- Lionspeed GP set for first Nürburgring 24 as independent GT squad, competing in SP9 Pro-Am
- Independent Cup runner up Antares Au and reigning Pro-Am winner Indy Dontje to make first Nordschleife appearances with the team
- Lionspeed welcomes back Patric Niederhauser for the first time since 2022
Bad Homburg, April 12, 2024 / PRESS RELEASE – Lionspeed GP is gearing up for its maiden outing in the Nürburgring 24 with an all-new lineup. The team will compete at its home race with a mix of defending ProAm winners, IGTC winners and world-class professionals as it looks to fight for the victory in the SP9 Pro-Am category.
The Nürburgring 24, held annually on the legendary Nordschleife in Germany’s Eifel region, is widely regarded as one of the toughest and most challenging races in the world. The unforgiving and very fast nature of the Nurburgring Nordschleife, combined with a huge and varied grid and the ever-present chance of rapidly changing weather conditions makes the event a true test for both man and machine.
It is a test that Lionspeed GP, in its first season as an independent GT racing team, is ready and excited to face. To do so, the team welcomes two new drivers and a familiar face to its ranks as team co-founder Patrick Kolb (GER) will share the No. 24 Porsche 911 GT3 R with Antares Au (HKG), Patric Niederhauser (CHE) and Indy Dontje (NED), to compete in the SP9 Pro-Am class.
Antares Au has developed into a prominent Porsche racer since making his GT3 debut in 2019. Even though he will be making his first start in the N24, he brings vast experience of the Porsche 911 GT3 R to the team, which he has raced in the Asian Le Mans Series, Intercontinental GT Challenge and Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS. Au pairs up with Lionspeed for Nurburgring 24H in order to collect valuable points in the IGTC’s Independent Cup, which is awarded to the best Bronze-rated driver of the championship. In 2023 Au already showed a very strong appearance in the Independent Cup by three straight victories of the last rounds of the championship, including a win at Spa 24h 2023. These results left him only one position short of the title, finishing runner up. He recently raced with Lionspeed at the NLS season opener, where he successfully obtained his Nordschleife A-permit at the wheel of the teams Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS.
Antares Au: “I’m very excited to embark on my first N24 journey with Lionspeed GP — this is a circuit and race like no other, and the learning curve is steep and slippery like Nordschleife itself. We have a ton of learning ahead, but everyone’s motivated and we’ll work hard for it!”
The team is equally excited to welcome Dutch racer Indy Dontje, who will be making his first appearance with Lionspeed. He has been a regular in GT3 racing for several years, is the reigning SP9 Pro-Am winner at the N24 and will be making his racing debut behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 R. Dontje has so far experienced an excellent start to his racing season, taking class victories in both the Rolex 24 at Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring – two of the most prestigious endurance races in the United States.
Last but not least, Lionspeed warmly welcomes back Niederhauser, who formed part of the team’s N24 lineup in 2021 and 2022 alongside Kolb. Since transitioning from single seaters to endurance racing, the Swiss driver became one of the top names in global GT3 racing. As a factory driver for Audi, he took the ADAC GT Masters title in 2019 and competed for victories and podiums in some of the most prestigious endurance races and championships around the world. For the 2024 season, Niederhauser became a Porsche-contracted driver, thus opening up the possibility for a reunion with Lionspeed after one year away.
In order to prepare for the unique challenges posed by the Nurburgring Nordschleife, Au, Niederhauser, Dontje and Kolb will compete together in the N24 Qualifiers, which take place this weekend (April 13-14). The qualifiers consist of a pair of four-hour races, one on Saturday and one on Sunday.
