Denny Berndt and Lachlan Robinson: A portrait of the new champions

Porsche duo wins the title in the final race of the season at the Hockenheimring. Berndt and Robinson won three races this season. This is the first title on the ADAC Motorsport platform for both drivers.

Denny Berndt (21/Berlin) and Lachlan Robinson (23/AUS) have done it. Second place in the final race of the season at the Hockenheimring was sufficient to see the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 drivers crowned 2026 champions. For the second time since 2024, the ADAC GT4 Germany champions were at the wheel of a Porsche run by Swabian team AVIA W&S Motorsport. “Congratulations to Denny and Lachlan. They have been really strong all season, and always kept a cool head,” said team principal Daniel Schellhaas, full of praise for his successful drivers. “They are a really good fit for each other, as both are extremely calm guys, who always act in a considered way. It is very pleasant working with them. I hope they can really show their emotions today.”

The 2026 season developed into a thrilling three-way battle between driver pairings from three different manufacturers – and Berndt and Robinson were in the thick of it from the word go. The season opener at the Red Bull Ring immediately produced two podiums. The first race win came in the Saturday race at the Norisring. Second place in the Sunday race rounded off a successful weekend in Nuremberg. “My personal highlight of the season was the pole position at the Norisring, as I was not expecting that at all,” Robinson recalls. In contrast, things did not go to plan at Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. The race weekend in the Magdeburg Börde region was the only, at which the new champions failed to make it onto the podium. “However, even that was not really a low point. Even in Oschersleben, we gave it our all in the cockpit – and, above all, had a lot of fun both on and off the track,” Berndt adds. The next race win followed in the Sunday race at the Nürburgring. Berndt and Robinson then underlined their title ambitions with a podium at the Sachsenring. As such, they travelled to the season finale at the Hockenheimring as championship leaders. An eighth place, another race win, and a runner-up finish at the circuit near Mannheim were ultimately enough to see them crowned champions. “One of the main factors in winning the title was definitely our consistency. We were challenging for victories at every race weekend – perhaps with the exception of Oschersleben. That was the key,” says Robinson.

Lachlan Robinson was born in Great Britain. However, both parents come from Australia. When he was six months old, the family moved to Dubai, where they still live. Robinson was introduced to motorsport by his father, who has always been a big fan of motor racing. His brother celebrated one of his birthdays at a kart track – and that was Robinson’s first time behind the wheel. In 2014, he contested his first race in Dubai. He then remained true to karting until 2023, when he switched to GT4 racing and made a guest appearance in ADAC GT4 Germany at the Sachsenring. Since then, he has been putting pedal to the metal in this series, and has improved year upon year. “Lachlan is a really fast driver, and we also get on really well away from the track,” says Berndt, describing his team-mate. The fact that Robinson lives in Dubai means that it is virtually impossible to do any open-air exercise. “It is far too hot for that,” he explains. “For that reason, I prefer to sit in the simulator. I really enjoy that. Plus, I coach a few kart drivers in Dubai.”

Berlin’s Berndt first sat in a kart at the tender age of four, and went on to start many races in this format. After guest starts in the BMW 318ti Cup in 2022, he contested his first full season in automobile racing in the 2023 BMW M2 Cup. Since 2024, he has done his racing in ADAC GT4 Germany. “Denny is a real oasis of tranquillity – he never gets stressed and radiates control. That really helps us at race weekends, as we are able to focus on our work,” says Robinson of his team-mate. Berndt completed his training as an auto mechanic in January 2026, and works for his father in an independent workshop. “It is not as hot in Berlin as it is in Dubai – so I just do his training for him,” laughs Berndt. “I go to the gym, cycle, and regularly go jogging.”

It is yet to be confirmed what comes next for the two champions in 2027. “The ‘Road to DTM’ programme is of interest to me – as is GT3 racing. It would be an honour to race in the ADAC GT Masters. However, we must wait to see how it all develops over the winter. It would also be awesome to have the opportunity to defend the title in ADAC GT4 Germany,” says Robinson, looking ahead to 2027. Berndt shares a similar view: “I find the support from the ADAC, via the ‘Road to DTM’ programme, super and helpful. As a young driver, you are always looking up. It would definitely be valuable to defend the title. However, it goes without saying that we are also looking towards GT3 racing and the ADAC GT Masters.”