Autore: Keke Platzer

Idoli di casa: Max Cuccarese

Shootingstar Massimiliano Cuccarese (liceale di Pignola in Basilicata) ha fatto un fantastico debutto in BOSS GP durante il weekend ad Assen. Prima della sua gara di casa al Mugello il pilota della squadra MM International ci spiega il fascino della BOSS GP Racing Series.

Quando hai cominciato col motor sport?

MAX CUCCARESE: „Ho seguito la MotoGP in TV. Così cominciavo a entusiasmarmi del motor sport. Con gli anni però ho preferito le auto da corsa, soprattutto le monoposto.”

Assen, agosto 2024: Max Cuccarese al debutto in GP2

Raccontaci il tuo percorso dal Kart alla BOSS GP Racing Series

CUCCARESE: „Nel 2020 (all’età di 13 anni, ndr) ho cominciato a correre nel campionato regionale della Campagna nella categoria Junior IMAE X30 a causa della pandemia COVID il mio debutto nel mondo delle corse è arrivato con un anno di ritardo e ho finito il campionato in terza posizione nonostante il fatto ero costretto a rinunciare a una gara per motivi familiari. Nel 2021 ho partecipato al Campionato Italiano per la prima volta e anche nel WSK-Euroserie a Sarno nella categoria OK Senior. L’anno seguente ho fatto il passo in monoposto con alcune sessioni di test in Formula 4 su varie piste italiane. Nel 2023 ho provato una Dallara F317 e inizio 2024 ho fatto un test con una Dallara F320 prima di fare il prossimo salto con la GP2 della MM International Motorsport in giugno.”

Potresti descriverci le tue sensazioni durante il primo weekend di gara nella BOSS GP Racing Series?  

CUCCARESE: CUCCARESE: „Onestamente non sapevo cosa mi dovessi aspettare di questa prima gara con una nuova macchina senza conoscere il circuito e dopo un periodo senza gare. Tuttavia dopo i primi giri nelle prove libere avevo una sensazione positiva e grazie al duro lavoro di tutto i membri del team ero convinto che saremo pronti a lottare per le posizioni da podio in gara. Quando ho visto la bandiera a scacchi in seconda posizione in gara 1, mi sono emozionato e ero molto contento per l’intero team.”

Prima gara, primo podio: Max (sin.) giunge secondo a Assen, dietro a Simone Colombo e davanti a Marco Ghiotto

Come ti piace l’ambiente in Boss GP?

CUCCARESE: „E‘ un ambiente molto piacevole, c‘è tanto di rispetto tra tutti i piloti e team, sia in pista sia nel paddock. Gli appassionati sono fantastici con una passione unica e un grande appoggio. Vorrei ringraziare la MM International Motorsport per la fiducia e per il lavoro svolto con immensa passione.”

Qual è il tuo obiettivo? A che cosa aspiri nel motorsport?

CUCCARESE: „Il mio obiettivo è prendere il volante delle più veloci auto di Formula come le F2, Super Formula, IndyCar e magari persino una Formula 1.”

Foto: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Review: Assen 2024

95,000 fans saw the City Showrun on Thursday as an appetiser in the centre of Assen and another three days of great racing on the TT Circuit. The championship remains wide open after round 4 in the Netherlands.

In addition to Formula 1 star David Coulthard, BOSS GP driver Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Team Top Speed) attracted a lot of attention when he accelerated his Toro Rosso STR1 next to the canal and then skilfully performed a few pirouettes. Gerstl’s team-mate Erich Zech attracted similar attention when he drove his roaring 1997 Ferrari Formula 1 around the 4.555-kilometre track during the demo runs.

The City Show Run in the centre of Assen was a blast

F1

It was also Gerstl who won both races in the F1 class and set the lap record on the legendary MotoGP circuit with a lap time of 1:16.791 in qualifying. Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing) finished second twice, which was enough to keep him at the top of the standings. The Benetton driver goes into the race in Mugello with a 44-point lead, which is also the last chance for the Formula 1 cars to score points this year. Due to the track licence, only the OPEN, FORMULA and SUPER LIGHTS classes are eligible to start at the grand finale in Misano.

