Patric Niederhauser

Patric Niederhauser (born 8 October 1991) is a professional racing driver from Switzerland and a current Lamborghini factory driver.

Niederhauser was the champion of the Formula Abarth Italian Series in 2011 and competed in the GP3 Series before switching into GT racing, where a 2019 title in the ADAC GT Masters earned him a spot in the Audi factory lineup. After four years in the programme, Niederhauser switched to Porsche ahead of 2024, where he would secure the 2025 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup championship. He would then move to Lamborghini for the 2026 season and onwards.

Early career

Karting Niederhauser began karting in 2006 and raced primarily in his native Switzerland for the majority of his career, working his way up from the junior ranks to progress through to the KF2 category by 2009, when he finished as runner-up in Swiss Karting Championship.

Lower formulae In 2010, Niederhauser graduated to single–seaters, racing in the newly launched Formula Abarth series in Italy for Jenzer Motorsport. Race victory at Varano and another five podiums at the end of the season saw him finish as runner-up in the Italian series, In the European Series the Swiss driver finished as runner-up with five race victories, 37 points behind Sirotkin.

During 2010, Niederhauser also contested a single round of the Formula Renault 2.0 Middle European Championship at Dijon, finishing on the podium in both races.

GP3 Series In 2012, Niederhauser remained with Jenzer, moving into the GP3 Series. In his debut season, two wins helped the Swiss driver towards seventh in the standings. The following year, he returned to GP3 with Jenzer. The campaign proved to be less successful, as Niederhauser only scored two points finishes following a double podium at the opening round, thus ending up 13th in the standings.

In what would prove to be Niederhauser's final year in GP3, 2014 saw him switching over to Arden International. At the Hungaroring, Niederhauser broke his two-year long winless streak during the sprint race, and won again at Sochi to finish tenth overall.

Niederhauser did not attain a seat in 2015, only competing in one round of the GP2 Series for Daiko Team Lazarus. Niederhauser competing at the Red Bull Ring during the 2022 ADAC GT Masters season.

Sportscar career In 2016, Niederhauser made his sportscar debut, driving for Attempto Racing in the opening three rounds of the ADAC GT Masters. He would also race for the team in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup and GT Series Sprint Cup championships that year, collecting a best race finish of tenth in both series.

For the following season, Niederhauser returned to GT Masters, this time partnering youngster Dennis Marschall at Aust Motorsport. The pair scored regular points finishes in the second half of the season, though that would only be enough for 21st in the drivers' championship. Niederhauser split his attention between Europe and Asia in 2018, competing for GruppeM Racing Team in the Blancpain GT Series Asia, where his first three wins in GT3 competition helped him towards third place in the standings, and the Silver Cup class of the Blancpain Endurance Cup, where he scored a single class podium.

Niederhauser came back to GT Masters for the 2019 season, racing for HCB-Rutronik Racing alongside Audi factory driver Kelvin van der Linde. With three victories and four further podiums, the Swiss-South African duo managed to take the title in dominant fashion. As a result of his performances, Niederhauser was introduced to Audi's factory driver lineup in 2020. That year saw him and van der Linde drive for Rutronik once again in defence of his GT Masters title, though they lost out due to a retirement in the final race caused by a startline collision, finishing fourth overall with a single win.

For the 2021 GT Masters season, Niederhauser moved to Phoenix Racing to partner second-year GT3 driver Jusuf Owega. The pair struggled to take results and failed to finish on the podium, which resulted in 18th place at year's end. Niederhauser returned to Rutronik in 2022, once again being joined by an inexperienced GT driver in Luca Engstler. A 14th place in the standings was the result, with the pair scoring a lone podium from a Niederhauser pole at Oschersleben. During the same year, the Swiss driver drove for Saintéloc Racing in both the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance and Sprint Cups. In the former, he would score a surprise victory at the Hockenheimring, meanwhile two podiums in the latter would signify sixth overall for him and Aurélien Panis.

Niederhauser remained at Saintéloc for the 2023 GT World Challenge Europe season, joining fellow factory drivers Simon Gachet and Christopher Mies for a Pro entry in the Endurance Cup, and partnering GT3 rookie Erwan Bastard in the Sprint Cup. Despite not scoring a single podium in the former, Niederhauser and his teammates ended up sixth in the standings owing to three fourth-place finishes. Meanwhile, a lone podium in the Sprint Cup resulted in tenth overall for the Swiss driver in the Sprint Cup. During the same year, Niederhauser also competed in the DTM with Tresor Orange1 fielded by Attempto Racing, though the team's struggles to settle into the series due to a low number of test days resulted in 23rd place in the championship.

With the disbandment of Audi's works lineup, Niederhauser found a new home at Porsche for 2024. He would compete with the marque in both the Sprint and Endurance Cups, partnering Sven Müller in the former and being joined by Julien Andlauer in the latter on his second return to Rutronik. In the Endurance Cup, the trio would finish 17th overall, with two points finishes and a best result of 5th at the season opener at Circuit Paul Ricard. In the Sprint Cup, duo of Niederhauser and Müller would win the season finale in Barcelona, finishing fifth in the championship. Niederhauser would find victory at that year's edition of the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in the SP 9 Pro-Am class with Lionspeed GP.

2025 would see Niederhauser remain at Rutronik for both the Sprint Cup and Endurance Cup alongside Sven Müller, with Alessio Picariello joining for endurance rounds. Niederhauser would win the Endurance Cup championship with the aforementioned despite not scoring any wins across the season, and also secured the first drivers and teams title in the series for Porsche. He would also finish second overall at the 24 Hours of Spa with Müller and Picariello. Following a win at the first round in Zandvoort, Niederhauser would the finish the Sprint Cup championship in fifth overall.

