Patric Niederhauser: New teams, new luck

One could almost feel sorry for Patric Niederhauser. No matter where he drove, it didn't quite work out with the results in GT racing.

Unlike in GP3, where he was on his own and won three races from 2012 to 2014, he had to share the car with predominantly slower drivers in various GT series. His record was correspondingly meager.

The only exception was his triumph at the 2015 Lamborghini World Final in Sebring (USA). In the previous year, he narrowly missed the podium once in fourth place in the ADAC GT Masters, but climbed it several times in the Junior classification with the young German Dennis Marschall.

Victory in Asia at the first attempt
That's water under the bridge. In 2018, the 27-year-old from Kirchdorf expanded into the Asian Blancpain GT Series. Team (GruppeM Racing), car (Mercedes-AMG GT3), tracks and opponents were new, as were his alternating partners. But everything took a turn for the better.

In mid-April, he and German Nico Bastian won the first of the two races in Malaysia (Sepang GP circuit) at the first attempt. In the second, the duo was eliminated by enemy contact in the first corner.

Patric Niederhauser: "It was an incredible feeling to win the very first race in Malaysia. I also benefited from Bastian's experience with Mercedes. I'm happy to be able to compete for GruppeM Racing. The team works highly professionally, so their title win in 2017 is no coincidence."

Second in the championship
Last weekend, the Swiss confirmed this success at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand, this time with German Markus Pommer as his partner. He himself qualified for pole position in the first race, which they turned into victory.

Due to a pit drive-through penalty, there were no points in the second race, but the Swiss is still second in the championship with a gap of only four points.

Patric Niederhauser: "The season has started simply like a dream. I made the right decisions over the winter and the successes have opened new doors."

Strong return to Europe
One led him into the Blancpain GT Endurance Cup. He started as a guest driver for Reiter Young Stars at the season opener in Monza. Driving an older Lamborghini Gallardo, the Bernese shone in qualifying with the best time of the entire weekend.

Because the best lap times of all drivers are now used for the starting grid, the result was only fourth on the grid and fourth in the Silver Cup after two problems in the race.

Niederhauser was then offered the chance to contest the entire endurance season. This will be continued on the Whitsun weekend in Silverstone.

Two Niederhausers at the top
But Patric celebrated his most emotional victory between the Asian races. At the end of April, he and girlfriend Marylin - who shares the same name - competed in the GT4 Central European Cup as part of the ADAC GT Masters in Most (CZ).

In the first race, he brought the KTM X-Bow GT4 from P10 to second place in an impressive recovery, which meant victory in the GT4 Cup with the exclusion of a guest team.

Patric led the Sunday race from the start, whereupon his girlfriend safely managed the lead and drove home the second victory of the weekend.

How did it feel to watch his girlfriend?

Patric Niederhauser: "It was more difficult than being behind the wheel yourself! Because on the track, it's in your hands whether you win or lose. But I hoped and trusted that Marylin would drive the lead home safely. She really did a good job. To take two wins together with my girlfriend on our first race weekend is incredible. I will certainly never forget that."

While Patric is in the GT3 Lambo this weekend at Silverstone, Marylin is now racing the KTM X-Bow GT4 with Nikolaj Rogivue at the Red Bull Ring.

And how does Niederhauser sum up the successful start to the season?

Patric Niederhauser: "Finally, I was able to show once again what is possible when everything fits. And this on different cars. That feels good."

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