Ulf Ehninger celebrates 2nd place twice in BOSS GP’s F1 category

FORMULA

After Juju Noda (MM International) not only secured her first pole position at the Red Bull Ring, but also won a BOSS GP race for the first time, the 17-year-old Japanese driver followed this up with another pole position in Assen. However, Noda found herself behind her team-mate on the way to turn 1. It was then a close call with Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio), who squeezed past Noda on the inside of turn 1. While Noda lost places at the start, Michael Fischer (AUT, Red Rosa Racing by LRT) made up positions at the back of the field. After a technical failure in qualifying, he made up 13 places in the race compared to the starting grid and ultimately finished fourth in the FORMULA classification.

Simone Colombo wins race 1

While Colombo controlled the pace at the front and took his fifth win of the season, newcomer Max Cuccarese (ITA, MM International) surprised everyone with a confident drive and second place in his very first race in a GP2 car. The youngest driver in the field confirmed this performance on Sunday with another podium finish (3rd). Marco Ghiotto scored the same number of points as Cuccarese with 3rd and 2nd place.

Two BOSS GP youngsters: race winner Juju Noda (18 years) with Max Cuccarese (17 yrs.)

Noda made a much better start in the second race, enabling her to defend her lead over Colombo. As the two MM drivers in their GP2 Dallara looked set for another duel this season, Colombo retired. As this happened in the first half of the race, the defending champion was only awarded half points instead of full points. The third retirement of the season was another setback for the fast Italian in the battle for the championship title. Marco Ghiotto remains in the lead. The 2019-2021 champion is scoring points with consistency and is now 22 points ahead of his compatriot Colombo.

Marco Ghiotto drives by the fans in the grandstand

Martin Kindler (SUI) also left Assen with a smile on his face. The Swiss returnee to the series not only qualified for Q1 (top five in free practice), but also delivered two strong results with 6th and 5th place. Andreas Fiedler (GER) was able to put the problems of the last races behind him and scored twice with 7th and 6th places, while Walter Steding (GER, Scuderia Palladio) was able to regain his old form in the races after a mixed training session and finished 8th twice in the fiercely contested FORMULA class. After an accident in the first race, Phil Stratford’s (Scuderia Palladio) team was able to repair the car for the second race and the American finished the second race in 7th place.

Stephan Glaser is the front-runner in this year’s SUPER LIGHTS championship

SUPER LIGHTS

Stephan Glaser (SUI, Jo Zeller Racing) was once again unbeatable for his rivals. With wins number 5 and 6 this season, the BOSS GP rookie extended his lead in the championship to 34 points. While race 1 in this class was a smooth affair, race 2 was particularly remarkable. Firstly, Glaser parked his car at the side of the track on the last lap. Second-placed Stefan Scho (GER) was unable to capitalise on this, however, as he also stopped with technical problems on the final lap. Henry Clausnitzer (GER, WF Racing) was already two laps down after going off track into the gravel on lap 1 and was also unable to capitalise on this. This meant that the order on the podium on Saturday and Sunday was Glaser ahead of Scho and Clausnitzer. In addition to Stephan Glaser and Henry Clausnitzer, a third driver, Stefan Eisinger-Sewald (AUT, Red Rose Racing), is still in contention for the championship title despite a challenging weekend for him.

Podium ceremony in the SUPER LIGHTS category: from left Scho, Glaser and Clausnitzer with the Jack’s Racing Day grid girls

Races 9 and 10 of the season will take place on 12 and 13 October 2024 in Mugello. All four classes of the BOSS GP Racing Series can be seen and heard for the last time all together this season as part of the PNK Racing Weekend.

Pictures: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Variante di pneumatico aggiuntiva da Assen

A partire dalla prossima gara di Assen (2–4 agosto 2024), BOSS GP e il fornitore di pneumatici Pirelli offriranno nuovamente uno pneumatico medio da asciutto in aggiunta alla mescola morbida.

