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Keen to prove its 24H SERIES GT3 Teams’ title in 2023 was “no fluke,” Haas RT has taken plenty of positives away from two frustrating weekends in the United Arab Emirates ahead of CREVENTIC’s European season opener in Mugello.
Words – James Gent
Images – Nico Mombaerts
Haas RT has admitted that, while neither the Hankook 6H ABU DHABI nor the Hankok 24H DUBAI produced the results the team was hoping for, the speed of the Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II was a confidence-booster heading into the start of its GT3 Teams’ title defense at next month’s Hankook 12H MUGELLO.
After securing the overall GT3 Teams’ title in last year’s 24H SERIES powered by Hankook – in its first-ever racing program – Haas RT has admitted it went into this year’s season openers in Abu Dhabi and Dubai keen to prove its 2023 championship win was “no fluke.” Potentially adding to the Antiguan team’s high expectations, Haas RT finished its first-ever race – the 2023 Hankook 24H DUBAI – in 5th overall from 43rd on the grid, and took its first-ever podium finish one round later in Abu Dhabi.
Sadly, a mix of Code 60 delays and on-track contact in the United Arab Emirates means Haas RT started its sophomore 24H SERIES campaigns with ‘only’ a top 10 finish in Abu Dhabi and 3rd in-class in Dubai, below the team’s own high goals.
In its post-race ‘desert report’ however, the Antiguan team has admitted that “while [their] hard work was left unrewarded, [the #21 Audi R8] once again proved to have the pace to fight at the top” heading into the start of the European season in Mugello on 22-23-24 March.
Ironically, while Haas RT lost its second entries early in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai – the #92 Mercedes-AMG GT3, driven by series debutants Masoud Jaberian, Edoardo Bacci and Alessandro Tonoli at Yas Marina suffered engine failure (ironically) 21 laps in, while heavy chassis damage after a Free Practice shunt meant the #20 Audi R8, piloted by Jiatong Liang, Morris Schuring, Tim Müller and Florian Scholze was eliminated before qualifying in Dubai – the sister #21 started strongly at both events. Stanislav Minsky, Thomas Kiefer, Torsten Kratz and Mathieu Detry secured outright pole position in Abu Dhabi, while the quartet – now joined by Miika Panu – qualified 3rd in Dubai, just 0.168s off the top spot, and held the GT3-Am class lead for most of the opening 12 hours.
“Code 60 calamities in the second half of [Abu Dhabi] would prove costly” to the team’s strategy in Abu Dhabi however, and after finishing the first hour 2nd only to the Baron Motorsport Ferrari 488 GT3, Haas RT had dropped to 10th overall and two laps behind new GT3-Am class leader Herberth Motorsport during the second. The #21 Audi eventually finished a frustrated 8th overall in Abu Dhabi.
Despite again falling foul of early Code 60s in Dubai (during which the #21 Audi almost dropped out of the overall top 20 during the second and third hours), Haas RT had already recovered to the GT3-Am class lead after four hours, and was comfortably running 4th overall, one lap ahead of nearest category rival CP Racing, after hour 10. Soon afterwards however, the team lost 12 minutes in the pits to repairs after on-track contact with FACH AUTO TECH’s #961 Porsche during Kiefer’s second stint. Kratz rejoined the race 14th overall – now 6th in-class – and while the team was back in the fight for the final GT3-Am podium spot shortly after half-distance, the Audi was now four laps down on eventual class winner Century Motorsport.
In a further bitter blow, Kiefer was unable to hold-off the hard-charging Saintéloc Junior Team for 2nd in-class in the closing stages. Haas RT eventually finished 8th overall at the Hankook 24H DUBAI, albeit still on the GT3-Am class podium in 3rd.
Despite the frustrations, series debutant Kiefer, a Nürburgring Endurance Series regular and a “spontaneous call-up” for his 24H SERIES and GT3 debut in Abu Dhabi, was quick to praise his “valuable experience” with Haas RT.
“It was an educational two weeks and I am really more than satisfied with the results,” he explains. “I've been working towards my first race in GT3 racing for a long time and I'm very grateful for this opportunity. The preparation time was limited, but I quickly adjusted to the car. The pace was there from the first moment and every lap brought me new insights.
“The pole position in Abu Dhabi was truly a perfect debut. In Dubai, however, there were some challenges to overcome. Going into qualifying without training wasn't ideal. On the other hand, the focus in a 24-hour race is not on the starting position and we still ensured the best possible starting position with pole position in our class. Things were going very well for long stretches of the race until this unfortunate incident set us back shortly before the halfway point.
“But we fought back and I'm very happy with the podium in the AM category. The two races were a valuable experience for me and I felt very comfortable in the team. Many thanks to Haas RT and Stanislav for their trust and the opportunity to compete in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.”
Among “plenty of positives to take” for the team after two difficult weekends in the UAE, Haas RT’s next race in the 24H SERIES will be at the Hankook 12H MUGELLO, site of its first-ever race win one year ago.
