Fabio Scherer’s 2026 season has been defined by speed without big rewards – yet. Behind the setbacks, the Swiss driver sees a project heading firmly in the right direction. He feels at home with Haupt Racing Team, his teammates and looks forward to conquering the challenges ahead.
After stumbling into Scherer at the Nürburgring in March and talking to him only shortly to catch up ahead of the season, GT REPORT figured it was time to sit down with the Swiss driver and discuss the 2026 season more intensively. Scherer’s programme changed going into this year, as he joined the GT World Challenge Europe grid after one season in DTM.
Looking at the way he’s carrying himself, feeling at home with Haupt Racing Team and taming the Ford Mustang GT3 Evo like he’s raced it for many years already, one might forget it’s only Scherer’s second year in GT3 racing. Big progress was made in 2025, where he adapted to the Mustang’s chassis and style – setting the NLS lap record during the NLS10 weekend.
Moving on from Nordschleife heartbreak: ‘It’s part of the game’
So far, however, the luck hasn’t been on his side. “I think we had the speed in the last couple of rounds at the Nordschleife, but the luck was not there,” Scherer tells GT REPORT. During the Nürburgring 24 Hours, he was about to get into the car when teammate Arjun Maini suffered a big crash. Luckily, Maini was okay.
For Scherer, it was a heartbreaking moment. “It was hard to take. I didn’t even drive one lap, so I couldn’t prove myself. It’s for sure painful, but it’s part of the game. We know the Nordschleife, we know how difficult it is. It was not easy, as it’s the season highlight. Of course I like the Spa 24 Hours too, but for me, the Nordschleife is more special,” he honestly says.
It’s yet to be confirmed whether Scherer returns to the Nordschleife later this season to compete in more NLS races. For now, the focus is on the upcoming races of GT World Challenge. From the inside, it’s clear that HRT is making big steps.
Maiden pole proves momentum: ‘We really made a step forward’
Take the race in Monza as an example: Maini, Scherer and Thomas Drouet put the Mustang on pole for the first time ever. On Sunday, the unforeseen chaos at the start of the race took them out. It’s clear the pace and resilience are there, now it just needs to come together on track. “You need to take pole in a field of 57 cars,” Scherer says while looking back at that weekend.
“I think it’s probably more difficult to do that than to win the race. If you’re lucky in GT World Challenge, it can happen, so the feeling was amazing after. Especially with the car, we struggled a lot, and it was hot – which is not our favourite condition. We really made a step forward. I think you can see now from race to race, it’s coming together better. I like the momentum and how we can take it with us.”
Asked if they could apply that to the scorching hot edition of the 24 Hours of Spa, Scherer was in doubts. Not because of the team’s operations, but because the heat was insane. “It’s not normal weather,” Scherer laughs. “The heat can’t escape either, there’s no wind. The tarmac was about sixty degrees Celsius. Tyre degradation is always a huge topic in this race.”
The Ford Mustang can be quite particular in terms of balance and cornering speed, the same for the Mercedes-AMG GT3. “Our car generally has no problem to bring tyres into the right window, but the downside is that it’s easier to fall out again,” he explains. He compliments the team for making big steps in that area: “It’s for sure less of a problem than last year!”
A team that feels like family: ‘We spend time in private too’
It’s visible from the way he talks about it that he enjoys working with the men and women of HRT. Difficult moments only seem to fuel him more to make the most out of it. Scherer and the Mustang are a good fit, and it would be strange to suddenly see him somewhere else – despite it being only his second year with the team.
“I feel comfortable here,” Scherer nods with a smile. “I like the people I work with. It’s kind of a family. We spend time in private too, which is not really common in the racing world. I like that. I have lovely teammates too. I would call them friends. That’s not common in racing either, I would say.
It’s really good on that side, and I think the programme is good too. HRT and Ford do a lot [of championships] and they will do a lot in the future, which is a good thing. I’m looking forward to what the future brings. I would say, if you build up something together, you shouldn’t look elsewhere too quickly.”
Maini and Scherer form quite the duo: ‘I visited him in India’
Scherer has been sharing the car with Maini for a while now, and it’s obvious the two have become good friends. The Indian driver, fond of the heavier type of music, has left his mark on Scherer’s free time in multiple ways. “Maybe I listen to rock a bit more than before,” he laughs. “I went to India to visit him. It was a good experience, nice to be there.
It’s a bit more relaxed, in a positive way, at the racetrack with him. On the driving side, he’s quick. Sometimes I can learn something from him, and sometimes he can learn something from me. In general we give the same feedback, have the same ideas – which is really good.” Great minds think alike, as they say.
Chasing the biggest prizes: ‘I want to win them all’
Unfortunately for Scherer and the HRT crew, they had to drop out of the Spa 24 Hours due to a technical issue. Still, they can be proud, as the car made it through the night and they fought their way from P10 to the lead. It does mean that the race is still on Scherer’s bucket list of races he wants to win in his career.
A Le Mans win is already ticked off, but winning it again is something Scherer definitely wouldn’t mind. “There’s a couple of things I’d like to win. I would like to be DTM champion, but as well as winning the overall Le Mans victory in a Hypercar one day. I also like to watch IndyCar. It looks like one of the coolest championships.
It would be weird for me to end up there, but you never know. I want to win all the big races at some point. In our sport, the prime time starts even now, which is a good thing. If you’re sharp and work hard, you can still do this mid-40s. We have some good examples in these kinds of paddocks. So, I’m sure there are many years left!”
