It was GERT56’s debut year in the IDM Superbike 1000 class. Team manager Karsten Wolf hasn’t regretted the switch from the Endurance World Championship to the IDM for a single moment. The team was faced with a lot of new challenges as it shifted its focus to sprint races and also gained a new suspension partner in WP. For 25-year-old Julian Puffe, his debut year on the BMW M 1000 RR ended with an eighth-place finish overall in the premier class. His 28-year-old teammate Toni Finsterbusch, who missed the first two rounds due to injury, finished 13th in the final standings.
“The most frequently asked question this year was whether I miss the Endurance World Championship. My clear ‘no’ shocked a lot of people,” says Karsten Wolf, explaining: “But I’m not the type of person who chooses something new and then looks back with regret. Besides, the switch has delivered everything I promised myself and the team. We don’t spend as much time on the racetracks, and travel times are manageable. That fits well with our privately funded, part-time team and our logistical setup.”
The Saxon is still impressed by the level of competition and the performance in the IDM. In his opinion, the championship is developing into the strongest Superbike series in Europe. He and his team still have major challenges ahead: “We need to continue working within our team to set up our BMW M 1000 RR on every track for every rider so that it’s fast not only for a single lap but also over the entire race distance.” After this learning year, the 2022 season will be the test of their skills, with the podium as the goal.
Wolf is pleased with how the season has gone after a rocky start. Regular driver Toni Finsterbusch was initially unable to drive due to a foot injury. Lucy Glöckner withdrew three days before the first event due to illness. Suddenly, the pressure to develop the car and deliver results fell on Julian Puffe, who had actually joined the team as a reserve driver. However, the Schleiz native performed remarkably well and even finished on the podium twice. Upon his return, Finsterbusch secured four consecutive top-five finishes.