Niklas Krütten is set to take on a new challenge: Following his debut season in the ADAC GT Masters in 2022, in which he finished runner-up in the Junior competition, the driver from Trier will this year line up in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe.
The 20-year-old will be at the wheel of the 590-hp BMW M4 GT3 with the start number 30 for the W Racing Team (WRT) at a total of ten races in the International GT championship. The former ADAC Stiftung Sport driver will share the cockpit of the BMW with Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer and Calan Williams.
Even before the official pre-season test in the French town of Le Castellet on 7th and 8th March, the team has already started to optimise its internal processes and prepare as thoroughly as possible for the challenges ahead. The opening weekend of the new season takes place from 21st to 23rd April at the “Temple of Speed” in Monza/Italy. That is followed by events at Brands Hatch/Great Britain (13.-14.05.) and Le Castellet (02.-04.06.). One real highlight on the calendar is the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium from 27th June to 2nd July. After that, Krütten heads to the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli at Italy’s Adriatic coast (15.-16.07.), before returning to Germany for the races at the Nürburgring (29.-30.07.) and Hockenheimring (02.-03.09.). After two trips to Spain for races in Valencia (16.-17.09.) and Barcelona (29.09-01.10.), the season concludes on 14th and 15th October at the Formula 1 circuit in Zandvoort on the North Sea coast.
“It is a great honour and pleasure to drive for the W Racing Team in this year’s Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe. For me, it is particularly nice to line up in a BMW M4 GT3 again. A new adventure with many opportunities and challenges awaits. WRT has shown in the past how professional, ambitious and successful they are. I look ahead to the coming season with great expectations and am thrilled to have the chance to work with this great team. The Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe is an extremely renowned racing series and one of the best GT3 series in the world,” said a delighted Krütten.
2023 Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe calendar
07.03. - 08.03.2023 Pre-season test in Le Castellet / FR
21.04. - 23.04.2023 Monza / IT
13.05. - 14.05.2023 Brands Hatch / GB
02.06. - 04.06.2023 Le Castellet / FR
27.06. - 02.07.2023 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa / BE
15.07. - 16.07.2023 Misano / IT
29.07. - 30.07.2023 Nürburgring / DE
02.09. - 03.09.2023 Hockenheim / DE
16.09. - 17.09.2023 Valencia / ES
29.09. - 01.10.2023 Barcelona / ES
14.10. - 15.10.2023 Zandvoort / NL