The then 19-year old Christopher Haase seemed to appear in motorsport from nowhere and unlike most racing drivers the native Frank skipped the kart kindergarten and started touring car preschool directly.
Having been a member of the sports club AC Kulmbach he occasionally worked as a track marshal at smaller events like orientation drives. In 2006 a brand new series, the Dacia Logan Cup, was to break into motorsport and the sports club intended to lower the average age of its members. That is how the idea for participating in motorsport came about.
AC Kulmbach sporting director Uwe Isert offered the cockpit to Christopher and hired young mechanics for the team. The plan worked out and main sponsor Flatex appeared.
“Being a racing driver used to be a childhood dream,” the now 21-year old says.
The plan was to compete in this cup for three years; the first year for orientation, the second year for pushing forward and the third year for winning the championship.
However, everything happened differently and faster. Faster, in the truest sense of the word.  Christopher Haase got into the cockpit and surprised everyone be winning the very first race, the cup’s test race. In the 2006 season he did unexpectedly well, achieving everything that was planned for three years later.
Managing director Uwe Isert was truly amazed and scheduled a test with the ADAC GT Masters team Reiter Engineering in December of 2006. Again the natural talent proved himself with record times, going to the GT class with his partner Flatex in 2007.
Are there words for this? Probably not. The young Haase gets into the Lamborghini Gallardo GT3 outplaying many experienced pilots and wins the 2007 ADAC GT Masters Championship title. Sticking to the GT another year, he competes in the top group and wins the runner-up title with Prince Albert v. Thurn und Taxis at his side in the cockpit as well as the FIA GT4 Superlight European Championship title in a KTM X-Bow.
In the 2009 season Christopher Haase is going to compete in a very special racing car. Audi participates with twelve brand new Audi R8 LMS and the pilot from Kirchleus races in one of the R8’s for one of the most successful German racing teams, Phoenix Racing. This season he will compete at the FIA GT3 European Championship tracks with an impressive 500 PS, demonstrating his skills with racing partner Christopher Mies.

The performance of the 22-year old from Upper Franconia made quite an impression with the important motorsports people. In the 2010 season Haase returned to the Lambo family, sharing a REITER Engineering Lamborghini Murciélago R-SV with Peter Kox in the new FIA GT1 World Championship.

After a turbulent motorsports year 2010 with lots of successes and disappointments Christopher Haase (23) is looking back stronger and is optimistic about the new season.

“I have learned a lot during that season. It was important to learn how to make the most of unfavourable situations and above all not to give up.”

In 2011 Haase will compete in a Phoenix Racing Audi R8 LMS in the ADAC GT Masters series. He will participate in a few VLN races as well as in the Nürburgring and Spa 24h races. 

“I am happy to be returning to the GT Masters with Phoenix Racing. The 2009 season in the Phoenix Audi was great, winning ADAC GT Masters races and especially our FIA GT3 European Championship title”, says the 23-year old from Kulmbach. “The 2011 ADAC GT Masters races will surely be hard and exciting. However, with the Audi R8 LMS I will get a chance to be in the top group.”

 

Short Q&A:

Who is your idol in motorsport?
“There is only one for me, and that is Michael Schumacher.”
 

Which are your favourite tracks?
“Spa and Nürburgring Nordschleife.”

What are you doing during breaks and how do you keep fit?
“Fitness is very important beside test drives. It requires a special strength and endurance training.”

What do you do if you want to take a break from motorsport, if you want to enjoy life?  
“Motorsport is my enjoyment as well as my passion.”

How do you prepare just before the start of a race?
“Half an hour before I take a close look at the starting field and assess my position and the positions of my most important competitors. I check the recorded data again and in the last few minutes I look for some calm and try to relax.”

How much are you able to contribute, your profession being an automotive mechatronic technician?
“It is definitely an advantage knowing what is going on with your car and what is happening. It is also easier to be able to tell the mechanic what the problem might be, when I am on the track and there is a problem arising. Due to my knowledge I can also contribute to choosing a setup which is always perfect.”

What is your goal in motorsport?
“The first thing I strive for is to make a living in motorsport. Being a factory driver in a touring car would be great.”