Christopher Mies

Christopher Mies is one of the world's best young racing drivers in GT category, with several championship titles in his CV until the age of 27. Most recently, he was crowned as the 2016 ADAC GT Masters champion, together with an American Connor de Philippi.

Earlier in a career, Mies was the 2015 Australian GT champion, 2012 Blancpain Endurance Series winner and 2009 FIA GT3 European champion. He also scored few wins in the famous endurance races for GT cars, winning the 24 hours of Nürburgring two times (2015 and 2017), and Bathurst 12 Hour two times (2011 and 2012). Every time he won the race, he drove the Audi R8 LMS.

Christopher Mies

Christopher started car racing career in Toyota Yaris Cup

Christopher Mies was born on May 24,1989, in Velbert. He started racing at the age 12 at the karting track in Heiligenhaus. In 2006, he switched to racing cars, entering the German Toyota Yaris Cup. He finished 12th among 30 contestants, being the second best rookie.

For the next season, he joined the junior team of the known Rhino's Leipert Motorsport and moved to Ford Fiesta ST Cup. He scored his first victory at Nürburgring Nordschleife. With two wins and five podiums, Mies was fifth in the overall standings and the best among junior drivers.

Toyota Yaris Cup was the first car racing competition for Mies

First title for Mies in the 2008 ADAC Procar championship

In 2008, Mies continued to drive Leipert Motorsport's Ford Fiesta in the ADAC Procar championship, winning the Division 2 title. He had a fantastic score of 12 podiums in fourteen races, including six wins.

In August, he debuted in GT competition, participating at Nurburgring's round of the ADAC GT Masters. He was sharing Jörg van Ommen Autosport's Porsche 997 GT3 Cup with Jens Richter.

2008 ADAC Procar champion

2009 FIA GT3 European champion

In 2009, Mies switched to GT racing and captured his first international championship title. Together with Christopher Haase, he became the FIA GT3 European champion. The pair was driving the #26 Phoenix Racing's Audi R8 LMS, winning three out of eleven races. At the Paul Ricard's race, Mies had a serious accident and he spent two days in a hospital.

Mies also participated in four rounds of the 2009 ADAC GT Masters, reaching three podiums and helping Christian Abt to take the championship title. In May 2009, Mies participated for the first time at 24 hours of Nürburgring, as a member of the #18 Uwe Alzen Automotive's crew in the Porsche 997 GT3 Cup. They finished fourth overall.

Two Christophers, FIA GT3 European champions

2010 - first full season in the ADAC GT Masters

In 2010, Christopher's main competition was the ADAC GT Masters. He helped the team to defend the title, scoring three wins and seven podiums in the #1 Audi R8 LMS. In the drivers' standings, Mies finished second. For most of the season, his co-driver was Luca Ludwig, except at the season's finale, when he shared the car with Kuba Giermaziak.

In addition to ADAC GT Masters, Mies was testing new Audi TT RS at VLN races, scoring a class victory. At 24 hours of Nürburgring, he didn't finish the race in the Team Abt's Audi R8 LMS.

Christopher Mies in 2011

Victory at 2011 Bathurst 12 Hour race

The season of 2011 started with Christopher's maiden victory in the endurance race, at Australia's Bathurst 12 Hour race. He partnered Marc Basseng and Darryl O'Young in the #8 Audi R8 LMS of Joest Racing. After 12 hours of racing and 292 laps around the famous Mount Panorama, the #8 crew crossed the finish line just 0.7 seconds ahead of another #7 Audi.

In the 2011 ADAC GT Masters season, Mies continued to share Abt Sportsline's Audi with Luca Ludwig. In two rounds he was with Christer Jons. With one victory and four podiums, Mies finished third in the points. At the end of the season, Mies participated in the Silverstone's race of the Blancpain Endurance Series with WRT/Belgian Audi Club's R8 LMS, finishing fifth and helping teammate Gregory Franchi to win the title. At Nurburgring Nordschleife, Mies scored one win in the VLN Series and finished eight in the 24-hour race.

Christopher Mies is driving Audis since 2009

2012 - one more win at Bathurst and BES title

In February 2012, Mies repeated the victory at Bathurst 12 Hour, sharing the Phoenix Racing's Audi with Christer Jons and Darryl O'Young. This time, the victory was more comfortable than the previous year, with 1min 13sec advantage ahead of Erebus Racing's Mercedes.