Oltre alla mescola morbida precedentemente prescritta (riconoscibile dal colore rosso), BOSS GP offrirà nuovamente a team e piloti la mescola “medium” (gialla) con effetto immediato.

Questa scelta di pneumatici da asciutto P-Zero amplia le opzioni strategiche dei team per i restanti weekend di gara della stagione 2024 ad Assen, Mugello e Misano. I pneumatici medi dovrebbero avere prestazioni migliori, soprattutto alle alte temperature, e una maggiore durata grazie alla loro mescola di gomma più dura.

Tutti i piloti iscritti alle gare riceveranno a breve un nuovo modulo d’ordine e potranno effettuare gli ordini presso il servizio pneumatici BOSS GP Reifen Hollerweger con effetto immediato.

Foto: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Review: Red Bull Ring 2024

Legendary Formula 1 cars, iconic cars from movie heritage and motorsport at its finest with the BOSS GP Racing Series attracted around 15,000 spectators to the Red Bull Ring in June.

Over 200 automotive jewels lined up at the start line on the Red Bull Ring in the Austrian Alps. The highlight for many was once again the BOSS GP Racing Series races. 18 vehicles were entered and divided into four classes to allow a fair competition. During the pit walk, thousands of spectators crowded the pit lane to get up close to the BOSS GP cars and collect autographs from the drivers.

Public Pit Walks

F1 and OPEN

Austrian Ingo Gerstl (Team Top Speed) gave everything he had at his home race to get his Toro Rosso STR1 running after all. Rare technical problems with the Formula 1 car made it impossible for him to take part in the first race on Saturday. The 2006 car then ran on Sunday and Gerstl scored full points in BOSS GP’s F1 Class. It was Gerstl’s first win of the season in the sixth race of the season.

Ingo Gerstl celebrates his first victory of the season in style

Antonio Pizzonia (BRA, HS Engineering) started the race together with Gerstl from row 1 and the pair put on a powerful show at the front of the field. Pizzonia, who competes for the Austrian team HS Engineering with a 4-litre World Series, had secured overall victory on Saturday. At the end of the race, both thanked the spectators for coming with smoking “donuts”. They responded with a roaring round of applause from the stands.

After the next victory in the OPEN class for Antonio Pizzonia, everything looks set for a successful title defence for the ex-Formula 1 driver. Benetton driver Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing) continues to lead the Formula 1 standings ahead of Ingo Gerstl.

Antonio Pizzonia leads the field on Saturday

FORMULA

Juju Noda (JPN, MM International) secured the first pole position of her still young BOSS GP career. However, the 18-year-old Japanese driver was penalised with a 30-second time penalty for an infringement during the start procedure in the first race. As a result, Noda, who also competes in the Japanese Super Formula, lost out on victory in Saturday’s race. Instead, team-mate Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International) celebrated 25 points and the winner’s trophy for the fourth time in a row. Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) followed behind after a good race. His team-mate Phil Stratford (USA) completed the podium on his race comeback in the BOSS GP Racing Series. Due to a late safety car period, the field remained close together, with Paul O’Connell (IRE, HS Engineering) in the World Series Dallara also finishing less than two seconds off the podium. Roland Rupprechter (AUT, R&B Research and Wealth Management) followed in a strong fifth place.

Amazing battle through turn 1: Noda (le.) and Colombo (ri.) in front, followed closely by Fischer (le.) and Ghiotto (ri.)

Satisfaction for Juju Noda in the second race: She initially lost the lead to Simone Colombo, who put in a strong opening lap. However, before this duel came to a head, defending champion Colombo retired with a mechanical failure on the start-finish straight. Noda then also survived the restart after the SC phase and retained the lead ahead of Marco Ghiotto. Ghiotto took over the lead of the standings with another trouble-free drive and his fifth podium finish in a row.

Meanwhile, Noda celebrated her first victory in the BOSS GP Racing Series loudly alongside her team. The young Japanese driver is also the first woman to win a class in the 30-year history of the series. Rookie Michael Fischer (AUT, Red Rose Racing by LRT) delivered another showcase of talent with third place, while O’Connell again narrowly missed out on the podium in fourth place. Alexander Seibold (GER, Seibold auto+sport) finished fifth after a collision had slowed him down on Saturday. Andreas Fiedler (GER, Fiedler Racing) finished sixth ahead of Marco Minelli (ITA, AM Sport System), who was on the grid for the first time this year.

