The Porsche Sixt Carrara Cup Deutschland kicked off the 2024 season in Imola. Proton Huber Competition was able to achieve strong results, which the racing team dedicated to long-time team member Gerhard Freundorfer, who died in an accident shortly before the race weekend.

One week before the season opener of the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland, a tragic accident hit the Proton Huber Competition team. Operations manager Gerhard Freundorfer, who was also team manager of the team's Michelin Le Mans Cup programme, was killed in a tragic accident in the paddock during set-up for the race weekend in Barcelona.

Freundorfer had worked for the Hofkirchen-based racing team from day one and was regarded as the Porsche racing team's secret team boss. With his warm and open manner, Freundorfer made many friends in the paddocks around the world - as demonstrated by the huge outpouring of sympathy from the world of motorsport following the tragedy.

"Gerhard, you were the contact person for everything and everyone, you fought for the team, lost with the team and won with the team. You stood behind us in every situation and made sure that this company continued to function even in difficult times. You are and will always be a part of our racing family. No matter in which race, in which racing series, in which country, we will carry you with us," said Christoph Huber, Team Principal Proton Huber Competition, deeply saddened.

The team fielded a total of five Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars. Three-time champion Larry ten Voorde was joined on the grid by talented young drivers Horst-Felix Felbermayr, Sebastian Freymuth, Flynt Schuring and Alexander Tauscher.

The first race of the season on Saturday afternoon was a rollercoaster ride of emotions for the racing team from the district of Passau. Larry ten Voorde came out on top on the track and won the race. However, after an emotional podium ceremony at which the Dutchman commemorated Gerhard Freundorfer, he was given a 4-second time penalty and dropped back to third place, before later moving up a place again following the disqualification of a competitor. In the end, all five Porsches from Proton Huber Competition finished the race in the points, scoring a huge haul of points for the team! Flynt Schuring, the younger brother of former Huber Racing driver Morris Schuring, celebrated a strong debut in the German one-make series and finished third in the rookie classification.

The Proton Huber Competition drivers also put in another strong performance early on Sunday morning! Larry ten Voorde quickly moved up from fourth on the grid to second position and celebrated another podium finish. Horst Felix Felbermayr stormed from tenth on the grid to fifth place and was able to celebrate his best result in the highly competitive racing series. Flynt Schuring also had reason to celebrate. In seventh place overall, the Dutchman won the rookie classification in only his second start in the Carrera Cup Germany! Sebastian Freymuth finished the race in tenth position, meaning that four Porsches from Christoph Huber's team finished the race in the top 10! Alexander Tauscher was unlucky: after starting the race from a great position on the grid, the driver from Lower Bavaria was spun round on the starting lap and dropped to the back of the field. But with strong lap times and a lot of fighting spirit, the talented youngster drove his way back up to 13th position and into the points.

"It was an extremely emotional race weekend for us," said Franziska Lambacher and Michael Dirsch, who manage the programme in the racing series at Proton Huber Competition. "It's obviously a shame that we lost the win on Saturday due to the penalty, but we know that we decided this race on the track and that's what counts for us! We are extremely pleased for Flynt that he was able to win the rookie classification on his debut in the Carrera Cup Deutschland. Our other drivers also showed strong performances in Imola, even if it is a shame that Alex lost another top position after the incident in the second race, but his fightback afterwards was worthy of all honours! We want to dedicate these results to Gerhard, we are sure that he sent us a lot of strength for this challenging race weekend!"

The Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland continues in just one week's time. In the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben, the series will take part in the support programme of the DTM and will therefore be competing in Germany for the first time this year.