Later in the season, Mies competed in the ADAC GT Masters and Blancpain GT Series. Whilst in the German-based competition he wasn't so successful, scoring only one podium and finishing 20th in the points, Mies won his second international championship title in the Blancpain Endurance Series. He was driving the #1 Audi R8 LMS for the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT, sharing the car with Christopher Haase and Stephane Ortelli. The trio scored one win (Paul Ricard) and four podiums, taking the title with a three-point advantage over Marc VDS Racing Team. At 24 hours of Spa, the #1 Audi finished second.

Mies is a specialist for Audi R8 LMS car

Podium at 2013 24 hours of Spa

Mies wanted to score a hat-trick at Mount Panorama but he didn't succeed. He finished fifth in the 2013 Bathurst 12 Hour. He was sharing the Audi R8 LMS with three Australian drivers.

In Europe, his goal was to defend Blancpain Endurance title, alongside Frank Stippler and Edward Sandstrom in the #13 Audi of Belgian Audi Club Team WRT. With two podiums, he finished only fifth in the points. At 24h of Spa, he finished third, sharing the car with Stippler and Andre Lotterer.

Mies was more successful in the 2013 ADAC GT Masters, scoring two wins alongside Rene Rast in the #27 Audi of Prosperia C.Abt Racing. They finished sixth in the points.

Christopher Mies

2014 - driving Audis all around the world

Christopher Mies had some new challenges in 2014, participating for the first time in the American endurance classic, 12 hours of Sebring, but also competing full season in the Asian GT Championship. At Sebring, Mies was driving Audi R8 for Fall-Line Motorsports, sharing the car with Charles Putman and Charles Espenlaub. They finished 6th in GTD class. In Asia, Mies scored one win and finished 12th in the GT3 Asia classification, driving Audi R8 LMS for Absolute Racing.

At European soil, his main competition was 2014 Blancpain Endurance Series with Belgian Audi Club Team WRT. He won 1000 km of Nurburgring and finished third at 24h of Spa. Mies finished 11th in the points at the end of the season, but the Nurburgring's victory helped his teammate Laurens Vanthoor  to take the championship title. In the 24-hour race at Nurburgring, Mies finished 14th in the Prosperia C.Abt Racing's Audi.

Victory at 2015 24 hours of Nurburgring

24 hours of Nürburgring victory in 2015

After two seasons without championship trophies, Mies was back in the game in 2015. The highlight of the year was definitely his first overall victory at 24 hours of Nürburgring. The members of the victorious crew at the Green Hell were Mies, Laurens Vanthoor, Edward Sandstrom and Nico Muller.

On the other side of the world, in Australia, Mies had an extra successful season in the 2015 Australian GT Championship with Jamec Pem Racing's Audi. He won three races and took the championship crown with a big advantage over Australian rivals. In Europe, Mies was a regular driver for the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT both in the Blancpain Endurance and Blancpain Sprint Series, scoring five podiums during the season. One of those podiums was third place at 24h of Spa, together with Chris Mamerow and Nicki Thiim.

2016 ADAC GT Masters champions

2016 ADAC GT Masters champion

In 2016, Mies had no luck at 24-hour races at Nurburgring and Spa, but the season has been victorious in the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup and ADAC GT Masters. In the Blancpain competition, Mies finished second in the Sprint Cup classification, behind his teammate Enzo Ide.

In the ADAC GT Masters, partnered by Connor de Phillippi in the #29 Montaplast by Land Motorsport's Audi R8 LMS, Mies scored podiums in seven out of fourteen races and won the race at Nurburgring and took his first title in the championship in which he debuted back in 2009.

One more Nurburgring 24h victory in 2017

In 2017, the highlight of the season was his second victory at 24 Hours of Nurburgring. This time, he won in Land Motorsport's Audi, sharing a car with Connor de Phillippi, Markus Winkelhock and Kelvin van der Linde.

In ADAC GT Masters, he and De Phillippi finished third in the points. He competed with Audi customer team in many other championship, scoring most notable win in GTD class at Petit Le Mans, a part of the IMSA SportsCar Championship.

In 2018, his main competition is ADAC GT Masters but he also serves as Audi driver in other GT competitions and endurance races all over the world.

Photos: christopher-mies.de,