Tag: Austria

“In motorsport you never stop dreaming”

Austrian Andreas Hasler (49) is the SUPER LIGHTS champion of the 2022 season. In this interview, he gives insights into his career and how he made his way from hillclimb racing to the single-seater cars of the BOSS GP Racing Series.

How did you get into motorsport?

ANDREAS HASLER: “Unfortunately much too late, I was 23 when I was on a go-kart track during a holiday and that’s how it went from there. At first, I was vice national champion in karting, Styrian champion and also drove in the European championship. After ten years we switched to autocross racing. It was a good move for us because we didn’t have enough money for formula racing at first. There we competed with a 4WD buggy, which was really cool. I raced there for ten years and became national champion in only my second year. I experienced everything you can experience. But then it was time for a new challenge. Through colleagues we got a Radical with a Hayabusa engine and then drove a hill climb for the first time at the famous Rechberg. But then I went back to the circuit relatively quickly, that’s more my thing.”

What was your first contact with BOSS GP?

HASLER: “We always went to Brno with the Sports Car Challenge, where we drove as support race of the BOSS GP Racing Series. I always dreamt of the BOSS GP. It was always something special to look into the garages and hear the engines. I would never have dreamed of driving such a car myself. It’s an achievement that we can be here at all.”

What do you like about circuit racing?
HASLER: “You simply get to drive more. It was also better for my mechanics, because at the hillclimb they only saw me at the start, but on the circuit they can follow the races much better from the grandstands. It’s also not as dangerous as hillclimbing. On the mountain, however, I had a bad start, because the first time I drove the Rechbergrennen, there was a fatal accident. Of course, my family, who were there, were shocked. Then, to be honest, I also got a little more pressure from my wife … but I prefer the circuit anyway, because you get to drive more, it’s also more fun, the paddock is more comfortable, good showers and everything … that’s more fun for me.”

In 2022 Andi Hasler used a Tatuus World Series with 6-cylinder engine

What was your greatest success in motorsport? Which moment do you remember most?

HASLER: “Phew… there are so many, I don’t want to point out one. Of course, the national championship in autocross and the victories in front of the home crowd were special. There are so many stories I could write books about. The low point was a buggy fire in Hungary, where the European championship title was at stake. Nothing happened to me, but the car was almost a total loss and I only came third, the title was gone. The high point, of course, is that I finally managed to start in BOSS GP.”

You have your own team that supports you. How did that come about?

HASLER: “It’s always been like that, I’ve always had people helping me. It has changed a little over the years, but over time it has become more and more professional. Otherwise, it wouldn’t work, I’m incredibly grateful, because everyone here does it voluntarily, the family at home has to play along too. It used to be easier, but you notice that time is getting tighter everywhere in professional life, but the die-hards are still there, they always help. We’re a small team, but it’s a lot of fun. I have to thank my whole team and my sponsors. If you tackle something, you can achieve something even as a ‘little guy’. But I have always remained persistent and determined. That’s how it’s grown over the last 26 years.”

Four wins this season were enough for Hasler to win the championship in the SUPER LIGHTS 2022 class

How did you get your race car?

HASLER: “Over the Internet and through colleagues. Ingo Gerstl helped me a lot, gave me lots of tips and had a look at the car in Italy. Because as a beginner, you don’t know the sector that well. I think it’s great at BOSS GP, because here you get help if there’s a problem, you’re in a professional environment and yet it’s still familiar, it’s cool here. If you have an issue, the other teams also help you, there’s a lot of cohesion here. That’s something special and I really appreciate it.”

So a professional environment in racing is very important to you?

HASLER: “Definitely, in BOSS GP you have that and a series with Formula 1 cars is something very special. Being at the start with the Toro Rossos or the Benetton, everyone bows down. Everybody is completely thrilled. At BOSS GP I also think it’s great that the website is updated immediately, every driver is introduced. I can then also link that and show it to the sponsors. For all those who are looking for and have sponsors, that’s great.”

What are the plans for the future?

HASLER: “The goal is to get ahead. Right now I plan to use the current car for another two or three years and then possibly switch to a GP2 in the FORMULA Class or a World Series bolide with a V8 engine. But when I see the Toro Rossos, the goal is of course to be able to sit in a Formula 1 and do a few laps. You never stop dreaming when you’re in motorsport. In any case, I hope we can be in BOSS GP for a few more years.”