SUPER LIGHTS

Podium ceremony on Sunday: f. le. Eisinger-Sewald, Pizzonia, Fischer, Ghiotto, Noda, Clausnitzer and Glaser

As in Hockenheim, BOSS GP rookie Stephan Glaser (SUI) scored the maximum number of points twice in Spielberg. The driver from Jo Zeller Racing extended his lead in the standings. It was particularly close in the second race, where Stefan Eisinger-Sewald (AUT, Red Rose Racing) in his Ralt F3000 approached Glaser’s World Series V6 at the end. Eisinger-Sewald crossed the finish line in second place in his class both times in his home races. Henry Clausnitzer (GER, WF Racing), who finished third twice, is currently tied with Eisinger-Sewald in second place in the overall standings.

The Swiss Stephan Glaser won twice ahead of the Austrian Stefan Eisinger-Sewald

The next race will take place at the beginning of August (2nd-4th) in the Netherlands: At Jack’s Racing Day, series from various motorsport disciplins will delight more than 50,000 spectators at the TT Circuit Assen. A show run in the centre of Assen will warm up the fans on Thursday evening (1st).

Photos: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Local heroes: Stefan Eisinger-Sewald

With a 1991 Formula 3000 in vintage colours and still with a genuine manual gearbox, the Austrian from Vienna has become a crowd favourite in the BOSS GP Racing Series.

Why does it have to be a historic racing car and not a modern one?

STEFAN EISINGER-SEWALD: “I’ve been dealing with historic cars for more than ten years now. To me, the value of a historic vehicle is much higher than that of a modern one. I just like the old stuff – it’s still real racing!”

So you still drive an H-pattern gearbox?

EISINGER-SEWALD: “Exactly, I still drive a very old, ‘empty’ H-gear. Technically, of course, there are already much better things. We have also tried to convert it, but it doesn’t work. So for the moment, we’re running it as it was designed in ’91.”

His race car: Ralt RT23 Formula 3000

Your car bears the famous colours of a cigarette manufacturer – what is your relationship to this design?

EISINGER-SEWALD: “As a small child, I always liked the colours on the Williams. Now I’ve kept it, because we also had it on the Pedrazza prototypes before. The whole teamwear is based on this design and, as I’m a thrifty person, I didn’t want to design something new (laughs).”

Where does your technical expertise come from?

EISINGER-SEWALD: “I learnt it from my motocross days in my youth. You quickly learn what you’re interested in. Today, Walter Vorreiter and the Fischer Motorsport team from Mödling support me.”

The Red Rose Racing Team around Stefan Eisinger-Sewald (f. right)

What is your favourite track?

EISINGER-SEWALD: “Spa, actually. Spa was my most successful race in my Formula Ford 1600 days. We competed there with a small delegation from the Histo Cup. I finished fourth out of 44 cars – that was my biggest success in the four-wheel sector apart from the 2022 championship title in the Histo Cup Austria.”

What can you learn from racing for your professional life or vice versa?

EISINGER-SEWALD: “Ambition and never giving up! Our company specialises in doing projects where others have said: ‘That’s not possible’. That makes it even more exciting for me to look at it in detail.”

As a child, you were a fan of …

EISINGER-SEWALD: “… always Ayrton Senna. The way he approached things and his daredevil attitude impressed me. Similar to a James Hunt, who could go out and have fun the day before and still be invincible the next day!”

Stefan Eisinger-Sewald came 2nd in last year’s SUPER LIGHTS standings

Photos: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Review: Nürburgring 2024

Three weeks after the season opener in Hockenheim, the BOSS GP Racing Series resumed its season at the Nürburgring. Among other things, there was a thrilling duel for FORMULA victory and Pizzonia’s record-breaking drive.

