Frikadelli Racing started with two podium places and a successful Ferrari premiere
19.03.2023
Frikadelli Racing got off to a very promising start to the new motorsport season. At the first round of the Nürburgring Endurance Series, the team led by team boss Klaus Abbelen secured third place in the AM classification of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring (CUP2 class) with the #111 Porsche 992 GT3 Cup and was able to drive straight onto the podium . In addition, the new #30 Ferrari 296 GT3 successfully passed its baptism of fire in the "Green Hell" and crossed the finish line after four hours in second place in the SP9 PRO-AM class.
“I am very satisfied with the entire weekend and our performance in both classes. Above all, the cooperation with Rinaldi Racing was a lot of fun and the data exchange with the sister vehicle of WTM Racing was also a complete success. The whole team has a big grin on their face after the race. That shows how much we're already looking forward to the next races,” beamed team boss Klaus Abbelen.
From Frikadelli Racing's point of view, qualifying in the morning already got off to an excellent start. Hendrik von Danwitz, who celebrated his comeback in the team this weekend, put the #111 Porsche 992 GT3 Cup on pole position in CUP-2. On a drying track, the Tönisvorster lapped the Nordschleife in 8:59.454 minutes and was therefore faster than all PRO vehicles in the class. For Frikadelli Racing it was the second pole position in the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring after the 2022 24-hour race.
In the race, Hendrik von Danwitz, "Jules" and Klaus Abbelen were able to build on the strong performance from the practice session with the #111 Porsche 992 GT3 Cup. With consistently fast lap times, they finished third in the AM category and thus achieved their goal of finishing on the podium right at the start of the season.
The first appearance of the #30 Ferrari 296 GT3 was also positive. Felipe Laser and Klaus Abbelen primarily used the race weekend to collect data and experience with the new Italian sports car on the Nordschleife. The first test was successfully completed with second place in the SP9 PRO-AM category.
“On the track, the Ferrari 296 GT3 is relatively easy to handle. What I particularly like is that setup changes can be felt immediately and we get very good feedback from the vehicle. My first impression is extremely positive. At the next NLS race we will build on this and push the development further," Abbelen continued.
More thoughts on the race weekend:
Felipe Laser (#30 Ferrari 296 GT3): “We can all be super happy with the weekend. It was important to collect as many kilometers as possible with the new vehicle on the Nordschleife and to test different things. Even if there is still a lot of work ahead of us, we were able to work out a first good basic setup. The Ferrari 296 GT3 promises a lot of potential, which is why I am really looking forward to the next appearances, especially the 24-hour race.”
“Jules” (#111 Porsche 992 GT3 Cup): “A really great start to the new season for us. Hendrik did a great job on his comeback, especially with pole position in qualifying. I had to adjust myself a bit in the cockpit because unfortunately I had a few problems with my left foot and therefore also braked with my right foot. However, that worked very well and I really enjoyed the race, especially with the many duels in the early stages. We can build on this achievement.”
Hendrik von Danwitz (#111 Porsche 992 GT3 Cup): “First of all, it's nice to be back in the Frikadelli Racing team. Qualifying was really great. On the last lap I got a very good lap that was enough for pole position. All in all, we can also be very satisfied with the podium finish in the race. Small things still need to be improved, but it was a good start.”
