A foreclosure against Team Zakspeed ensures the probable end of Peter Zakowski’s racing team – Apparently rents were not paid
The lights at Zakspeed are apparently out for good. After years of litigation, the halls in Niederzissen were evicted by a bailiff on Thursday and the locks were changed. First ‘LSR-Freunde’ had reported on this.
The eviction was preceded by a years-long legal dispute between the owner Jessica Zakowski, the wife of Peter Zakowski, who lives separately. The proceedings were probably about unpaid rent.
What will happen to the traditional racing team now is completely open. The team no longer has any basis. The customers of the past years have left and the main sponsor has withdrawn due to a change in the law, which prohibits statutory health insurance companies from sponsoring top-class sport.
That hasn’t stopped Zakspeed from announcing, via a press release later this week, participation in several race series with Mercedes-AMG GT4s, including the ADAC GT4 Germany and the GTC Race. Zakowski also referred to the GT4 European Series in a statement.
There was also an Instagram video on 22 January announcing a merger with JP Motorsport. It was the last communication via Instagram. Since then, JP has made no further announcements in this regard. The former DTM team around Patryk Krupinski was testing at Le Castellet this week, but there were no indications of Zakspeed.
Triumphs and proceedings
Fights in court are nothing new for Peter Zakowski. In the 2000s, he filed for insolvency both privately and with his then company. Zakspeed was then re-founded.
In 2017, the team hit the headlines again when the two Mercedes-AMGs were caught with manipulated engine control units after a superior double victory at the Sachsenring. A court case resulted in a settlement in which Zakowski was fined 50,000 euros.
The team was also suspended for two years, but this was a toothless paper tiger, as Zakspeed had long since ceased to form as “Mercedes-AMG Team Zakspeed”, but as a customer team.
However, Zakspeed also achieved sporting successes time and again. In 2015, Sebastian Asch and Luca Ludwig won the ADAC GT Masters title with Zakspeed and Mercedes-AMG. In 2021, Jules Gounon and Igor Walilko caused a sensation with two wins this season, which put them in the championship fight for a while. It could have been the last chapter in the Zakspeed story.
Peter Zakowski’s brother Philipp, who was employed by Zakspeed from 2019 to 2021, has since founded his own team, ZVO Racing. Part of the legacy of team founder Erich Zakowski would live on even without Zakspeed. It is extremely unlikely that a brotherly fight will still take place.
