Tag: Formula 1

Report: Race 1 Spielberg

Posted on May 19, 2018 by Keke Platzer - General

Ingo Gerstl (OPEN) and Johann Ledermair (FORMULA) win a difficult race with many failures. First podium for Bianca Steiner.

Ingo Gerstl (Top Speed) slowed down the first laps like at Hockenheim, followed the Austrian Phil Stratford (Penn Elcom Racing) in the Benetton B197 until lap 10, then Gerstl geared up and showed with 1:13.4 min what is possible with used tyres and not completely empty tank.

Good crowd for Johann Ledermair and BOSS GP in Austria

Gerstl, the only opponent in the OPEN, Stratford, rolled out with a gearbox failure three laps before the end. The FORMULA winner, Johann Ledermair (Ledermair Motorsport), was in 2nd place overall. The Tyrolean drove safely to victory in his comeback drive. Florian Schnitzenbaumer (Top Speed), who had electronic problems with his crew before the race, finished second and extended his overall lead in the FORMULA class.

Bianca Steiner (Top Speed) clinched her first podium, following on from her good results at Hockenheim. For laps she duelled with Peter Göllner, who had a good race speed. The Speed Center driver ran off the track to the middle of the race shortly after Steiner passed him. Best driver of the Swiss team was Christian Eicke in 6th place, seventh was Thomas Jakoubek (Top Speed).

Andreas Fiedler finished fifth, although the race did not start to his liking. After a spin in the second lap he had to follow the field. Among other things, he benefited from the technically-related defaults of Walter Steding, Hans Laub and Karl-Heinz Becker. Already in the second lap the race for Armando Mangini was over, his Dallara GP2 rolled out.

Race 2 will take place tomorrow Sunday at 10:40 a.m., then 25 minutes of racing action are on the schedule.

Ingo Gerstl: “The competition wasn’t the burner, but I always have fun when I drive. Qualifying, with 1:10, was my highlight of the weekend.”

Bianca Steiner: “I didn’t expect to get on the podium here. The start was not so good. I had to stay behind Phil Stratford, then I lost a few places in the first corner. I didn’t know I was third, but now I’m even happier.”

Johann Ledermair: “That was a pleasant race, the competition was already missing at the start or retired later. I hope I can be compete for the rest of the year.”

Report: Qualifying Spielberg

Posted on May 19, 2018 by Keke Platzer - General

Ingo Gerstl with record lap on pole position, Ledermair on FORMULA pole

Not surprisingly Ingo Gerstl (Top Speed) set the fastest time in the second qualifying of this year. With 1:10,665 min the Toro Rosso pilot set a new BOSS GP lap record. The only downer for Gerstl: The declared goal of beating the sound barrier of 1:10 min was not achieved. Second place went to Phil Stratford (Penn Elcom Racing), who kept the GP2 armada behind him in his 1997-Benetton.

An Austrian was also the fastest pilot in the second class: Johann Ledermair (Ledermair Motorsport) picked up where he left off last year: At his comeback this afternoon (start: 3:05 p.m.) he starts from position 3 and thus has the best starting position with the FORMULA racing cars. With Ledermair in the second row, Reinhard Kofler (Top Speed) surpassed his expectations at his first appearance in the GP2 car.

Reinhard Kofler starts from row 2

Eight cars entered Qualifying 2, a seperated session for yesterday’s slower drivers. Fastest was Florian Schnitzenbaumer (Top Speed). The FORMULA leader placed 5th overall, knocking out Armando Mangini (MM International), who was in the first qualifying group.

Bianca Steiner and Andreas Fiedler fought for 7th place overall for the whole 20 minutes. Only six thousandths of a second (!) separate Fiedler (7.) and Steiner (8.). The situation between Peter Göllner and Christian Eicke was similarly close. Walter Steding (Inter Europol Competition) starts in the first race from 11, Thomas Jakoubek from 12, Karl-Heinz Becker (Becker Motorsport) had technical problems again, the German only completed three laps, he starts from 14th place.

Report: Free Practice 1 Spielberg

Posted on May 18, 2018 by Keke Platzer - General

Ingo Gerstl sets a new BOSS GP record, even with traffic during his fastest laps

Ingo Gerstl set a new BOSS GP lap record in the first free practice session at the Red Bull Ring: In 1:11,292 min the man from Salzburg completed the 4.2-kilometer long mountain and valley track. Fastest FORMULA pilot was Johann Ledermair. Sports car specialist Reinhard Kofler (Top Speed) was runner-up in his first outing in a GP2.

With an outside temperature of 18 degrees and sunshine the first official session started at 9:30 am. Already after two minutes the first car was out: Armando Mangini (MM International) spun at the exit from the pit lane. The Italian lost control on cold tyres, but he didn’t hit anything. The safety team brought the car back into the pits and Mangini was able to continue the training session.

Johann Ledermair sets the fastest time in second class

After the session restarts, all 12 drivers made their way onto the track. This did not stop Ingo Gerstl in his Toro Rosso from improving from 1:15 min in his first fast lap to 1:11.2 min in his fastest lap – this is a new BOSS GP lap record.

Top Speed team-mates Florian Schnitzenbaumer and Bianca Steiner tried to do some laps together. Ten minutes before the end of the session, Schnitzenbaumer blocked the rear wheels when braking to the second corner. His vehicle was pushed behind the barriers after the spin.

Reinhard Kofler proved his talent in his first ride

Reinhard Kofler, former European kart champion and Formula Renault racer, made his debut in Top Speed’s BWT car. The current KTM works driver in the GT4 European Series already gave a test of talent in his very first laps in a 600-hp GP2 car: With a 1:19.8 he was only 1.3 seconds behind Johann Ledermair (Ledermair Motorsport) in second place in the FORMULA classification. For the races we can expect a five-match between Ledermair, Schnitzenbaumer, Fiedler, Kofler and Mangini.

