Despite being just 18 years of age, Tom Kalender is driving his second DTM season in the #84 Mercedes‑AMG GT3. His rise to the highest level of sports car racing has been nothing short of remarkable as he kept on winning throughout his karting days. Aged 16, the German driver wrote history as he crowned himself the youngest ADAC GT Masters champion, driving for Landgraf Motorsport, the same team he is with now in DTM. The Mercedes Junior also competes in the GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS in the Bronze Endurance Cup for GetSpeed Team Dubai, in the same car, as the days to the Spa 24 Hours are counting down.

From Football to Early Karting Success

For Tom it never started with racing. “No one in my family was into racing or involved in it. We actually wanted to play football, but somehow my talent was not really great there.”

His dad, however, always had an interest in cars, and because football didn’t turn out the way they hoped, they tried something else: “We planned to buy a motorcycle, like a small pocket bike or something. In the end it was too dangerous, for my dad especially, so we decided to buy a go‑kart.”

From there on the love for racing started as the young German kept on winning in various ADAC karting series. To have full control is something he prefers instead of being on a football field and depending on players around him.

“It’s always quite nice because if you’re doing a mistake, you immediately know it’s your mistake.”

The 2018 and 2019 ADAC Karting champion booked early success at a young age, having started at the age of eight, despite that not being enough on its own to break into motorsport.

“I’m quite lucky that my father supports me quite a lot, also financially. I have to mention that. Nowadays it’s always quite hard to find sponsorships, especially with the times as they currently are,” he says to GT REPORT.

“My sponsors help me a lot, I’m really happy about that.”

On the question of what kind of job his dad does, he says: “Actually, he’s a dentist.”

Calm Under Pressure; History Written

With the talent and support being there, he made the jump to Italian and French F4 in 2023. “I started Formula racing at the age of 15.”

But it was clear for him that he didn’t want to stay long there.

“At that age you cannot really do GT racing and I didn’t want to stay in karting any longer but instead use the time to learn something about car racing, that’s why I went to Formula 4.”

The driver, who has his plans set, explains. “At that time the step into GT racing was already in the back of my mind.”

This step happened the following year as he entered the ADAC GT Masters at the age of just 16, driving for Landgraf Motorsport in the Mercedes‑AMG GT3.

He went into it cool‑headed.

“Before the season I was comfortable and also quite confident because I was prepared quite well by the team and my teammate Elias Seppänen. I knew already that we could be good, we could fight for podiums.”

In the opening round in Oschersleben that expectation became reality straight away as he finished second in the first race and won the second together with his teammate.

“I didn’t think too much about the championship. To go into a new championship with the expectation to win it immediately is something that you never really do.”

By having success on his debut, that all changed and the thoughts about winning it all popped up. “For sure after the first weekend.”

Yet pressure didn’t get to him. “It was all good. Not a problem. It was not easy but manageable.”

In the end he wrote history as he claimed the championship at the age of 16 years, six months and 23 days, with a total of 253 points scored and a margin of 48 points over the second‑placed team.

“It was amazing, unbelievable! It was a dream come true,” the Landgraf Motorsport driver says with a big smile on his face, thinking back to that moment.

But he admits that in the last round of the championship the pressure wasn’t there, as the margin was big enough. “I knew already before the weekend that it was going to happen, but of course you never know 100%.”

To write history means a lot to him, yet he stays cool about it.

“To be the record holder for the youngest champion ever is something great, but I always say this: it’s just a nice fact.”

Backed by Mercedes, Chasing Greatness

With his speed and talent proven, he was ready for the bigger stage as he, supported by Mercedes‑AMG, was awarded by becoming their junior driver after that successful year and made the step to DTM.

In his first season he learned a lot with Team Landgraf driving the Mercedes‑AMG GT3 and is hungry for more this year. “I think we improved pretty much everywhere.”

Because DTM is such a close championship and him being the youngest driver on the grid, he takes every chance to improve himself. Within Mercedes he looks up the most to Lucas Auer. He drives the other, number 22, Landgraf Mercedes.

“He is super experienced, there is probably no situation that he has never seen in his career. I of course watch a lot of his data, his videos, so it helps quite a lot.”

The targets for this season are already set:

“To have fun always, because that is the most important thing. We want to keep on improving and keep up the progress that we have had already. And to score good points, reach a good position in the championship.”

His dream? Win the DTM championship. “That’s for sure the biggest point on my list!”

But also in other iconic races the young driver wants to book success.

“24 Hours of Nürburgring is quite nice to win, Daytona is also quite nice to win. There is still a lot on my bucket list.”

And he knows how to stick to reaching it: “I always set myself reachable targets and don’t get too frustrated if you don’t reach them.”

The chance to win one of the most challenging races comes as the Spa 24 Hours race is just around the corner. He will compete in the Bronze Cup class in the Mercedes‑AMG GT3 of GetSpeed Team Dubai. 

“I have only done two 24‑hour races, so I realise how tough it actually is. You have to be a lot more careful with the car.” Sleeping is also a big point, he says. “I always have to get used to it.”

Driving in the night is something that still needs some learning, he admits.

“I am a bit struggling sometimes, depending on how dark it is. It’s not bad but still quite new to me.”