Alex MacDowall experienced a tough second event of the ADAC GT Masters series which limited the Cumbrian to a best result of 13th place.

At the Lausitzring in Germany over the weekend, the Carlisle driver suffered with race one contact and subsequent power steering issues in second qualifying damaging his chances of success.

Having begun his maiden season in the championship with a podium at Oschersleben at the end of April, MacDowall hoped to be in the mix once again on his first visit to the Lausitzring but a series of difficulties led to a challenging event for the Cumbrian racer and team-mate Klaus Bachler.

Despite a clean start from Bachler to round three on Saturday, the Austrian was collected at Turn Three on the opening lap and the resulting damage to the bigFM Racing Team Schutz Motorsport Porsche led to instant retirement.

With power steering issues, a legacy of the incident, preventing MacDowall from setting a lap time in the race two qualifying session on Sunday morning, the British driver had to start round four from the back of the grid.

But he and Bachler managed to end the contest in a much-improved 13th.

“We’ve had a bit of bad luck this weekend,” said MacDowall. “We didn’t really have the performance in first qualifying and so Klaus started the first race in among the pack in P10, then an Audi decided to lunge him – the way the steering was turned it broke the chassis on the front-left.

“Unfortunately, after the repairs, the power steering wasn’t sorted for second qualifying so I didn’t turn a lap.

“It was tough to make up places from the back but P27 to P13 wasn’t a bad result, just not the sort of result we’re out there fighting for.

“In testing this weekend, I was only two tenths off Klaus, so I feel I’m starting to gel with the Porsche more and getting quicker. It’s just a shame we couldn’t turn that into results.”

All attention turns to rounds five and six of the ADAC GT Masters, due to take place at the Red Bull Ring, Austria over the weekend of June 10-11.