Alexandra Vateva wins in Porsche Sports Cup Deutschland finale in Hockenheim

Alexandra Vateva ended her 2024 Porsche Sports Cup Germany season on a high note with a strong performance at Hockenheimring, securing her best Sprint Challenge qualifying result and a thrilling victory in the Endurance race.

Photo credits: Laptime-Performance

Alexandra Vateva rounded out her 2024 season in the Porsche Sports Cup Germany with a brilliant weekend at Hockenheimring, securing a victory in the one-hour Endurance race alongside Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup racer Robert De Haan, whom she shared the #56 Porsche 992 GT3 Cup car operated by Laptime Performance.

The young Bulgarian racer has been selected for the Porsche Sports Cup Deutschland Talent Pool Program, and made the step up from the Porsche Cayman GT4 platform in 2023 - where she hads achieved several podiums - to driving in the GT3 class in 2024.

Vateva went on to build experience over her season, and joined the Porsche Sprint Challenge Benelux at Spa-Francorchamps in a one off appearance that showcased her steps forward: the Laptime-Performance driver claimed class victory in both the Belgian races, eventually emerging ahead of a stellar battle for the overall win in race two.

The victory brought her more confidence coming into the final rounds of the Porsche Sports Cup Germany season, with the finale held at Hockenheimring.

The race weekend began on a high note during the extensive Friday test session, where Vateva and her team worked to find the optimal setup for the car. The efforts paid off as she secured her best qualifying position of the season in the Sprint Challenge GT3 on Saturday morning, finishing twelfth in her class. Despite two minor errors that cost her a few tenths of a second, Vateva's performance was nevertheless impressive and showed that she was on the verge of breaking into the top 10.

In the first race of the Porsche Sprint Challenge GT3, Vateva faced a challenging start, losing a few positions off the line. However, she quickly regrouped and fought her way back through the pack, ultimately finishing in tenth place in her class, then promoted to ninth after a post-race penalty for a competitor.

The second race of the Sprint Challenge GT3 saw Alexandra once again engaged in fierce battles among a highly competitive field for the season finale. She narrowly missed out on another top ten, crossing the finish line in eleventh position, just one tenth of a second behind Rehkopf in P10 - and less than a second off ninth-placed Franco.

The focus now shifted to the Endurance race, where Vateva teamed up with Dutch driver Robert de Haan, a rising star in the Porsche racing world and with experience in both the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup and the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany.

In the qualifying session, De Haan secured pole position for the team, clocking a 1:41.590 that set the stage for an exciting one-hour race. Vateva took over driving duties for the starting stint and delivered a solid performance, maintaining a strong pace.

Photo credits: Laptime-Performance

Starting from the front row, Vateva kept a steady position in the early laps, holding on strongly to maintain third place overall, just a couple of seconds from the leading duo. As the race progressed, she eventually settled into fourth by lap nine, still running competitive lap times in the mid-1:43s.

Vateva managed to open a two-second buffer to the car behind, the #33 Porsche of Stefan Rehkopf, and held a safe fourth position: with 35 minutes to go, the pit window opened, and Vateva pitted after a very solid stint from fourth overall.

Once De Haan took over, he quickly moved back into third overall, consistently lapping faster than the two cars ahead and closing the gap to the leaders. When the Dutchman took second on lap 23, he continued to gain ground on the race leader, Jannes Fittje, reducing the gap by almost three-tenths per lap.

De Haan's pursuit intensified as he gained a full second on lap 27, reducing the margin to five seconds when the leader received a 5-second penalty. With De Haan needing to close the gap to within that penalty window, the race turned into a nail-biting finish.

In a dramatic final lap, De Haan went under the crucial 5-second gap, but Fittje responded by pushing hard. In a stunning conclusion, Robert De Haan crossed the line 4.8 seconds behind the leader, securing the victory by a mere 0.180 seconds.

"What an incredible way to end the season—finally taking home the win in the Endurance race!" - Vateva commented after the achievement for the strong duo.

"I’m overwhelmed reflecting on this journey and seeing how much we've grown, both on and off the track. My personal development as a driver has been massive, and I couldn’t be prouder of the team Laptime Performance and everything we’ve overcome together. Every challenge brought us closer to this moment."

"A huge thank you to Wheels Manufacture for trusting me with the opportunity to represent them in the best way possible. It’s been an honor", she added, thanking her sponsors and partners. "I’m also beyond grateful to be part of the inaugural Talent Pool program in Porsche Sports Cup Deutschland as their first female driver—what an experience!"

The weekend's results marked a fitting end to Vateva's season, demonstrating her progress and growing confidence in the competitive Porsche one-make series, as she now looks ahead to her next adventure within motorsport.