Photos: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Report: Red Bull Ring Spielberg Qualifying

Pole position for Ingo Gerstl at his home race in Austria.

With a lap time of 1:12.076 min Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) set the best time in qualifying on Saturday morning with his Toro Rosso STR1. In front of a well-attended crowd, the man from Salzburg squeezed one fast lap after another out of his Formula 1 and the Pirelli P-Zero tires and continued to improve several times. Second fastest Formula 1 driver was Thomas Jackermeier (GER, Top Speed) in his very first outing in Sebastian Vettel’s winning car (Monza 2008), the Toro Rosso STR3. Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing) was able to qualify his Benetton B197 without any problems on class position 3 today after a defect on his front wing yesterday in the practice sessions.

As expected, the fastest OPEN driver was Harald Schlegelmilch (LVA, HS Engineering). In the modified Dallara World Series car he set clearly the fastest lap with 1:15.644 min. Anton Werner’s (Ryschka Motorsport) IndyCar is also an eye-catcher in the OPEN category. The German qualified in the middle of the FORMULA field.

Zdenek Chovanec-Lopez (CZE, MM International) did not show any weakness in FORMULA qualifying. The ex-Formula 3 driver dominated the class ahead of reigning champion Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio), Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International) and Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International). The three Italians were separated by only three tenths of a second, and close fights for positions in the races are to be expected here. Walter Steding (GER, Scuderia Palladio) and Michael Aberer (AUT, AM Motorsport) follow in 5th and 6th place. Technical problems slowed down Bernd Herndlhofer (AUT, H&A Racing) at his BOSS GP comeback, he starts into the races from position 11 in class.

Styrian local hero and BOSS GP rookie Andreas Hasler (AUT, Hasler Motorsport) was able to improve significantly compared to the practice session and will go into the races today Saturday (14:25) and tomorrow Sunday (14:00 local time) as the best-placed SUPER LIGHTS driver.

Picture: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

„Single Seaters are my world“

We spoke to Austrian Michael Aberer (50) ahead of his home race at the Red Bull Ring (June 3–5, 2022) and learned why he admires Niki Lauda, but his GP2 Dallara will be on the grid in a retro livery of Jochen Rindt.

What motivates you to drive a GP2 car?

MICHAEL ABERER: “In terms of dimensions, the car suits me. I’m 90 kilos, in Formula 3 you need 70, 75 kilos – it’s simply a smaller car. So the GP2 is a better match for me from a purely physical point of view. And single seaters are my world anyway!”

Do you have a particular hero?

ABERER: “Niki Lauda, I’ve had him on my wall as a poster since I was a child. But also Gerhard Berger, I’m probably closest to him in human terms. Like him, I took care of everything: racing car, business … disco and, of course, girls (laughs).”

But your car is painted like Jochen Rindt’s world champion Lotus, why is that?

ABERER: “I came up with that together with Ingo Gerstl. He thought it was a bit of history and showed me pictures of memorable motorsport designs. Red-white-red are again my colors – so I thought, ‘okay, it will be Jochen Rindt’. Then there was also the 50th anniversary of his death (2020, note) and that’s how it all fell into place. Even though Jochen Rindt raced before my time, as an Austrian his story of course interests me.”

Most recently in Hockenheim, Michael Aberer belonged to the top group of the FORMULA class

What is your motorsport history so far?

ABERER: “In the classic way, karting and car slalom. I was very successful in car slalom, 30 years ago with a Golf GTi in Vorarlberg. Now it’s different, but in the past these were real racing cars, with a cage inside and the car slalom community was also big. In between I took a little break. Then I started karting again as a hobby and then switched to Formula 3. In 2006, I became champion of the so-called B series.”

Then you took another break …

ABERER: “Yes, in 2012 I stopped completely and let my son Lukas drive. Two years ago, however, I started again. Now I’d like to drive the car a bit more and then I’ll let Lukas go first.”

Aberer in his 2020 BOSS GP debut season with a World Series by Renault (seen here at Spa)

Two years ago, you raced in the BOSS GP Racing Series for the first time. How is your team made up today?

ABERER: “Currently I have hired the Asche Racing Team with Flo Leitinger as chief mechanic. They are good and for me it makes sense above all that they take care of the car, then I am much freer. They screw and I drive, like a Formula 1 driver (laughs).”

What do you like most about the BOSS GP?