The return to the legendary circuit in the Eifel offered drivers and fans plenty of excitement and thrilling motorsport. This time, the Grand Prix circuit with the smoother motorbike version in the Veedol-S was used. Rock concerts, a huge firework’s display on Saturday evening and an illuminated Ferris wheel in the paddock attracted thousands of visitors to the Nürburgring Classics just one week before the 24-hour race. At the Grid Walk before the BOSS GP races, many fans were able to get up close to the cars.

F1 and OPEN

F1 driver Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA-Racing) and OPEN driver Antonio Pizzonia (BRA, HS Engineering) scored maximum points for the championship twice. Ehninger enriched the event with his Benetton B197, which had already competed here at the Grand Prix of Luxembourg in 1997. ESBA-Racing also put Alexander Wurz’s 1998 Benetton on display.

Benetton’s 1998 (le.) and 1997 (ri.) F1 cars

Pizzonia caused a sensation with an outstanding qualifying lap in the World Series 4.5: With a time of 1:38.135 min, the ex-Formula 1 driver set a new lap record for non-Formula 1 cars, once again living up to the reputation of Europe’s fastest racing series.

Antonio Pizzonia on the way to his record lap

FORMULA

The FORMULA category, which this time featured exclusively GP2 cars, was hotly contested. Reigning champion Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International) won both races, but was under a lot of pressure, especially in the second race. Japanese driver Juju Noda (MM International) tried to pass her team-mate several times. The two top drivers showed each other no mercy and were side by side several times, especially in the first corner. However, Noda overshot the braking point on another overtaking attempt and subsequently spun.

The fact that she was able to compete at all is thanks to the spirit of solidarity within the BOSS GP family. After an engine failure on Friday, the neighbouring team Scuderia Palladio provided a spare car shortly before qualifying. She thanked them with third place in the first race.

Marco Ghiotto from team Scuderia Palladio (li.) helped out Juju Noda (re.)

Meanwhile, everything is going according to plan for Simone Colombo. After three wins in a row, he is leading the overall standings by nine points from Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio), who also had a successful weekend with second and third place. Michael Fischer made a strong debut with 4th place in the first race. In the second race, the Austrian with monoposto and GT experience was able to improve once again and celebrated second place behind Colombo. The best German in the races turned out to be Alexander Seibold (Seibold auto + sport) in both races.

Great racing in the SUPER LIGHTS category

SUPER LIGHTS

Stefan Scho (GER, Scho) celebrated a perfect debut. In his first appearance in the BOSS GP Racing Series, the experienced German in the Lola Formula 3000 was able to prevail against the increasingly strong competition in terms of quantity and quality in the SUPER LIGHTS and clinch victory twice. Swiss driver Stephan Glaser (Jo Zeller Racing) in the World Series car, who scored good points again with second place in the first race, retains the lead in the standings. Henry Clausnitzer (GER, WF Racing) also remains consistent, finishing third twice. Stefan Eisinger-Sewald (AUT, Red Rose Racing) also finished on the podium in his Formula 3000. Once again, it became evident how diverse this still young class is this year.

The next two races in the BOSS GP Racing Series will take place at the Red Bull Ring Classics from 7 to 9 June 2024.

Photos: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Local heroes: Henry Clausnitzer

Henry Clausnitzer (36) from Brandenburg in Germany won the championship title in the SUPER LIGHTS class in 2023. We take a look at his career path leading up to the BOSS GP Racing Series.

How did your motorsport career start?

HENRY CLAUSNITZER: “I actually had a typical motorsport career: I started out in karting and raced in the East German Karting Championship at the age of eight. I stayed in karting between 1996 and 2003 and eventually became the East German runner-up. In 2003, at the age of 15, I became the youngest participant in the Austrian Formula Ford. Between 2003 and 2007 I raced in the Formula Ford Zetec, became the Austrian champion in 2007 and drove at the Formula Ford Festival in Brands Hatch. In between, I also started in the Swiss Formula Lista in 2006.

