Racing in their blood: the Gjerdrum brothers are shaking up the ADAC GT Masters

At the Circuit Zandvoort in 2026, the moment finally arrives: Storm Gjerdrum, then just 16 years old, secures his first ADAC GT Masters podium. There is great jubilation amongst his team, FK Performance Motorsport. Amongst those celebrating is a member of the Haupt Racing Team: his 19-year-old brother Emil. On the track, the brothers are rivals, but off the track, Emil is just as delighted about Storm’s podium as his younger brother is two weeks later, when Emil gets to spray champagne twice at the Lausitzring.

“We’re both very ambitious and help each other out,” explains Emil. Together, they analyse videos and data and train hard. But one thing is very important to the brothers: “Of course, we don’t discuss any data or internal matters relating to our respective teams.”

This is because Storm Gjerdrum shares the FK Performance Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 Evo with Fabio Rauer, whilst Emil Gjerdrum is striving for success alongside Max Reis in the Haupt Racing Team’s Ford Mustang GT3. “It felt a bit strange at first,” reveals Emil. “But nobody takes it too seriously. I eat with his team and he eats with mine. Both are very friendly and open-minded.”

Right at the first race weekend of the season at the Red Bull Ring, they came face to face on the track. “Of course, we’re only supposed to focus on driving, but it was something special and I thought: ‘Oh blimey, there’s my brother in front of me,’” laughs Storm, who is competing in his first season in the ADAC GT Masters. Emil adds pragmatically: “Of course, I drive just as I would against any other rival. Perhaps a bit more carefully at times, because I know that if I crash into my brother, my parents will get both the bills.”

Racing as a family sport

The brothers live with their family not far from the Norwegian capital, Oslo, on the tranquil island of Nesoya, which is connected to the mainland by a bridge. Motor racing is deeply rooted in the Gjerdrum family; their grandfather used to race as an amateur, and their father, Mads, used to accompany him. And so it came to pass that he, too, took to the track in historic motorsport at the age of 18. Weekends spent together in the old Mercedes coach at the racetrack, barbecues in the evening and simple racing were part of Storm and Emil Gjerdrum’s lives from an early age. “Our dad let us try out all sorts of sports – mainly the less expensive ones,” laughs Emil. “But we both wanted to go karting and worked really hard at it. Nothing else made sense to us.”

It was through their father, Mads – who first came across Mücke Motorsport at a historic motorsport event in 2013 – that Emil’s stint in the ADAC GT4 Germany eventually came about. When it came to planning for the future, Mads Gjerdrum rang Berlin, and shortly afterwards Emil was racing for Mücke Motorsport. After two years, the move up to the ADAC GT Masters followed in 2025. Storm started out in the ADAC Touring Car Junior Cup, completed a few races in the ADAC GT4 Germany, before making his debut in the ADAC’s GT3 junior series as a guest driver at the Salzburgring in 2025. At the start of the current season, he and Rauer went down in the history books as the third-youngest driver pairing in the ADAC GT Masters.

Competing against each other for a strong partnership

“We’re in competition almost 24/7,” says Storm with a laugh. When the two aren’t battling it out in the car, the rivalry plays out on other fronts. “Being brothers generally helps us, because I always want to be better than Storm and he wants to be better than me,” admits Emil. “If Storm goes for a run, I have to do the same. It’s the same the other way round. We push each other off the track and motivate one another.”

Winter is no exception in this respect. “In Norway, the lakes are frozen over and we drive our cars on them,” explains Storm. “It’s similar to driving in the wet. We have studs on the tyres, but you need good control of the car. That helps us in racing too.” Naturally, in a winter sports nation like Norway, various forms of skiing are also part of the two brothers’ routine. Storm also plays tennis and football, whilst Emil concentrates exclusively on training for his racing commitments.

Family power in the Mini Cooper

This also includes historic Mini Cooper races with identical cars. Their father, Mads, is also on the starting grid here, competing against his sons. “We’ve built the cars from scratch ourselves. It’s fun to work as a mechanic on the side and fix things,” explains Emil, who has thus gained a good understanding of the tough and stressful work mechanics do. “That’s how we can really appreciate the team’s performance.”

Whether it’s changing the engine or the gearbox, the brothers know exactly where to get stuck in. The technology in their GT3 cars is far more sophisticated, yet the pair are eager to learn and strive for a comprehensive understanding of these cars too. This is certainly no disadvantage for their future careers, which are set to take them both in the same direction once again. “We want to become professional racing drivers,” explains Storm. “Ideally, of course, works drivers. Motorsport is our dream. Simply to drive, without having to go looking for sponsors and funding.” Emil adds: “To travel the world and get paid to race. My ultimate goal is the DTM. I’ve been in this paddock for four years and it would definitely be a dream to race there.”

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