ABERER: “I like the community. Here, many drivers from different nations come together, all around the same age. On the tracks we have our fun, in the evening we sit together at the barbecue. High performance, but also comfortable. We’re not going to be Formula 1 world champions anymore, so we have other ambitions. From a sporting point of view, my goal this year is to make it onto the podium and then we’ll see.”

Pictures: Angelo Poletto & Michael Kavena/BOSS GP

Preview: Red Bull Ring Spielberg

This coming weekend (June 3-5), the BOSS GP Racing Series will be returning to the Red Bull Ring with the fastest racing cars in the world. Among them cars from Vettel, Klien and Berger.

Before the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix is held at the Red Bull Ring in just over a month’s time, priceless showpieces can already be spotted in racing action at Spielberg this coming weekend. Europe’s fastest racing series, BOSS GP, will gather several thousands of horsepower on the grid from Friday to Sunday. 22 Big Open Single Seaters – Formula 1, IndyCar, Formula 2 and GP2, World Series by Renault and Nissan – will ensure a program at the Red Bull Ring that cannot be overheard.

The orchestra includes, among others, the Toro Rosso STR3, with which Sebastien Vettel celebrated his first race victory in the rain at Monza, Christian Klien’s first Formula 1 car, the Jaguar R5 and Gerhard Berger’s last winning car, the Benetton B197. In addition, the US IndyCar bolide of Anton Werner (GER, Ryschka Motorsport) also joins the colorful starting field. A familiar face will also be making his comeback in the BOSS GP Racing Series: Frits van Eerd (NLD, VES Racing), ProAM World Champion in the 2021 World Endurance Championship and a long-time BOSS GP driver, will try to stand up to opening double winner Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) in the Toro Rosso STR1 with his Jaguar R5.

NumberNameNationTeamClassModelBuild inModel
1Ingo GerstlAUTTop SpeedF1Toro Rosso2006STR1
2Florian SchnitzenbaumerGERTop SpeedF1Toro Rosso2006STR1
5Frits van EerdNLDVES RacingF1Jaguar2004R5
7Ulf EhningerGERESBA RacingF1Benetton1997B197
10Harald SchlegelmilchLVAHS EngineeringOPENDallara2012World Series by Renault
11Anton WernerGERRyschka MotorsportOPENDallaraIRL
21Bernd HerndlhoferAUTH&A RacingFORMULADallaraGP2
22Michael AbererAUTAM MotorsportFORMULADallara2005GP2
27Marco GhiottoITAScuderia PalladioFORMULADallara2011GP2
28Bruno JarachITAEesti MotorsportFORMULADallara2008GP2
31Paul O’ConnellIREHS EngineeringFORMULADallara2012World Series by Renault
32Simone ColomboITAMM InternationalFORMULADallara2017F2
37Luca MartucciITAMM InternationalFORMULADallara2011GP2
43Giancarlo PedettiITANannini RacingFORMULADallara2014GP2
44Thomas JakoubekAUTTop SpeedFORMULADallara2008GP2
47Walter StedingGERScuderia PalladioFORMULADallara2011GP2
51Zdenek Chovanec LopezCZEMM InternationalFORMULADallara2011GP2
69Thomas JackermeierGERTop SpeedFORMULADallaraGP2
110Bianca SteinerAUTSteiner MotorsportFORMULADallara2005GP2
111Alexander GeierAUTGeier RacingSUPER LIGHTSTatuus2003World Series by Renault
115Andreas HaslerAUTHasler MotorsportSUPER LIGHTSDallara2009World Series by Nissan

Local heroes:
The starting field also includes seven Austrian racing drivers: Beside Gerstl from Salzburg, Formula 1 TV expert Bianca Steiner (GP2, Steiner Motorsport), Bernd Herndlhofer (GP2, H&A Racing), Michael Aberer (GP2, MA Motorsport), Thomas Jakoubek (GP2, Top Speed) and the two V6 World Series cars of just 16-year-old Alexander Geier (Geier Racing) and Styrian local hero Andreas Hasler (Hasler Motorsport) will also be present.In addition, the Burgenland-based team HS Engineering has entered two cars for Harald Schlegelmilch (LVA) and Paul O’Connell (IRE).