A direct switch to Formula Renault 2000 or Formula 3 was not within the realms of possibility, although there were offers. I then endeavoured to get into the ADAC motorsport promotion, which was a lot easier via the touring car. So I enrolled in the Dacia Logan Cup in 2008 as preparation for the VW Polo Cup. In 2009, after a successful VW inspection, the opportunity arose to compete in the VW Polo Cup as part of the DTM. However, due to difficult economic times, my then main sponsor was affected. I was already 22 at the time, which meant that the sponsorship of young drivers came to an end. I was therefore forced to take a break from motorsport from 2009. In addition, my priority at that time was my studies.”

Clausnitzer drives a Formula Renault V6

What fascinates you about formula racing?

CLAUSNITZER: “After karting, formula racing was the goal, pure racing with a machine designed exclusively for motorsport. That fascinated me. When I was young, I used to watch the World Series by Renault and Nissan at the Lausitzring with my dad. The noises, the sound under the grandstand – that was an absolute dream, however it seemed unattainable back then.

I have always been particularly attached to Formula Ford. During a holiday in England, we also made a stop at Brands Hatch. There happened to be a Formula Ford racing there and I was immediately hooked again.

A short time later, we reactivated the Formula Ford and I’ve been back in a racing car since 2020. In 2022, I was runner-up in the German-Dutch Formula Ford series and won races again. I also took part in some races in the French championship and had a few podiums.”

How did the idea of eventually competing in the BOSS GP Racing Series come about?

CLAUSNITZER: ” I have always followed the BOSS GP and the idea to move to a higher formula class came to me again in 2022 . It was at a race in Brno that inspired me to find out whether and how I could turn this dream into reality. In the winter of 2022, I sat down with my team and we took the plunge. We said to ourselves: it’s now or never, let’s go on an adventure!”

What were your first impressions?

CLAUSNITZER: “The first weekend in Le Castellet was simply overwhelming. The size of the track alone, the long straights – I really got to know the car here. For me, driving with 260 hp more meant quite a difference in performance . Also, the difference in braking with the left-hand brake again and paddle shift – of course, this has all been around for a long time in today’s motorsport world, but when you come from the now historic motorsport sector, it’s quite a difference. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire WF Racing team. Without the tireless efforts of everyone involved, this would not have been possible. It was all new territory for me with this formula racing car. My team was fully engaged, gave their all and in the end we won the title in 2023.”

What has made the biggest impression on you in your races in the BOSS GP so far?

CLAUSNITZER: “The events with all the spectators, the grid walks and meeting motorsport legends like Jean Alesi or René Arnoux and shaking their hands – I had to pinch myself to see if it was real. I also had a great duel with Stefan Eisinger-Sewald at the Red Bull Ring 2023. We had a real game of cat and mouse for four laps. It was a close battle, wheel-to-wheel in almost every corner – that’s racing, that’s fun!”

Will you stay in the BOSS GP in the future?

CLAUSNITZER: “Of course we’ll be racing in the BOSS GP again in 2024, we’ll be competing in the SUPER LIGHTS category again and our aim is to build on last year’s successes. I’m also always looking at the other categories within the BOSS GP, which could also appeal to me, but I have to remain realistic for now. It’s also always a question of money, which determines what and how much you can race. That’s why I’m looking forward to my second season and any sponsor support I can get.”

Anyone who wants to experience Henry and seven other Germans live can do so from 24 to 26 June 2024 at the Nürburgring Classic at the Nürburgring.

Photos: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Review SUPER LIGHTS: Hockenheimring 2024

In the increasingly competitive SUPER LIGHTS class, newcomer Stephan Glaser (SUI, Jo Zeller Racing) was able to climb to the top step of the podium in his very first race.

The driver of a World Series V6 car triumphed in the first race. Glaser then spun once in the second race, allowing last year’s champion Henry Clausnitzer (GER, WF Racing) to take the lead. However, in the light rain that set in on the last lap of the race, the latter gambled away the race victory and Glaser was once again the first to see the chequered flag. Behind the double winner and Clausnitzer, it was Stefan Eisinger-Sewald (AUT, Red Rose Racing) in the Ralt Formula 3000 with a hand-shift gearbox who finished third twice.