Another Top Speed driver, Thomas Jakoubek, was missing in the 1st free practice, he will only get into the car later.

In the lap back to the pits Peter Göllner (Speed Center) stopped his Dallara GP2, his car is back in the pits for repairing.

Report: Race 1 Hockenheim

Posted on April 21, 2018 by Keke Platzer - General

f.l. Team member of Salvatore de Plano, Florian Schnitzenbaumer, Armando Mangini

This race was not boring, perhaps even a bit too spectacular: Ingo Gerstl wins the open class as expected, Florian Schnitzenbaumer becomes first FORMULA driver despite an accident with de Plano.

The chronology of the race:

Pre-start: Interruptions during the long day at Hockenheim Historic lead to a delayed start of the BOSS GP.

Shortly after 5:30 pm – more than half an hour later than planned – BOSS GP starts the first race of the weekend: The Pirelli Safety Car led the field to a flying start. Thomas Jakoubek was missing, the Austrian had a braking problem in qualifying, he withdrew from the first race of the weekend.

Florian Schnitzenbaumer (second in FORMULA starting grid behind Salvatore de Plano) could not get away at first, but he was able to get back in position in time before the flying start.

Manfred Loach had to park his Dallara GP2 after only a few hundred metres, after an accident in qualifying he would only have started from 13 – also his place remained empty at the start, the oil temperature in the Top Speed car was too high.

Ingo Gerstl (Top Speed) and Phil Stratford (Penn Elcom Racing) took the lead.

Schnitzenbaumer overtook de Plano, who countered, but the German finally passed him in the Mercedes Arena.

Peter Göllner (Speed Center) spun at the beginning of turn 1, but the Swiss could continue.

From 16th on the grid Andreas Fiedler (Fiedler Racing) really made meters in his green GP2, after three laps he was already seventh, behind debutant Bianca Steiner.

Only a short time later Steiner turned on the same spot as Fiedler, and she was also able to resume her journey at the very end of the field.

Leading drivers Gerstl and Stratford drove the same lap times in the first third of the race. Gerstl announced after qualifying that he would “slow down a bit”.

Lap 4: Two cars, “Piter” and Karl-Heinz Becker, stand independently of each other in the hairpin. “Piter” after a spin, Becker for technical infirmity. “Piter” could drive on, Becker had to stop his home race – the consequence: SAFETY CAR

Right before the Safety Car Veronika Cicha moved up to 8th place, the Czech GP2 pilot started from 14.

Start frei für die neue Saison der BOSS GP

Green flag for the new BOSS GP season

RESTART in turn 6: Gerstl-Stratford, Schnitzenbaumer-de Plano and Mangini-Fiedler are the battle groups at the front.

Three minutes before the end, two crashed racing cars: In the Mercedes Arena de Plano’s car stands tattered on the track – the left front wheel bends. The Polesetter is cared for by the medical team and brought to the Medical Center. The latest news says he’s okay.

De Plano had previously collided with Florian Schnitzenbaumer in the fight for victory in class. De Plano tried to pass Schnitzenbaumers Dallara GP2 on the outside during the braking phase, the wheels touched. De Plano jumped over the right rear wheel of Schnitzenbaumer and then came to a stop without barrier impact.

Andreas Fiedler spun into the gravel bed at the entrance of Motodrom, he also got stuck.

Red Flag, no restart. The result will be counted one lap before the Red Flag, full points will be awarded.

The final result is as follows:

OPEN:

Gerstl
Stratford

FORMULA

Schnitzenbaumer
de Plano
Mangini
Fiedler
Cicha
Steding
Eicke
Steiner
Göllner
Kindler

Report: Free Practice 1 Hockenheim

Posted on April 20, 2018 by Keke Platzer - General

Salvatore de Plano war schnellster FORMULA-Fahrer

Ingo Gerstl (Top Speed) set the best time in his Toro Rosso STR1, Salvatore de Plano (MM International) in his GP2 was the fastest FORMULA driver.

25 minutes of practice were on the schedule, but some red-flag interruptions shortened the driving time in the first free practice session. Due to the tight schedule, the clock continues to tick even during a red flag.

Salvatore de Plano sets the first time under 1 minute 30 seconds. In the end the Italian from MM International was second fastest behind Gerstl, and with 1:29.158 the fastest FORMULA pilot. “One second faster is possible”, last year’s runner-up said after the first practice session.
Phil Stratfords Benetton B197 stranded in the middle of the session in the hairpin bend, the mechanics suspect problems with the battery. Previously, he had finished second in the FORMULA classification.
H&A Racing and F Xtreme Racing are very busy: Both Wolfgang Jaksch‘s Super Aguri and Bernd Herndlhofer‘s Arrows had to visit the pit after only a few laps due to technical difficulties. Veronika Cicha was the only one in the team who could do a normal training – but she complained about the used tyres.
At Top Speed all eyes are on the three rookies: Manfred Loach completed fewer laps than planned, the red flags also stopped him – the Austrian could continue after a spin.
Bianca Steiner came through the training without a spin, she came 5th in the FORMULA class and is considered an insider tip for the races.
Debutant Thomas Jakoubek spun in his first lap at the Motodrom, at the end of the penultimate corner. After the engine stalled, the Austrian had to get out and the car was towed away.
The Swiss Peter Göllner (Speed Center) spun just after tipping the throttle in the hairpin bend and his GP2-Dallara also had to be towed away. Three minutes before the end, the session was released again after the second interruption.
The fastest driver of the morning session was Ingo Gerstl (Top Speed) with 1:22.122 min. His newly revised V10 engine was only tried for the first time yesterday on the race track.