Rutronik would move to Lamborghini before the start of the 2026 season, with Niederhauser being named a Lamborghini factory driver. He would remain with the team, who will attempt to defend their team and drivers' titles with Marco Mapelli and Luca Engstler.

Personal life Niederhauser is in a relationship with racing driver Marylin Niederhauser who competed in the ADAC Formula 4 Championship. The fact that the two have identical surnames is a coincidence.

Racing record

Career summary † As Niederhauser was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points. †† No. 16 Scherer Sport PHX is ineligible for points. Season still in progress.

Complete GP3 Series results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Points 2012 Jenzer Motorsport CATFEA CATSPR MONFEA MONSPR VALFEA VALSPR SILFEA SILSPR HOCFEA HOCSPR HUNFEA HUNSPR SPAFEA SPASPR MNZFEA MNZSPR 7th 101 2013 Jenzer Motorsport CATFEA CATSPR VALFEA VALSPR SILFEA SILSPR NÜRFEA NÜRSPR HUNFEA HUNSPR SPAFEA SPASPR MNZFEA MNZSPR YMCFEA YMCSPR 13th 33 2014 Arden International CATFEA CATSPR RBRFEA RBRSPR SILFEA SILSPR HOCFEA HOCSPR HUNFEA HUNSPR SPAFEA SPASPR MNZFEA MNZSPR SOCFEA SOCSPR YMCFEA 10th 62

Complete European Le Mans Series results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Class Car Engine 1 2 3 4 5 Rank Points 2013 Race Performance LMP2 Oreca 03 Judd HK 3.6 L V8 SIL IMO RBR HUN LEC 9th 40 2014 Race Performance LMP2 Oreca 03 Judd HK 3.6 L V8 SIL IMO RBR LEC EST 20th 12

24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 2013 Race Performance Michel Frey Jeroen Bleekemolen Oreca 03-Judd LMP2 314 18th 9th

Complete GP2 Series results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 DC Points 2015 Daiko Team Lazarus BHRFEA BHRSPR CATFEA CATSPR MONFEA MONSPR RBRFEA RBRSPR SILFEA SILSPR HUNFEA HUNSPR SPAFEA SPASPR MNZFEA MNZSPR SOCFEA SOCSPR BHRFEA BHRSPR YMCFEA YMCSPR 34th 0

Complete ADAC GT Masters results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 DC Points 2016 ADAC NSA / Attempto Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 OSC1 OSC2 SAC1 SAC2 LAU1 LAU2 RBR1 RBR2 NÜR1 NÜR2 ZAN1 ZAN2 HOC1 HOC2 63rd 0 2017 Aust Motorsport Audi R8 LMS OSC1 OSC2 LAU1 LAU2 RBR1 RBR2 ZAN1 ZAN2 NÜR1 NÜR2 SAC1 SAC2 HOC1 HOC2 21st 34 2019 Rutronik Racing Audi R8 LMS Evo OSC1 OSC2 MST1 MST2 RBR1 RBR2 ZAN1 ZAN2 NÜR1 NÜR2 HOC1 HOC2 SAC1 SAC2 1st 205 2020 Rutronik Racing Audi R8 LMS Evo LAU11 LAU12 NÜR1 NÜR2 HOC1 HOC2 SAC1 SAC2 RBR1 RBR2 LAU21 LAU22 OSC1 OSC2 4th 160 2021 Phoenix Racing Audi R8 LMS Evo OSC1 OSC2 RBR1 RBR2 ZAN1 ZAN2 LAU1 LAU2 SAC1 SAC2 HOC1 HOC2 NÜR1 NÜR2 18th 54 2022 Rutronik Racing Audi R8 LMS Evo II OSC1 OSC2 RBR1 RBR2 ZAN1 ZAN2 NÜR1 NÜR2 LAU1 LAU2 SAC1 SAC2 HOC1 HOC2 14th 104

Complete GT World Challenge Europe results GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup Season still in progress.

GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pos. Points 2016 Attempto Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Pro MISQR MISCR BRHQR BRHCR NÜRQR NÜRCR HUNQR HUNCR CATQR CATCR 31st 1 2022 Saintéloc Racing Audi R8 LMS Evo II Pro BRH1 BRH2 MAG1 MAG2 ZAN1 ZAN2 MIS1 MIS2 VAL1 VAL 2 6th 49.5 2023 Saintéloc Junior Team Audi R8 LMS Evo II Pro BRH1 BRH2 MIS1 MIS2 HOC1 HOC2 VAL1 VAL2 ZAN1 ZAN2 10th 13 2024 Rutronik Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) Pro BRH1 BRH2 MIS1 MIS2 HOC1 HOC2 MAG1 MAG2 CAT1 CAT2 5th 41 2025 Rutronik Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) Pro BRH1 BRH2 ZAN1 ZAN2 MIS1 MIS2 MAG1 MAG2 VAL1 VAL2 5th 69.5 2026 Rutronik Racing Lamborghini Temerario GT3 Pro BRH1 BRH2 MIS1 MIS2 MAG1 MAG2 ZAN1 ZAN2 CAT1 CAT2 15th* 9.5* † Driver did not finish the race, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.

Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Chassis 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Rank Points 2023 Tresor Orange1 Audi R8 LMS Evo II OSC1 OSC2 ZAN1 ZAN2 NOR1 NOR2 NÜR1 NÜR2 LAU1 LAU2 SAC1 SAC2 RBR1 RBR2 HOC1 HOC2 23rd 23