Podium in both races f. le. Eisinger-Sewald, Glaser and Clausnitzer

More of the BOSS GP championship can be seen at the Nürburgring from 24 to 26 May 2024.

Photos: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Review FORMULA: Hockenheimring 2024

Alexander Seibold and Simone Colombo win the races, but Felix Große-Aschhof leads the standings after the first race weekend.

There was a surprising result in the first race over a race distance of 22 minutes. An early collision between the two favoured team-mates Simone Colombo (ITA) and Juju Noda (JPN, both MM International) cleared the way for other drivers. At first, Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) was the one who was closest to the 25 points awarded for the race win. However, technical problems forced the 2019–2021 champion to retire.

Points leader Felix Große-Aschhoff in front of his dad Michael

Alexander Seibold (GER, Seibold auto + sport) then took over. The experienced German fought a thrilling duel with Martin Kindler (SUI, Jenzer Motorsport) from Switzerland to claim his first much-acclaimed class victory. Kindler was also delighted with second place and a big trophy on his return to the BOSS GP. Paul O’Connell (IRE) from the HS Engineering racing team delivered a sensational race. In the only World Series 3.5 in the FORMULA field, he stalled at the start for the warm-up lap, which is why he had to start the race from the pit lane and therefore last. 13 laps and numerous overtaking manoeuvres later, he crossed the finish line in third place in his class.

Podium Race 1 f. l. O’Connell, Seibold and Kindler

The second race got off to a turbulent start when it suddenly began to rain on the way to the starting grid. However, the rain quickly subsided and all the drivers were able to start on the P-Zero dry tyres from BOSS GP supplier Pirelli. A fair duel between Simone Colombo and Juju Noda kept everyone at the edge of their seats over the full 22-minute distance. Colombo, the reigning champion, ultimately prevailed over his new team-mate Juju Noda by just half a second. Marco Ghiotto finished the second race in third place. Andreas Fiedler (GER, Fiedler Racing) finished fourth in his home race.

Felix Große-Aschhoff (GER, Asche-Racing) left the Hockenheimring without a podium finish, but with the most points. With 4th and 5th place, the student was the big winner of the first race weekend. His father Michael Große-Aschhoff (GER, Asche-Racing) finished sixth twice, while garage neighbor Roland Rupprechter (AUT, R&B Research and Wealth Management) was also delighted with fifth place in the first race.

Juju Noda in her first appearance in a GP2 car

Photos: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Review F1 and OPEN: Hockenheimring 2024

More than 30,000 spectators attended the ADAC Hockenheim Historic 2024. The traditional event was also the season opener of the BOSS GP Racing Series.

The paddock was already filled to the brim on Friday morning, with a large number of spectators showing their interest in the valuable BOSS GP racing cars. Some visitors were lucky enough to get up close to the cars during guided tours. The signatures of the BOSS GP drivers were also extremely popular at the autograph sessions on the pit roof. The impressive number of 21 participants started into the 30th season of the BOSS GP Racing Series on Friday.

Thomas Jakoubek in the Lotus F1 car from the year 2010

F1 und OPEN

Thomas Jakoubek’s (AUT, Top Speed) Lotus T127 was seen in action for the first time in the BOSS GP F1 class. The Hockenheim Historic in honour of Lotus legend Jim Clark was a very appropriate venue for the premiere of this car from 2010. Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) suffered a rare technical defect in his Toro Rosso STR1. Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA-Racing) therefore left the first race weekend as championship leader in his beautiful Benetton B197.

As part of the BOSS GP event at the Hockenheimring, another historic Formula 1 car was on display on the track: The restored Ferrari 310B from 1997 ran for the very first time in more than 25 years. The Austrian Top Speed team breathed new life into Michael Schumacher’s ex-car. The original 12-cylinder Ferrari engine is still installed. The car was driven by the German Erich Zech.

OPEN winner Pizzonia and F1 winner Ehninger

The races were dominated by former Formula 1 driver Antonio Pizzonia (BRA, HS Engineering) from the OPEN class in the Dallara World Series 4.5, who thanked the spectators in the south bend with donuts on the final lap.

Photos: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP