-car programme for this season's Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS Endurance Cup.
The team has enjoyed a number of impressive results since Hubert Haupt took the helm in 2020, including a Silver class win at that year's TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa. Having run two cars last term, a third will join the programme in 2022 as the German outfit once again sets its sights on the long-distance championship.
The #5 Mercedes-AMG is entered in the new Gold Cup class and will see team owner Haupt joined by Arjun Maini and Florian Scholze. Haupt and Scholze are both experienced series regulars, while Maini makes his Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS debut this season.
In the sister #4 machine, Jannes Fittje, Jordan Love and Alain Valente will share driving duties. Fittje and Valente will both make their series debuts this term, the latter stepping up for a British GT campaign in the GT4 class. Australian racer Love is set for his second season in the Endurance Cup having debuted last term with the SPS squad.
The #777 Mercedes-AMG will also contest the Silver Cup, competing under the Al Manar Racing by HRT banner. Al Faisal Al Zubair will make his series debut following a strong International GT Open campaign in 2021, joined by experienced racers Fabian Schiller and Axcil Jefferies. With its drivers hailing from Oman, Germany and Zimbabwe respectively, the #777 features an especially international line-up.
Team boss and driver Hubert Haupt said: “The Endurance Cup in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS offers exactly what makes motorsport so extraordinary and fascinating: demanding races at the best tracks in Europe, a highly-competitive field and real teamwork in the cockpit, the garage and behind the scenes.
"You could not ask for better prerequisites for a successful customer racing programme. Like the whole HRT team, I am looking forward to our third season together in the GT World Challenge Europe.”
HRT's fleet of cars will attend the official Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS test days at Circuit Paul Ricard on 7-8 March. The Endurance Cup season begins at Imola on 1-3 April, before returning to Circuit Paul Ricard for a six-hour race on 3-5 June. The marquee TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa runs on 28-31 July, followed by a home event at Hockenheim (2-4 September) and the season finale at Barcelona (30 September-2 October).