Colin Bönighausen is back!

This coming weekend, the Porsche race car driver from Lower Saxony will make his return to the ADAC GT Masters championship at the Salzburgring, following an injury to his leg.

“I’m fine,” says Colin, putting his fans’ minds at ease. Around two months after his work accident, the 21-year-old has returned to his job as a plant mechanic and to racing too. “It’s not quite back to normal yet; my leg still hurts after prolonged exertion.” However, his broken right thigh has healed well, and now he just needs to build up his strength again. “I can already use the accelerator again though,” says Colin, glad that it wasn’t his left foot that was injured – “I use that one for braking, and the brake pedal is quite a bit harder to press.”

The initial test drive in the Porsche 911 GT3 R at the Salzburgring in Austria last week went well. “I was able to drive ten consecutive laps without any problems.” Nevertheless, the challenge facing the returning driver this weekend will be a big one. With the ADAC GT Masters endurance weekend approaching, two long 80-minute races await the razoon – more than racing driver. “I’m confident I can handle the strain in the car, even though the G-forces are really noticeable. The hardest part will be the driver changes, precisely because there are two to complete in each race this time.”

Nevertheless, the goal for the weekend is ambitious: “First and foremost, I’m delighted to be back. That said, I want to finish on the podium at my team’s home race.” For Colin Bönighausen and Leo Pichler, the focus is now on achieving strong results. The races at the Salzburgring mark the start of the final phase of the season, with only the season finale at the Hockenheimring (9–11 October) remaining on the calendar after Salzburg (4–6 September).

Picture: Axel Weichert