Haupt Racing Team announces first drivers for the 2025 motorsport season

The 2025 motorsport season has some exciting challenges in store for the Haupt Racing Team. The team will take part in Europe's most prestigious GT series with the Ford Mustang GT3 for the first timeand, as HRT Ford Performance, will compete in the DTM and the Nürburgring-Nordschleife. It will also enter the ADAC GT Masters and the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe.

For the first races with the new car, the Drees team is relying on a proven driver line-up that once again demonstrates the positive effects of the team's intensive promotion of young talent. The five young drivers have already successfully contested GT3 races for the Haupt Racing Team in the past and are now taking on the new challenge together with the team.

Arjun Maini (IND), Jusuf Owega, Salman Owega, David Schumacher and Finn Wiebelhaus (all GER) will support Ford Performance and the Haupt Racing Team in the development of the new car and in achieving the first sporting successes for HRT. Arjun Maini, Jusuf Owega and David Schumacher will start in their new role as Ford Performance Factory Drivers, making them part of the official Ford Performance factory squad.

Salman Owega and Finn Wiebelhaus will contest the season as official Ford Performance GT3 Juniors and will take the next step in their development in a new environment. The drivers' individual programs will be announced at a later date, as will further additions to the HRT driver squad.

Arjun Maini has already made 87 race starts for the Haupt Racing Team since February 2022, 48 of them as a regular driver in the DTM. In the top-class GT3 sprint series, he has attracted attention with one pole position and four podium finishes. The Indian also regularly showed his talent in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe and on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife.

Arjun Maini, Ford Performance Factory Driver: "I am very excited to join Ford in this new adventure. It's an honor to be part of such an iconic brand and to continue working with HRT. I look forward to the challenge and hope we can win some races and championships together."

Jusuf Owega competed in the 2024 Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup and in the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring for HRT. In ten outings, he took two podium finishes and won his class at the three-hour race in Monza. The 22-year-old has already completed a year as a regular driver in the DTM in 2023.

Jusuf Owega, Ford Performance Factory Driver: "I'm looking forward to this new chapter in my racing career and couldn't be happier to sign with Ford, a brand with a very decorated racing history. Having competed in the championships with HRT last year, this ensures great chemistry within the team, which is always key to success. Everyone's motivation is through the roof, and we can't wait to get racing."

Salman Owega won the ADAC GT Masters drivers' championship in 2023 and achieved three overall victories in twelve races with HRT in the following season. In the 2024 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers and the six-hour NLS4, Owega and the Haupt Racing Team won their class in all three races.

Salman Owega, Ford Performance GT3 Junior: "I can't wait to start this new chapter with Ford. I look forward to building a strong foundation for the future and achieving great things together!"

David Schumacher has competed 14 times for the Haupt Racing Team to date. In his appearances, he has taken pole position twice and won three races in the ADAC GT Masters, finishing the season in third place in the drivers' standings. The former DTM driver has also been a winner in the Nürburgring endurance series.

David Schumacher, Ford Performance Factory Driver: "I am thrilled to announce that I am officially joining Multimatic - Ford with HRT. This incredible opportunity marks an exciting new chapter in my career, and I am honored to represent this iconic name in the world of motorsports and automotive excellence. I look forward to contributing to the team's legacy of performance and innovation both on and off the track. A huge thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way - your encouragement has been invaluable."

Finn Wiebelhaus made his debut for the Haupt Racing Team in the 2024 GT Winter Series and immediately claimed seven overall victories in the series. The 18-year-old young talent also completed the entire season in the ADAC GT Masters and won the gold medal in the GT Sprint discipline at the FIA Motorsport Games in Valencia.

Finn Wiebelhaus, Ford Performance GT3 Junior: "For me, it is a great honor to have the confidence of Ford in my second year of GT racing. It is a huge opportunity to drive for one of the biggest car manufacturers in the world as a junior. I am looking forward to the new challenge and I want to repay the trust placed in me with success."

Ulrich Fritz, Chief Executive Officer Haupt Racing Team: "We are looking forward to this new season and are confident that we are well positioned with this driver line-up and will be successful in sporting terms. We have had very positive experiences with all five drivers in the past and value their technical feedback, which will be an important factor, especially in the development work on the Ford Mustang GT3. The fact that the drivers have been included in the official Ford Performance squad at the same time makes the collaboration much easier and highlights their driving potential."