The main racing team has presented Manuel Reuter as a new addition: What role the racing legend has been given and what it has to do with Finn Wiebelhaus
The surprise was great when DTM legend Manuel Reuter stood in the pits in mid-January at the GT Winter Series in Portimao in team clothing from Mercedes-AMG team HRT. Now the team managed by Ulrich Fritz has officially confirmed that the 62-year-old from Mainz will join the Nürburgring-based squad and will act as project manager and team principal when the team enters the Ferrari Challenge with two Ferrari 296 Challenge cars.
Above all, however, Reuter will support HRT “in the areas of project management, driver support and coaching”. He has been “involved with the topic of promoting young talent for many years”, Reuter explains.
“My aim is to consistently develop this topic further and to exploit synergies that arise for all those involved. This also includes opening up new areas of business and activity. I look forward to our collaboration. “
Reuter brings experience from numerous teams
DTM team boss Fritz, who also acts as Managing Director, is also delighted with the prominent new addition. “In Manuel, we have gained an extremely experienced man who will certainly help us in many areas and significantly expand our expertise,” said the former DTM Director of Mercedes-AMG.
Reuter certainly has experience in his role: the long-time DTM driver, who became ITC champion in 1996 and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1989 and 1996, was Sporting Director at the then Audi Team Rutronik in the ADAC GT Masters from 2019 to 2021 before taking on the same role at Lamborghini Team Grasser in the DTM in 2022. He was also responsible for team management and driver coaching at the Austrian outfit.
In 2023, Reuter then suddenly appeared at the Engstler team – as project manager for the DTM entry with the Audi and Luca Engstler. The youngster has now found a new home with Lamborghini and the Grasser team – and Reuter is now joining the main racing team in the Mercedes and Ferrari camps respectively.
Reuter’s focus on ADAC GT Masters
DTM project – and the confirmed drivers Luca Stolz and Arjun Maini – but, in addition to his team principal duties in the Ferrari Challenge, he will also be focusing on young talent in the ADAC GT Masters.
“Manuel is with us from time to time and mainly looks after Finn Wiebelhaus,” he said when no further plans were announced. Reuter is mentor to the former Formula 4 driver.
The 17-year-old took part in the Mercedes-AMG Young Driver Test at HRT in November 2023 and was then confirmed by the team as a partner to South African Kwanda Mokoena, who was still with Reuter at Engstler in 2023, for the ADAC GT Masters. Wiebelhaus recently demonstrated his talent in the GT Winter Series with victories in Portimao and Valencia – where he outperformed SSR Lamborghini driver Nicki Thiim, among others.
How did the contact between Wiebelhaus and Reuter come about? “I know his father from triathlon”, When the question arose as to what to do after the Formula 4 year, Reuter brought his experience and knowledge to help the youngster. Now they are both at HRT.
