Despite a crash, Colin Bönighausen ends the season on a positive note
The 2026 ADAC GT Masters season finale at the Hockenheimring did not go according to plan for Colin Bönighausen. The 21-year-old razoon – more than racing driver saw his debut season in the German GT3 Championship come to an early end after crashing in Saturday‘s race.
The team could hardly have asked for a better starting position for the first race: in a wet qualifying session, Colin‘s team-mate Leo Pichler secured pole position for the Porsche 911 GT3 R. However, in the race, which was held in dry conditions, it quickly became apparent that their car could not keep up with other models, such as the Mustang or the Huracán, particularly on the straights. Before the driver change at the halfway mark, Pichler had dropped back to fifth place.
After the pit stop, Colin took the wheel and fought his way up the field. The young man from Isernhagen was locked in a battle for a top-five finish, or perhaps even a podium place. However, as had happened to other drivers before him, he got wide in the final corner and could only rejoin the track over the grass. “I had massive understeer,” he explained. “When you’re driving right behind another car, the dirty air messes up your car’s aerodynamics.” He describes what happened next as follows: “Because the tyres were dirty, I approached the next corner more cautiously. In doing so, I turned in a little too early and unfortunately hit the inside kerb. The car was set unstable immediately; the rear end spun out, and then came the countersteer …”
This was the first accident of this kind for Bönighausen, who is regarded as an accident-free driver. Fortunately, he escaped unharmed after crashing into the tyre barriers. The 21-year-old reacted correctly by taking his hands off the steering wheel to avoid injuring them. He quickly signalled to the marshals rushing towards him that everything was OK and then got out of the damaged Porsche unaided. “My neck’s a bit sore, but otherwise I’m fine,” he said.
However, the crash caused significant damage to the Porsche’s chassis. It soon became clear that Sunday’s race was also in jeopardy. The team transported a new chassis from the Porsche factory in Weissach to the Hockenheimring. A dozen mechanics worked through the night to prepare the car for racing. But when the starting lights went out at 2:30 pm, the Porsche was still not ready to race. Nevertheless, the story took a positive turn when, halfway through the race, the rebuild Porsche 911 GT3 R rolled out of the pits. To the applause of the Motodrom spectators, Bönighausen managed to finish the race – and thus the season – under the chequered flag. Colin said, “Thanks to the team for their efforts. At least that meant we could do a few more laps and show ourselves to the fans and partners.”
Picture: Axel Weichert