Timetable (CEST):

Friday, 3 June 2022
13:30–13:55          Free practice 1
15:30–15:55          Free practice 2

Saturday, 4 June 2022
09:50–10:20          Qualifying
14:00–14:20          Race 1 (20 minutes)

Sunday, 5 June 2022
14:00–14:25          Race 2 (25 minutes)

Support races:

Motorsport fans will be offered a total of 17 races at the Rundstreckentrophy 2022 in addition to the free practice sessions and qualifying sessions. In addition to the two BOSS GP races (Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. each), several sports and touring car series and Formula 3 will start in the supporting program. Admission to all open grandstands is free, and fans can also visit the paddock free of charge and look over the teams’ shoulders as they work or get an autograph from one of the drivers.

Picture: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Report: Hockenheim Race 1

Tens of thousands of fans listened intently as the BOSS GP made its comeback at the Hockenheimring.

In the first race of the 2022 season, Latvian Harald Schlegelmilch (HS Engineering) achieved the rare feat of taking FORMULA class victory from the last grid position. After a couple of laps, the former German Formula 3 trophy winner was already in the top three of the class, and on the sixth lap he finally overtook the FORMULA leader Zdenek Chovanec-Lopez (CZE, MM International). Schlegelmilch thus won for the fourth time in the BOSS GP Racing Series after Spielberg and Brno 2021. Chovanec-Lopez was also delighted with second place in his BOSS GP debut race.

Behind them, a three-way battle between the Italians Marco Ghiotto (Scuderia Palladio), Simone Colombo and Luca Martucci (both MM International) was going on for a while – including tyre lockups and a couple of overtake attempts. On the penultimate lap, Colombo managed the decisive braking manoeuvre against Ghiotto in the hairpin. Colombo thus jumped onto the podium “last minute”.

With a light gap, the Irishman Paul O’Connell (“I’m living my dream”) from HS Engineering finished in sixth place. 7th place in class was still being fought for all the way to the finish line: Bianca Steiner (AUT, Steiner Motorsport), who had already passed Walter Steding (GER, Scuderia Palladio) in the meantime, complained about a sudden loss of power. In the end, it was just not enough to challenge Steding for seventh place. Giancarlo Pedetti (ITA, Nannini Racing) also finished his debut race in the BOSS GP Racing Series in the top ten with a ninth place.

OPEN race winner Ingo Gerstl from Team Top Speed

The OPEN class was once again safe for Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) in the Toro Rosso F1. Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing) from Tübingen in a Benetton F1 kept out of all the FORMULA class fights and secured second place. His Benetton twin Phil Stratford (USA, Penn Elcom) was only seen for a short time, he had to retire from the race early on due to technical problems.

Michael Aberer (MA Motorsport) was among those beaten in race 1: The Austrian did it like Sebastien Vettel once did and sunk his chances for a top position in the gravel bed of the Sachs curve – but the damage to his GP2 car should be repaired by the second race. Start time for race 2 is tomorrow Sunday at 3:55 p.m. (CEST), before that the warm-up runs at 11:05. You can follow all the action via livestream on www.hockenheim-historic.de/en/live

Pictures: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Report Free Practice Spielberg

The BOSS GP with pictures for the ages? Impressive show run with Formula 1 cars and IndyCars on Friday.

Usually, the Red Bull Ring is home to the Formula 1 World Championship and MotoGP, but this weekend the BOSS GP Racing Series is a guest in Styria. After the six-week break since the Season Opening in Mugello, the track time was used extensively on Austria’s most beautiful racetrack and enough kilometres were recorded – the weather also played along on this Friday. It stayed dry all day, so all the drivers were able to test their cars extensively. Especially for the first-time starters, every metre on the 4.3-kilometre track around the iconic bull counted. Among others, Anton Werner (GER, Ryschka) drove a Chip Ganassi IndyCar from the mid-2000s today.

At the start of the second practice session, there was a memorable moment in BOSS GP’s history: there was a phalanx of Big Open Single Seaters on track that had not been seen for a long time, with the two Benetton B197s, the Sauber C30, a Jaguar R3, two Toro Rosso STR1s, Vettel’s winning STR3 car and two Ryschka IndyCars. During this showrun, impressive footage of man and machine was captured by a camera team and will soon be shown on the BOSS GP social media channels.

In total 22 drivers set a time today. Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) dominated both practice sessions in his 2006 Toro Rosso. Riccardo Ponzio (ITA, Adriatica Competiton) in the Jaguar R3 was second fastest in the combined times from the first and second practice session. Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) was third fastest FORMULA driver today. Rounding up the top five were Simone Colombo and Luca Martucci (both ITA, MM International). These five have gained a bit of an advantage that way, they will have the track to themselves in Q1. Depending on the weather conditions, it will be decided tomorrow, Saturday, whether qualifying will start in two groups as usual or whether there will be a 30-minute session with all drivers. The chances of rain are increasing until tomorrow. In any case, there will be two races on Saturday (11:20 and 15:55).

