Maximilian Buhk

German racing driver Maximilian Buhk is one of the most promising young GT drivers in the world. Early in a career, by the age of 24, he already clinched four major international championship titles, three with Mercedes and one with Bentley.

He started collecting trophies in 2012, winning the FIA GT3 European Championship. In 2013, he won the Blancpain Endurance Series. In 2015, Buhk added the Blancpain Sprint Series Cup to his collection. In 2016, he won the overall Blancpain GT Series title, together with HTP Motorsport teammate Dominik Baumann.

Maximilian Buhk

Maxi followed the footsteps of grandfather and father

Maximilian Buhk was born on December 9, 1992, in Reinbek, Germany. His grandfather and father were racing drivers, so it was natural for Maxi to enter the racing competitions in the early age, as a 12-year-boy, with go-karts at MSC Geesthacht.

When he was 17, Maxi tried bigger racing machines, which is why he entered the 2010 ADAC Formel Masters series with KUG Motorsport and ma-com Motorsport. In his debut season, he finished 12th in the points, without wins and podiums. In 2011, he finished in 9th place, scoring two podiums.

Maxi Buhk started racing with Mercedes cars in 2012

A career switch to GT racing was a good idea

After two years in formula racing, Buhk changed the discipline, switching to GT racing, and it turned to be a great idea, as he took his first international championship title in the very first season of racing.

He was a member of the Heico Motorsport Junior Team and competed both in the FIA GT3 European Championship and ADAC GT Masters. His first GT car was mighty Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3.

2013 European GT3 champions - Baumann and Buhk

Buhk and Baumann - European GT3 champions

Buhk sensationally won the European Championship, becoming the youngest champion in the world. Partnering Dominik Baumann in the #1 Heico Gravity-Charouz Team's Mercedes, Buhk scored six wins in twelve races and won the trophy in a dominant way.

His partner in the ADAC GT Masters was Andreas Simonsen and they finished 11th in the points. Besides championship races, he participated at 24h Dubai and finished second.

Blancpain Endurance Series winner in 2013

In 2013, Buhk expanded his schedule to three competitions, driving Mercedes for HTP Motorsport in the Blancpain Endurance Series, for HTP Gravity Charouz in the FIA GT Series and for Polarweiss Racing in the ADAC GT Masters.

He was successful in all three competitions, but he definitely achieved the biggest success in the Blancpain Endurance Series when he took the winner's trophy ahead of HTP teammates Bernd Schneider and Maximilian Gotz. Buhk scored two wins, at Spa 24h and 1000 km of Nurburgring.

Maxi Buhk in 2013

ADAC's Junior of the Year

A technical failure in the very last race prevented him from winning the ADAC GT Masters series. With one win and six podiums, he finished third in the points. His co-driver in the Polarweiss Racing's Mercedes was Maximilian Gotz.

In the FIA GT Series classification, Buhk finished 7th in the points. For his achievements in 2013, Buhk was awarded as the ADAC Junior Motor Sportsman of the Year.

2014 - the season of second places

The season of 2014 started with Maxi's participation at Bathurst 12 Hour race, sharing HTP Motorsport's Mercedes with Thomas Jager and Harold Primat. The trio finished second overall, behind Maranello Sport's Ferrari.

Later in the season, Maximilian was again participating in three competitions – ADAC GT Masters, Blancpain Sprint Series and Blancpain Endurance Series. He was close to Blancpain Sprint title, finishing second, behind his teammate Gotz. In the Endurance Series, he finished fourth, while in the ADAC GT Masters classification he finished 10th.

Young Bentley Boys won the 2015 Blancpain Sprint Series Cup

Maxi was a Bentley Boy for one season

Buhk's progress wasn't unnoticed and for 2015 season he was invited to joined Bentley Motors as a factory driver. Two youngest Bentley Boys, Maxi Buhk and Vincent Abril, scored four wins and eight podiums in twelve races with the #84 Bentley Continental GT3, winning the 2015 Blancpain Sprint Series Cup title.

In the overall 2015 Blancpain GT Series standings, Buhk was second, so his next goal was to win that trophy. And he did it in 2016, but not with Bentley, because he returned to HTP Motorsport, to drive new Mercedes-AMG GT3.

2016 Blancpain GT Series winners - Buhk and Baumann

Bauman and Buhk again the victorious combination

In the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup, Buhk was sharing the car with Dominik Baumann and they finished third in the points. In the Endurance Cup, they partnered with Jazeman Jaafar in the #84 Mercedes and finished second in the points.

Baumann and Buhk were mostly successful in the overall Blancpain GT Series standings and Maxi finally won the trophy he missed.

Again among the front-runners in 2017

In 2017, Buhk stayed with HTP Motorsport but he changed co-drivers in the #84 Mercedes-AMG GT3. In the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup, he was sharing a car with Jimmy Eriksson and Franck Perera, finishing third in the points. In the Sprint Cup, his full-time co-driver was Franck Perera and they finished third in the final standings.

Besides in the European Blancpain GT Series, Buhk also participated in the Asian division of the Blancpain GT Series but also in the ADAC GT Masters and VLN endurance series.

Maxi Buhk pictured in 2019

Fighting for the Intercontinental GT Challenge title in 2019

In 2018, Buhk gained the most of success in the ADAC GT Masters, winning one race together with Indy Dontje and finishing fifth in the final standings. He also raced with Mercedes in the Blancpain GT Series and Intercontinental GT Challenge.

In 2019, Buhk was among the front-runners in the Intercontinental GT Challenge, driving a Mercedes-AMG GT3 for GruppeM Racing. He was fighting for the title until the last race at Kyalami. Unfortunately, he didn't finish the last race and ended the season third in the points.

Photos: maximilian-buhk.de,