The first of two Austrian rounds of the ADAC GT Masters at the Salzburgring brought little reward for the Land-Motorsport squad. But in just one week, Carrie Schreiner and Alain Valente will be looking for redemption at the Red Bull Ring.
Although the duo had already put in valuable mileage and gained experience during pre-race preparations and official test sessions at the Salzburgring, luck was not on their side in qualifying and the races. Starting from twelfth and 13th on the grid left the Audi pair with an uphill battle from the outset.
Their weekend began with an early retirement in race one after contact. “It was just bad luck to have that contact right at the start of my stint,” reflected Alain Valente after Saturday’s seventh race of the season. “The car was undriveable afterwards, so we decided to end it early.”
Sunday’s race turned into a test of patience. With several safety cars and even a red flag, Valente and Schreiner experienced a real rollercoaster. Having dropped to the very back of the field at one stage, they eventually fought back to cross the line in eleventh place.
The ADAC GT Masters is now heading into the final stretch. The penultimate round of the season takes place next week (12 to 14 September) at the Red Bull Ring, once again featuring two 60-minute races. In Styria, the GT championship will run on the support bill of the DTM.
