Julien Apothéloz: The next step in his career

GT3 WITH PORSCHE TEAM After TCR and GT4 in Germany, Julien Apothéloz enters the big stage. The Zurich native, now managed by DTM record winner Bernd Schneider, will contest the GT World Endurance Challenge Europe 2021 in a Porsche 911 GT3. Julien Apothéloz has long since put the championship title in the ADAC GT4 Germany, which he so narrowly missed out on in 2020, behind him - and yet [...]

Editorial - March 24, 2021

Apart from a few changes, this is how Allied-Racing's Porsche GT3 will look at the races. For the first time, Julien Apothéloz's name adorns a GT3 car.

Julien Apothéloz has long since put the championship title in the ADAC GT4 Germany, which he so narrowly missed out on in 2020, behind him - and yet the past is somehow still present. That's because the 20-year-old from Zurich is switching to Team Allied-Racing, which was one of his biggest rivals last season and ultimately claimed overall victory in the team and driver standings.

From antagonism to cooperation
However, the winner of the 2018 Swiss Young Driver Challenge powered by Cupra is not making a second attempt at the GT4 crown with them. As one of the drivers in the squad from Huglfing in Bavaria, Apothéloz is moving up into the GT3 sports car category - just as he had envisioned at the start of his career.

Team owner Jan Kasperlik, who won the ADAC GT4 drivers' title with a Dane, approached the young Swiss already during the 2020 season. After considering various options, Julien Apothéloz opted for Allied Racing.

Contract with icon Bernd Schneider
He was also advised to do so by Bernd Schneider, who took him under his wing at the end of 2020 as one of his managed drivers. Schneider is still the record winner and champion of the DTM and has a good feel for talented young drivers. Although he is contractually bound to Mercedes-AMG as a driver, with his protégés Schneider is free to make their choice of vehicle - and this fell on the Porsche brand used by Allied-Racing.

Julien Apothéloz: "Jan Kasperlik really made us a very good offer that didn't come up with any Mercedes teams. Allied-Racing is fielding a new Porsche 911 GT3 R in the GT World Challenge, which I can now pilot together with Jan and Austrian Nic Schöll. There are only five endurance races, but before and in between I get to test for several days. That gives me more for 2022 than another racing season in the ADAC GT Masters."

The Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing emblem is swapped for the Porsche logo. Thanks to Mann-Filter, however, the Swiss remains a "Yellow.

Ambitions in the Pro-Am category
The trio will compete in the Pro-Am category and aim for this internal classification.

Julien Apothéloz: "It will certainly be very difficult in the first year. It's important to me that we can put one or two exclamation points on the grid and establish ourselves in GT3. Even though we're new to this scene, we certainly want to fight for the Pro-Am title. The fact that last year's team sponsor Mann-Filter continues to support me personally, even though I'm no longer driving for them, gives me additional motivation - many thanks to all my partners."

First meeting in the south of France
The team was able to familiarize itself with the new car during initial tests at the wintry Nürburgring and springtime Monza. There was no question that the Swiss GT3 rookie soon felt at home in the Porsche.

The official GT World Challenge tests this Thursday and Friday at the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet will be the first comparison with the competition.

The season then kicks off on April 18 with a 3-hour race on the Monza GP circuit. The highlight for Julien Apothéloz and his team will be the 24 Hours of Spa in July.