Richard Lietz

Richard Lietz ( born December 17, 1983 in Waidhofen an der Ybbs ) is an Austrian racing driver. A native of Lower Austria, is the son of Sylvia and Christian Lietz, has two siblings ( Elizabeth and Phillip ) and lives in his home town Ybbsitz.

Career

Beginnings in motorsport

His motorsport career began in 1997 at the age of 14 years. First in karting and active in various ice racing, he moved in 2000 to the BMW ADAC Formula Junior Cup, whose basic training he already graduated in the previous year as the best participants. In the first season he finished several races on the podium. The following year he remained in the championship and underscored its previous year's results, among others, with two wins on the Euro Speedway Lausitz and the Salzburg ring. In 2002, Lietz in the German Formula 3 championship, but had no chance with his older Dallara. In addition, he also start in the Austrian Formula 3 Championship and won twice on the Autodrome Most. In 2003, Lietz competed in the Austrian Formula 3 Championship and won again two championship runs. The now discharged as the German Formula 3 Cup, he turned his back towards the new Formula 3 Euro Series. Except for the rainy qualifying at Hockenheim, in which Lietz nearly missed the pole position, he could not distinguish in the season and finished only three of the 20 championship races in the points.

Rally

In addition to its operations on the race track, Lietz also contested several rallies. So he finished the Harrach Sprint 2001 as the best in its class. The following year he joined the Waldviertel Rallye in group N and has been classified as a fifth. Also in the following years until 2007 Lietz was reported in several other ice racing and rallies. He won the 2003 race in the Palfau and Gaflenz. His last victory in this discipline he could proclaim in the autumn rally Leiben 2007.

Porsche brand trophy

In 2004 he switched from formula to sports GT cars and participated in the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany. Through various finishes among the top five drivers in the championship Lietz secured fourth overall and the title of Rookie of the Year. The following year, Lietz was the championship receive and finished the season in fifth place. In addition, he drove the Porsche Michelin Supercup Tolimit for motorsport and won the race in Magny Cours there. With another podium finish at Hockenheim, he secured the title in the Supercup Rookie of the Year. 2006 was followed by his most recent appearance in two brand trophy series. While he finished in Carrera Cup with a win in Barcelona in fourth place overall, he gathered in the Supercup by several podiums and victories at the Circuit de Monaco and Hockenheimring enough points to occupy the third place in the championship standings at season's end. He was raised at the end of the year in the Porsche factory squad Through his good services.

International GT Open

In his first year as a Porsche factory driver, he was the Italian team Autorlando assigned sport with which he participated in the International GT Open Championship in 2007 and 2008. 2007 Lietz shared his Porsche 911 GT3 RSR with Joël Camathias and won the series with four points ahead of Andrea Montermini and Michele Maceratesi. As defending champion, he stayed with author Lando, but received a new teammates on the page provided. He and Gianluca Roda had despite five race wins the runner-up the previous year to admit defeat. In the following two years Lietz drove continue with Roda and finished both the 2009 season and the 2010 season as runner-up in the series. In 2009, the team Marcel Fässler and his former teammate Joel Camathias was defeated, in 2010 Pierre Kaffer and Alvaro Barba Lopez.

Le Mans Series

In addition to his involvement with author Lando Sport denied Lietz 2007, together with Raymond Narac the Le Mans Series. While he started from the pole position in the GT2 class in two out of six races, Lietz and team owner Narac could convert the constant good qualifying results in only one podium finish. In the 2008 season he remained at IMSA Performance Matmut started and continue with Raymond Narac. In the now shortened to five races, driving a racing series finished a total of two championship races on the podium. A class win at the 1000 km race at Monza was taken from him after scrutineering. The race Come Isare found that the connection was interrupted for data recording device of his Porsche and disqualified him and Narac later. 2009 remained Lietz in the Le Mans Series, but moved to the GT2 runner- Team Felbermayr-Proton. So now he shared the cockpit with Marc Lieb. The driver duo was able to finish the first championship race of the 2009 season as a class winner. In the following 1000 km race at Spa Lieb and Lietz won too, but the car was disqualified at scrutineering. While Lieb was overtaken by the Aston Martin DBR9 of Jetalliance Racing Team, the two vehicles collided. In the resulting tire damage was the rear fender damaged. Since the tire was no longer completely covered, was the opinion of the stewards before a rules violation and took the car out of the rankings. Felbermayr-Proton appealed against the decision by the arbitral tribunal protest and got the win again awarded. After Francisco Cruz Martins in the sister car at the start of the 1000 km race in Algarve abdrängte now leading the championship teammates and after repairs were only two points, Lieb and Lietz published the last race at Silverstone eight points clear. Richard Lietz decided the qualification for themselves and increased the points tally of the team to nine points. In the race, however Followers Robert Bell and Gianmaria Bruni could take the lead. The boxer engine of the Porsche ran the other hand, only five out of six cylinders. Despite the lack of power, the German - Austrian driver duo drove almost in the points and finished the championship with a point advantage. Also in 2010 remained Lietz in the Le Mans Series. He and his teammate Marc Lieb completed three of the five runs as the GT2 class winner. So the duo defended her title in the championship. Moreover, the Finals at Silverstone for newly advertised Intercontinental Le Mans Cup was one of his team Felbermayr-Proton also participated. The only three races comprehensive season ended on Nov. 7 at the 1000 km race in Zhuhai. The podium of Lieb and Lietz and fourth place of the sister vehicle handed Felbermayr-Proton team to victory in the GT2 championship of the new series.

