Rutronik Racing wants to continue its good form in Monza during the second race weekend of the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup.

The Autodromo Nazionale di Monza is one of the fastest race tracks in the world – every year, Formula 1 cars reach breathtaking speeds on the circuit in Lombardy during the Italian Grand Prix. The circuit also has a long tradition in GT racing. This year, it will host the second race weekend of the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup – the debut race of the SRO racing series was held near Milan in 2011. Rutronik Racing will compete with two Porsche 911 GT3 R.

The three Porsche contracted drivers Sven Müller, Patric Niederhauser and Alessio Picariello will be driving the Porsche with start number #96 in northern Italy. Antares Au and Loek Hartog will have to compete as a duo in the Bronze Cup, as regular driver Morris Schuring, who is also a Porsche contracted driver, has to compete for another Porsche team. Hartog will contest two full stints in the race in the Porsche with start number #97, while his partner Au will complete one as a bronze driver.

The Porsche team from Remchingen has enjoyed a successful season so far in the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS. The team has secured a podium finish at each of the three events so far. Müller, Niederhauser and Picariello finished second in the six-hour race at Le Castellet, before Müller and Niederhauser followed up with third place in the Sprint Cup event at Brands Hatch. The two experienced Porsche drivers finally secured their first victory of the season at Zandvoort in the Netherlands. After three of ten events, Sven Müller and Patric Niederhauser are second in the overall standings of the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS.

A special tactical challenge awaits the teams at the race in Monza. Due to the high proportion of full throttle, an additional pit stop must be made, as fuel consumption would otherwise increase too much and the cars would not be able to reach the finish line safely. This means that three mandatory pit stops are required with a minimum driving time of 50 minutes per driver, which gives the teams an additional variable. Last year, this made for a highly dramatic race with an unexpected outcome.

The three-hour race of the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup starts on Sunday at 3:00 pm. The three-part qualifying session will take place on Sunday morning from 9:50 a.m. All sessions on Sunday, as well as the two practice sessions on Saturday, can be followed on the official livestream of the racing series on YouTube, which is available in German and English, among other languages. On Friday, the teams will also have two 90-minute test sessions at their disposal to optimally prepare their vehicles for the high-speed battle.

Klaus Graf, Rutronik Racing Team Principal: "The race in the royal park of Monza is a special highlight in the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS calendar. The high-speed track demands a lot from drivers and engineers to find the optimal compromise for the set-up. We were already able to gain some very good insights during test drives in the preseason. I think we are well prepared with both cars and want to consolidate our very good position in the championship with the #96. The #97 will only have two drivers, Antares and Loek, which is a very special challenge. As always when we race in Italy, we will once again be supported by many guests from Rutronik."

Alessio Picariello, driver of the Porsche 911 GT3 R #96: "I can't wait to be back in a Rutronik Racing Porsche with my two teammates, on a track and in a country that I really love. We will try to carry the momentum forward, and it's also our last chance to optimise everything before the 24 Hours of Spa. So it's an extremely important race weekend for us.‘

Antares Au, driver of the Porsche 911 GT3 R #97: ’The Monza race will be special for us as only Loek and I will be driving the car. However, we are ready for this challenge as we have completed extensive test drives here. The weather is good, the car feels great, the team is well prepared and is bringing a lot of momentum to Monza after the great results recently. We are ready for the weekend!"