Vietoris to race Strakka Blancpain Mercedes alongside DTM roles
New Mercedes DTM test and reserve driver Christian Vietoris will race for the German manufacturer in this year's Blancpain GT Series with the factory-supported Strakka squad
The German, whose return to the Mercedes DTM fold for 2018 was also announced today, will drive for Strakka Racing in the five BGTS Endurance Cup events, starting at Monza on April 22.
Vietoris has previously raced Mercedes GT machinery in the Nurburgring 24 Hours and will share a Mercedes-AMG GT3 BGTS at the series opener with ex-DTM driver Adrien Tambay and team regular David Fumanelli.
"We are delighted to have secured Christian to drive for us," said Jay Davenport, Strakka's racing director.
"Along with Adrien and David, we feel this makes a formidable line-up capable of running at the front."
Vietoris added that he believed the line-up has "great potential".
"After a year's absence, I'm obviously delighted to be back in motorsport, and as a member of the Mercedes family," said the German, who finished fourth in the DTM points in 2013 and '14.
Vietoris will be on hand at all 10 DTM races in his latest role at Mercedes.
Strakka, which is representing Mercedes in the Intercontinental GT Challenge, is running two cars in the pro division in the BGTS endurance races.
Mercedes factory drivers Maximilian Buhk and Maximilian Gotz will share the other entry with Alvaro Parente, who raced a Strakka McLaren in selected BGTS events last year.
A Strakka Pro-Am entry will be raced by team owner Nick Leventis, Lewis Williamson and Chris Buncombe.
Blancpain Zolder: van der Linde and Schothorst take victory
All six Aston Martin WEC drivers to contest Nurburgring 24 Hours
How to get the best out of amateur racers
Pro-Am GT racing is booming. But how should drivers approach working with an amateur? Autosport sought out a panel of experts to explain the pitfalls amateur drivers should avoid and how professionals can help them to achieve their goals
The remarkable career of a 'classy' champion who rejected politics
Over two decades as a factory driver with Audi and BMW, Martin Tomczyk earned the respect of team-mates and rivals as a hard but fair racer. After calling time on his racing career, the 2011 DTM champion sat down with Autosport to look back
The ex-IndyCar racer in "uncharted territory" of British GT team ownership
This weekend’s British GT finale will be a tense title showdown for some but, for those not in the championship fight, it’s a chance to end a challenging year on a high. In the latter camp is Paddock Motorsport's team owner Martin Plowman, whose 2021 season has been a rollercoaster ride of non-stop learning
The unpopular BMW stalwart built for the big occasion
It has won most of the big prizes in endurance racing across its six years in service, but the BMW M6 GT3's key weaknesses meant only a devoted few teams persisted with running it. As it prepares to bow out at season's end, the teams and drivers involved in its story share the secrets of an unpopular winner
The unwanted GT car that changed sportscar racing forever
Had FIA GT boss Stephane Ratel had his way, the Maserati MC12 would never have been allowed to set foot in his series. It duly proved the class of the field that most had expected, but the Balance of Performance that its superiority spawned would keep GT1 battles tight and bring long-term benefits that sportscar racing enjoys today
Why Britain's greatest sportscar was eclipsed on the world stage
The E-Type may be the most famous of all road-going Jaguars, but that didn't always translate into success on the track. After winning on its competition debut in 1961, motorsport success seemed an inevitability, but things didn’t turn out to be quite that straightforward
Why the Jaguar E-type remains special at 60
It’s 60 years since the Jaguar E-type arrived and caused a sensation. As our resident racer Ben Anderson discovered when he got behind the wheel of two special racing versions at Brands Hatch, the thrill of driving them hasn't diminished over time
The rise of a GT squad responsible for a unique 24-hour racing feat
It's a significant achievement to win one 24-hour race in a year, let alone two, and with different manufacturers, but that's exactly what ROWE Racing did in 2020 at the Nurburgring and Spa. This weekend's German classic offers the DTM newcomer a chance of another unique double to add to its growing collection of accolades