From newcomers to championship contenders in just one season: Huber Racing gained respect with their successful debut in 2021, and this year they want to win more than just the rookie classification. That's why they have added strength to their ranks.
The German team have an impressive line up this year. Three-time Porsche Supercup champion Michael Ammermüller has been handed a permanent seat behind the wheel of one of the four Huber Porsches. And the newly appointed Porsche Junior Laurin Heinrich is back. At the official season test in Imola, we spoke to team owner Christoph Huber about his expanded team – and what he expects from the new season.
A conversation with the team manager.
Servus Christoph,
after a great first Supercup season we’re looking forward to what comes next. What role do you think the new Porsche Junior will play in your team?
Of course our main goal for 2022 was to keep the new Porsche Junior Laurin Heinrich in our team. After a very successful season with him in our and his first Supercup year, we want to carry on, to win more races and to fight for the championship with him till the end.
With Michael Ammermüller, one of the most successful Supercup drivers ever is joining your team this season. How high are your expectations, and what is the strategy behind it?
To be honest there was no strategy behind signing Michael Ammermüller. There was a moment when we learned that it would be possible to sign Michael, and in consultation with SSR Performance we did it immediately. There is no doubt in hiring a triple champion when the opportunity arises. Here, too, it is important to win many races and fight for the championship right to the end.
Can you say a few words about each of your drivers, and what makes the mix of experience and fresh blood so special this season?
I think our mix this year is unique and on paper, one of the strongest Line-ups in the Supercup for years. With a very young Morris Schuring joining from another top team, we have pressure to deliver and to achieve the goal of winning the Rookie Championship. With Rudy van Buren, another Dutch driver and a Supercup debutant, we expect surprises and reasons to celebrate. Both of them are diamonds in the rough who we want to keep in our team long term. When you put this line up together with our group of engineers, the very important data we collected in Laurin’s 2021 season, and the input from the veteran Michael, we have a massive opportunity to win.
Are you planning any strategic adjustments for your racing team in the future – e.g. hosting a racing series like your mentor Walter Lechner did, or what new developments can we expect from Huber Racing?
Honestly there is still a long way to go to transform from a good mid-field team into a top team. Our main focus is the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, and the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany, for now. Hosting a racing series as Walter Lechner Senior did and his sons are still doing is a huge operation, and those are very big shoes to fill. We will move into a new workshop mid 2022, and this will be a state-of-the-art building which will give us the opportunity to think about some additional projects with a GT3 car in the near future. But we always want to stay in the one-make-series we love so much, with Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars.
What is your verdict after a whole year with the new Porsche GT3 Cup? What is the potential for 2022 now that you’ve gathered more data?
As mentioned I have a very good group of engineers and technicians in my team, and we made a big effort in 2021 in terms of testing, trying different things and analysing. We are starting the 2022 season with a lot of good data and knowledge which we can use, straight from day one.
Looking at the 30 year anniversary: Tell us your favourite story from the past Supercup seasons – which memory particularly stuck in your mind and why?
There are a lot of really nice stories in my mind about the Supercup. Especially when I was Walter Lechner Senior’s right hand man and his team manager from 2010 to 2015, with a lot of success. Winning races like Monaco with René Rast or the Porsche World Cup at the Nordschleife which was in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup 2011, these are memories I will never forget. But of course the most recent highlight was finishing Zandvoort in 2021 in P1 and P2, in our first Supercup season in front of crowded stands. That was amazing!
Thanks and good luck, Christoph!
