Munich. A quick road trip for father and son, Ralf and David Schumacher: the former Formula 1 driver, now a TV expert, is set to make his one-off motorsport comeback alongside his son David. Father and son Schumacher line up together in the Prototype Cup Germany at the DTM event at the Nürburgring from 16th to 18th August. The 455-hp Ligier LMP3, a French prototype, will be fielded by US Racing – the team that Ralf Schumacher runs alongside Gerhard Ungar. Tickets for the DTM and the Prototype Cup Germany at the Nürburgring are available online at dtm.com, with prices starting at € 39. Admission is free for under 16s when accompanied by an adult.
Ralf and David Schumacher prepared for their outing in the Prototype Cup Germany with a test session at the Nürburgring on Monday. “I have wanted to race together with David for a long time, and I am more than happy to get back into a race car to do so. To drive with David for my own team is a dream. The car is really enjoyable to drive, and we are looking forward to our start in the Prototype Cup Germany,” says Ralf Schumacher.
This is the first race in the V8-powered LMP3 prototype for Ralf, as it is for his son David, who recently spent two years racing in the DTM and claimed a brace of victories in the ADAC GT Masters at the Nürburgring earlier this month: “The ADAC GT Masters is taking a summer break at the moment, which opened the door to a possible outing on the DTM platform. Starting alongside my father will be a special weekend, particularly at our home circuit, the Nürburgring. The first few metres in our Ligier prototype were a lot of fun. Having my father as my team-mate is something very special.”
This outing brings Gerhard Ungar full circle: he once led development of the successful Mercedes race cars in the DTM, which Ralf Schumacher drove between 2008 and 2012. In 2016, he formed US Racing together with Schumacher. Since then, the team has enjoyed great success on the junior racing scene. “Having two generations of Schumacher in one car is extraordinary, and I am very much looking forward to implementing this project in our joint team. It is a long time since I last worked with Ralf as a racing driver, so it is very exciting to no prepare for this outing with Ralf and David.”
The appearance of father and son Schumacher is supported by Dekra and Ravenol, long-term partners of Schumacher and ADAC Motorsport. “For years, Ralf and David Schumacher have been very positive ambassadors for the Dekra brand and our core brand value of safety in all aspects of life,” says Guido Kutschera, Executive Vice President of the Dekra Group and responsible for business in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. “Together with Ravenol, we are looking forward to the father and son guest appearance in the Prototype Cup Germany. We wish them every success and, above all, safe races.”
“We are also really looking forward to this unique event and the opportunity to see Ralf and Da-vid Schumacher together in an LMP3 car in the Prototype Cup Germany,” said Martin Huning, Director of Ravenol Motorsport. ”We are very happy and proud to see Ravenol, as a long-term partner of the pair along with Dekra, represented on the race car in this manner. At the same time, we are also using this opportunity to develop our racing products in terms of performance and sustainability.”
49-year-old Ralf Schumacher is one of Germany’s most successful racing drivers and raced in Formula 1 between 1997 and 2007. He drove for the Jordan, Williams and Toyota teams, and enjoyed his most successful period with the British Williams team from 2001 to 2003. Schumacher, who was born in Kerpen, finished fourth in the Formula 1 World Championship in both 2001 and 2002. After eleven years and six race wins in the pinnacle of motorsport, he switched to the DTM, in which he raced until 2012. When he retired from the DTM, however, Schumacher was unable to completely walk away from motor racing. Instead, he became involved in junior single-seater racing with his team US Racing in 2016. Schumacher also works as a Formula 1 expert for TV broadcaster Sky.
David Schumacher (22) took his first steps in automobile racing in the winter of 2017/18. In 2018, he won the Rookie title as the best newcomer in the ADAC Formula 4 series. Schumacher progressed through Formula 3 to the DTM, in which he raced until 2023. He switched to the ADAC GT Masters at the start of the 2024 season. After two race wins in mid-July at the Nürburgring, Schumacher and defending champion Salman Owega currently lie third in the table in their Mercedes-AMG GT3.
The Prototype Cup Germany is the first racing series in Germany to feature LMP3 prototypes in keeping with the philosophy of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and is now in its third season in 2024. The LMP3 class is the entry-level class for Le Mans prototype racing. The cars weigh 950 kilograms and are powered by a standard Nissan V8 naturally aspirated engine generating 455 hp. In the Prototype Cup Germany, each weekend features two 55-minute races. The cars must complete one mandatory pit stop per race, during which a driver changeover is permitted.