at Oschersleben   Matech GT Racing Team finished in the points again in the third round of the FIA GT Championship at Oschersleben. However this result was not an easy one for the team. Due to technical problems the team had to change the engine which meant that the German drivers Thomas Mutsch and Marc Hennerici had to sit out qualifying and the number 44 Ford GT1 car had to start the race from the pit lane. Thanks to his faultless and consistent drive Thomas Mutsch fought his way up to eighth place. After large rain clouds collected overhead for the start of the race, the first drops of rain fell after 40 minutes. As the rain increased in intensity the team called Mutsch into the pits, changed to rain tyres and also carried out the driver change. Marc Hennerici, newcomer to the Matech team, produced a strong performance before making the second mandatory pit-stop some 20 minutes before the end of the race. Thomas Mutsch took control for the final stint with fresh tyres. The German crossed the finish line in seventh and, in doing so, claimed valuable points for Matech GT Racing Team. "It was a great experience,” explained Marc Hennerici. "It was difficult to drive in the rain as this was my first race in a GT1 car. I’m looking forward to more experiences in GT1, and it would be great if I could do it together with Matech GT Racing, as this is a very well managed and well run team.”"I’m mostly satisfied” – emphasized Martin Bartek, team principal and owner. "Considering that we are in our development year, seeing two Ford GT1 cars finishing in the points (the sister Ford GT1 car of Belgian duo Bas Leinders and Renaud Kuppens from team Marc VDS Racing took sixth position), is alone an achievement. All this would never have been possible without the support and trust of Marc VDS and I would particularly like to congratulate all four Ford GT1 drivers. Both 2010 spec Ford GT1’s were quickest in the rain, lapping even faster than the rest of the field. I’m looking very much forward to the 24H of Spa where the Marc VDS Ford GT1 car may surprise many.” Martin Bartek added: "The choice of Marc Hennerici joining Thomas Mutsch to race in Oschersleben could not have been better. Despite his first ever GT1 experience, with less than 30 minutes driving time before the start of the race, he did an amazing job, especially in the rain.”Podium position for Matech GT Racing Team in Oschersleben in the FIA GT3 ChampionshipThe Matech Racing squad experienced a series of highs and lows during the third round of the FIA GT3 Championship in Oschersleben. In the first race the No 2 Ford GT3 car clinched a podium position. At the first corner start driver Dino Lunari squeezed by into second position, and put the leader under pressure. "I made a good start and tried to follow Thomas Accary. He was better than I in the faster corners, but I was better under braking. It was impossible to overtake him. Which is why I decided to look after the tyres for my team mate,” reported Lunari.

The Frenchman handed over the car to his partner Eric de Doncker while running second. The Belgian was able to keep the Audi R8 of Haase/Mies at bay for many laps, but was overtaken in the closing stages of the race. As a result, the team took third place. "We lost the race in the final lap before the pit stop,” analysed Lunari. "Because I followed the Fischer Ford GT3 which was losing oil. As a result I lost three of four seconds. If Eric de Doncker had managed to leave the pits in front of Julien Rodrigues we could have even won this race.” The Matech GT Racing technicians were confronted with a big challenge by the No 1 Ford GT3: Thomas Mutsch slipped off the circuit in qualifying due to an oil leak. The front of the car was heavily damaged as a result. The Ford was ready for action again before Saturday’s race. Starting from eighth place, Thomas Mutsch was able to make up one place. Brazilian team mate Walter Salles held this position to the finish.In the second race Thomas Mutsch and Walter Salles finished eighth, their team mates Eric de Doncker and Dino Lunari were classified in twelfth. Victory on Sunday went to the Ford GT3 of customer team Fischer Racing with the drivers Christoffer Nygard (Denmark) and Florian Gruber (Germany)."It was a tough weekend for the entire team,” summarised Team Principal Martin Bartek. "Because both cars were damaged in free practice and qualifying. Dino Lunardi and Eric de Doncker could nevertheless finish on the podium in the first race. They were the only driver duo to finish both race in the top seven.”"It was certainly a tough weekend for the GT3 team with both cars suffering damages in the free and qualifying practices” – summarised Martin Bartek. "Nevertheless, Eric de Doncker and his teammate Dino Lunardi finished on the podium in the first race and we were the only GT3 team to place both cars in the top 7. What a great result for Thomas Mutsch and Walter Salles in the car No. 1 finishing 8th in the second race considering that they had to start from the pits because of missing the qualifying session. From a result point of view, the third GT3 round in Oschersleben was a mixed success, but I’m proud of the work that the team has accomplished in such difficult conditions” – outlined Martin Bartek