Photo: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Preview Spielberg

Swift comeback of BOSS GP in Spielberg: After two years, Europe’s fastest racing series returns to Austria for its home race with a special highlight.

Several thousand horsepower will meet on the Formula 1 racetrack at the Red Bull Ring next Friday and Saturday. In a flawless programme, 24 Big Open Single Seaters – Formula 1, IndyCar, GP2, World Series by Renault and Formula 3000 – will make a stop in Styria. Sebastian Vettel’s winning car from 2008, the Toro Rosso STR3, a Jaguar R3, two Benetton B197s (including Gerhard Berger’s), a Sauber C30 from 2011 and finally, once again, an IndyCar will be a feast for the eyes and ears. With Ingo Gerstl (STR1-F1, Top Speed), Bianca Steiner (GP2, Steiner Motorsport), Christian Ferstl (F2, Top Speed), Thomas Jakoubek (GP2, Top Speed) and Michael Aberer (GP2, MA Motorsport) there are also five local drivers on the starting grid.

The STM waterjet race on 20 and 21 May 2021 is a 2-day event– on Friday there will be two practice sessions, on Saturday a qualifying in addition to both races. A special highlight is a separate show run for Formula 1 and IndyCars on Friday afternoon. The Formula 1 racetrack in the Alps replaces the Jim Clark Revival at the Hockenheimring, which was cancelled in May. The Red Bull Ring was last on the race calendar of the BOSS GP Racing Series in 2019. The race winners back then: Phil Stratford (USA, Penn Elcom Racing) and Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed). Many drivers and fans are happy about the return of the Big Open Single Seater to the Austrian iconic circuit. At the same time, the STM waterjet race at the Red Bull Ring is also the home race of the championship sanctioned by the Austrian Motorsport Federation. Other series on the agenda include the Drexler Formula Cup and the Suzuki Swift Cup Europe in addition to the GT race cars from the P9 Challenge. Unfortunately, no spectators are allowed on site, but they can follow the event via the BOSS GP social media channels.

Timetable STM waterjet Race Red Bull Ring:

Friday, 21. May 2021
11:00–11:30           Free Practice 1
15:20–15:35 Show Laps OPEN class
15:35–16:00           Free Practice 2

Saturday, 22 May 2021
09:15–09:45          Qualification (8+20 minutes)
11:20–11:40           Race 1 (20 minutes)
15:55–16:20 Race 2 (25 minutes)

Photo: Michael Jurtin/BOSS GP

New race in May

Additional BOSS GP race at the Red Bull Ring in Austria on 21 and 22 May.

After the season opener in Mugello, the BOSS GP circus heads to Spielberg for the second race event. The Formula 1 circuit in the Alps replaces the Jim Clark Revival at the Hockenheimring, which was cancelled for May (for more details: www.hockenheim-historic.de/en/2021/03/postponement-of-the-bosch-hockenheim-historic-to-late-summer-autumn). The event on 20 and 21 May 2021 is a 2-day event – two practice sessions will be held on Friday, qualifying and both races on Saturday.

The Red Bull Ring previously hosted the BOSS GP Racing Series in 2019, when Phil Stratford (USA, Penn Elcom Racing) and Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) were victorious. Many drivers and fans are happy about the return of the Big Open Single Seater to the Austrian race track. At the same time, the STM waterjet race at the Red Bull Ring is also the home race of the series approved by the Austrian Motorsport Federation.

The event is organised by Bernhard Fischer and the P9 Challenge. Other series in the schedule are the Drexler Formula Cup and the Suzuki Swift Cup Europe in addition to the GT racing cars from the P9 Challenge.

Individual entries for the STM waterjet Race at the Red Bull Ring are possible, more details on request via race@bossgp.com

Further events in 2021:

  • 21/22 May | STM waterjet Race Red Bull Ring (Austria)
  • 18–20 June | Forza Fanatec Misano (Italy)
  • 3/4 July | Pirelli Official BOSS GP Test Days Monza (Italy)
  • 13–15 August | Cuvee Sensorium Grand Prix Nürburgring (Germany)
  • 3–5 September | Masaryk Racing Days Brno (Czech Republic)
  • 22–24 October| GlobeAir Grande Finale Imola (Italy)