24 - hour race at Le Mans

Lietz first race at Le Mans took place together with Raymon Nararc and for IMSA Performance Matmut. For the 24 -hour race, the team of Porsche works driver Patrick Long was supported. Lietz took over the qualifications of the car, which he finished as the second- fastest GT2 pilot. The trio remain in the race the leaders in the GT2 and took over the lead in the morning of the class, they remained until the end of the race. The following year Lietz approached with both IMSA Performance Matmut and with the successful team-mates in 2007. The race Lietz could not intervene, however, Patrick Long took the first use in the car and collided with Seth Neiman, who turned on the course in front of him. 2009 drove Lietz now, as in the Le Mans Series for the Felbermayr-Proton. Towards the end of his first stint, he remained in the Porsche 997 GT3 RSR are on the track after the electronics of the fuel pump stopped working correctly. 2010 Lietz returned with the same cast back to the Sarthe, finished the race this year, but as a class winner at the 11th place overall.

Le Mans results

Other racing series

When Porsche works driver Lietz has already been used in his first season in several other endurance races. Already in January 2007 Lietz was reported on a Cup Porsche for the 24- hour race at Daytona. First, the team with whom he went among them the later Porsche works driver Richard Westbrook was able to keep up with the leading group. However, an ac brake threw back his Porsche, a residue that could not be reversed until the end of the race. Middle of the year was followed by an insert with Raymond Narac and Patrick Long in the 24- hour race at Spa-Francorchamps. The driver trio, which posted a few weeks ago at Le Mans class victory, finished the main race of the FIA ​​GT Championship GT2 on the podium for the vehicle category. By the end he is now focused on his main involvement in the International GT Open and the Le Mans Series.

2008 was Lietz, as in the previous year, reported for Synergy Racing in Daytona. With Steven Johnson and Patrick Huisman he also took turns with two drivers from last year. In the race, the team traveled in the first quarter of the race in the top 10, Lietz could meanwhile collect some guidance kilometers in the GT class until teammate Robert Doornbos in lap 183 came to a competitor and the vehicle damaged. The team was able to continue later, but lost a lot of time in the box and finished the championship race in the back of the midfield. After a month break Lietz took up also the season opener of the American Le Mans Series. So he started on his first 12 - hour race at Sebring on the side of Patrick Pilet and Johannes van Overbeek. In the 25th minute of the race Rinaldo Capello urged the Audi R10 while lapping the car of the team off the track. Despite a longer now necessary repair pit stops the driver trio of Flying Lizard Motorsports finished the race in the GT2 midfield. Back in Europe, followed by several championship races in the Le Mans Series and the International GT Open until in August 2008, again with Raymon Narac and Patrick Long in the 24- hour race at Spa was reported. As in the race away from its main program, the run began initially promising. Lietz led several laps in his class until a gearbox failure threw back the team far. As he drove at Spa for IMSA Performance Matmut, it was reported during the subsequent championship run for its future Le Mans Series race team Felbermayr-Proton. Lietz could not prevail on the side of team owner host Felbermayr and finished the first one-hour runs with several laps down. In the second race of the Porsche fell off completely. At the end of the year he drove for car Lando sports championship in the independent 6- hour race at Vallelunga. Despite participation of several more powerful sports prototype Lietz finished with Maurizio Fratti and Alex Caffi the race in second place in the overall standings.

After one month winter break Lietz drove again as a works driver in the 24- hour race in Dubai, but the race ended on 11 January 2009, only in the midfield. Two weeks later, the 24 -hour race at Daytona was followed, in which he won second place among other works driver Emmanuel Collard in the GT category. During the year, Lietz represented in the Italian GT Championship Sascha Maassen, who drove himself outside his main commitment at Petit Le Mans. With two podium finishes during the race weekend at Mugello so he helped his teammate Francisco Cruz Martins at the end of the championship of the National GT Championship.

The year 2010 started for Lietz with the 24- hour race at Daytona. To this end, he was assigned with Magnus Racing a newly formed team. The debut of the team in the Porsche 997 GT3 Cup, he finished among others, Jeroen Bleekemolen in fifth place of the GT- classifications. Then Lietz started alongside his main commitment for irregular author Lando Sport in the Italian GT Championship in the International GT Open and the Le Mans Series. There Lietz piloted along with his GT- open teammate Gianluca Roda a Porsche 997 GT3 R in the GT3 classification of the series. Together with Raffaela Giammaria, Wolf Henzler and Patrick Pilet helped Lietz the drivers' title for Roda retract 2010.

Hobbies:

• Rally
• Ice racing

Favorite track:

• Monaco

After 2007 and 2008, Richard Lietz is also available in the 2009 season at the Porsche factory team as a works driver under contract.

Success (Excerpt )

• 2001: Austrian Rally Challenge: 1st place
• 2007: Master of International GT Open
• 2007, 2010: GT2 class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
• 2008, 2009, 2010: Vice Champion of the International GT Open
• 2009, 2010: Champion of the Le Mans Series in the GT2 class