Szymon Edward Ładniak (born 15 February 2003) is a Polish racing driver, currently competing in the 2025 ADAC GT Masters with Liqui Moly Team Engstler by GRT.
Career
Early career Ładniak began his racing career as a 14-year-old in 2017, when he competed in the Kia Lotos Race championship. At the Autodrom Most round of the series he achieved his only podium of the season. The following year, he switched to Renault Clio Cup Central Europe. Over the course of the season, he scored 94 points and finished in 17th overall. He stayed in the championship for 2019, and that time he finished 11th in the final standings.
Touring cars For the 2020 season Ładniak joined GT2 Motorsport for the TCR Eastern Europe Trophy. His best result of the year was a fifth position at the Hungaroring. He also took part in three rounds of ADAC TCR Germany Touring Car Championship as a guest, as well as a round of Tourenwagen Meisterschaft Österreich.
2021 saw Ładniak again competing in ADAC TCR Germany Touring Car Championship, this time full season. He competed for three teams: JP Motorsports, Wimmer Werk Motorsport and Halder Motorsport. With the latter team he scored his only podium of the season at the Nürburgring. He finished the year in 13th overall with 70 points to his name.
He stayed in the ADAC TCR Germany Touring Car Championship for 2022, this time with the Engstler Honda Type R Liqui Moly Racing Team team. During that season, he won three races and stood on the podium three more times, to finish third in the overall championship. He also won the Junior classification of the championship.
Ferrari Challenge For 2023, Ładniak made the switch from touring cars to Ferrari Challenge, as he decided to race in the Ferrari Challenge Europe Trofeo Pirelli class with the Gohm - Scuderia GT team. He began the season at Circuit Ricardo Tormo with a podium in the second race. He scored his second, and last podium of the season at Algarve International Circuit. He concluded the season in fifth position. Ładniak also took part in the Ferrari Challenge Finali Mondiali at Mugello Circuit, where he finished in fourth.
LMP3 Le Mans Cup was the series that Ładniak chose to compete in for the 2024 season. He competed there in a Ligier JS P320 of Bretton Racing. He was scheduled to start the season at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, but he was replaced by Axel Gnos, after safety concerns were expressed to the team by the race director after the collective test on Wednesday. Ładniak said that the withdrawal was caused by him not getting the FIA Silver License in time. He stayed in Le Mans Cup for two more rounds, where he did not score points. After the third round, he was replaced in the team.
GT3 After an unsuccessful campaign in Le Mans Cup, Ładniak switched to GT3 cars. He came back to Engstler Motorsport, under a Liqui Moly Team Engstler by GRT alias to compete in the ADAC GT Masters.
Racing record
Racing career summary SeasonSeriesTeamRacesWinsPolesF/LapsPodiumsPointsPosition2017Kia Lotos RaceBM Racing Team12000145211th2018Renault Clio Cup Central EuropeBM Racing Team1400009417thWyścigowe Samochodowe Mistrzostwa Polski – D4 350020001934th2019Renault Clio Cup Central EuropeBM Racing Team14000011711th2020ADAC TCR Germany Touring Car ChampionshipGT2 Motorsport600000NC†TCR Eastern Europe Trophy800002411thTourenwagen Meisterschaft Österreich – Div 3200001213th2021ADAC TCR Germany Touring Car ChampionshipJP Motorsport600007013th Wimmer Werk Motorsport20000Halder Motorsport400012022ADAC TCR Germany Touring Car ChampionshipEngstler Honda Type R Liqui Moly Racing Team1432363113rd2023Ferrari Challenge Europe – Trofeo Pirelli ProGohm Motorsport130002925thFerrari Challenge World Final – Trofeo Pirelli10000NC4th2024Le Mans Cup – LMP3Bretton Racing300000NC2025ADAC GT MastersLiqui Moly Team Engstler by GRT600002017th † As Ładniak was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.* Season in progress.
Complete Ferrari Challenge Europe results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) YearClassTeam12345678910111213DCPoints2023Trofeo Pirelli ProGohm - Scuderia GTCRT1CRT2MIS1MIS2RBR1RBR2LMSEST1EST2SPA1SPA2MUG1MUG25th92
Complete Le Mans Cup results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) YearClassTeam1234567DCPoints2024LMP3Bretton RacingBARLECLMS1LMS2SPAMUGPORNC0
Complete ADAC GT Masters results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) YearTeam123456789101112DCPoints2025Liqui Moly Team Engstler by GRTLAU1LAU2ZAN1ZAN2NÜR1NÜR2SAL1SAL2RBR1RBR2HOC1HOC216th*20* * Season in progress.
References