Month: September 2021

Report Races Brno

Double wins for Ingo Gerstl and Harald Schlegelmilch at the Masaryk Racing Days.

The fourth event of the season brought the BOSS GP Racing Series to the Czech Republic’s largest racetrack in Brno on the first weekend of September. On the traditional date of the Masaryk Racing Days, the lively racing programme included some of the fastest race cars in the world, racing against each other.

OPEN class
Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) was once again unbeatable in the screaming Toro Rosso STR1 with a V10 Cosworth engine from 2006. The rivals are still missing, so Gerstl is driving towards the next title. It would be his sixth championship title in the OPEN class of Formula 1 and IndyCar cars. It would bring him up to par with his former rival and BOSS GP record holder Klaas Zwart (NLD). Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing) made his debut on the Brno circuit in the popular 1997 Benetton. Despite not having a chance against Gerstl’s much more modern car, Ehninger presented himself in the best possible way on the Czech rollercoaster with two second places – thus keeping the championship open for Ehninger.

FORMULA class
Harald Schlegelmilch (LVA, HS Engineering) showed early on this weekend that he is the favourite to win in class. After his successful performance at the Red Bull Ring earlier this year, the former Formula 3 professional once again showed the more established competition what he is capable of. Even though championship leader Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) put a lot of pressure on him in the first race, Schlegelmilch kept his nerve in the last generation World Series car and won race 1 by a narrow margin. The next day in the second race Ghiotto started better and took the lead right at the rolling start. But Schlegelmilch, who was a bit slower on the straights, was able to brake later into the corners and take the lead before the halfway point of the race.

Third place in both races was taken by Luca Martucci, who is now just one point behind his team-mate Simone Colombo (both ITA, MM International) in the overall standings. With two fourth places, rookie Colombo got the best out of a weekend that started with an accident in practice. Walter Steding (GER, Scuderia Palladio; 5th twice) and Bruno Jarach (EST, Eesti Motorsport; 6th and 7th) also scored solid points. Unlike Andreas Fiedler (GER) and Christian Ferstl (AUT), who were both affected by technical problems.

The next two races of the 2021 BOSS GP Racing Series are on the schedule at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza on 2 and 3 October.

Pictures: Angelo Poletto and Erwin Strassnig/BOSS GP

Preview Brno

The BOSS GP Racing Series is back on the starting grid at the Masaryk Racing Days in Brno.

Europe’s fastest racing series will return to the Automotodrom in Brno this weekend. From Friday to Sunday, 20 of the world’s fastest racing cars representing Formula 1, Formula 2, GP2, World Series by Renault and Formula 3000 will gather in the Czech Republic’s second-largest city for the fourth of five 2021 season events for an unforgettable experience. The public is admitted to the Masaryk Racing Days, and the paddock can also be visited. A weekend ticket costs 16 euros, a one-day ticket 12 euros – tickets are sold directly at the entrances.

With a length of 5.403 kilometres, the circuit on the western outskirts of the city is the second longest on the 2021 BOSS GP race calendar after Monza. Fast and flowing corners alternate with a technically demanding section. Engine power is also a decisive factor because the Czech rollercoaster is steeply uphill in the last third of the track. Ideal terrain, therefore, for Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing) in the Benetton B197 and Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) in the Toro Rosso STR1 to bring their V10 power to bear. In the FORMULA class, Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) will try to take his sixth win of the season. However, his fiercest opponents, Simone Colombo and Luca Martucci (both ITA, MM International), will have something against it. After a one race break, Red Bull Ring winner Harald Schlegelmilch (LVA, HS Engineering) is also back in the field. In the SUPER LIGHTS, Maurizio Copetti (ITA) is the favourite in his V6 World Series machine.

In addition to the headliner BOSS GP, other race series will take place from Friday to Sunday: Drexler Formula Cup, ESET V4 Cup with the TCR Eastern Europe and the Renault Clio Cup Bohemia, Suzuki Swift Cup Europe and historic racing classes (HAIGO).

Schedule BOSS GP Masaryk Racing Days Brno:

Friday, 3 September 2021
11:10–11:40     Free Practice 1
15:25–15:55     Free Practice 2

Saturday, 4 September 2021
09:30–10:00     Qualifying
15:25               Race 1 (20 minutes)

Sunday, 5 September 2021
09:05–09:15     Warm-up
12:15                Race 2 (25 minutes)

Photos: Angelo Poletto, Michael Jurtin/both BOSS GP