Tag: Gerstl

Report: Race 2 Hockenheim

Posted on May 7, 2023 by - General

The Hockenheim Historic once again offered a lot to the spectators on Sunday. Double wins for Gerstl, Pizzonia, Colombo and Clausnitzer.

Antonio Pizzonia (BRA, HS Engineering) was clearly enjoying himself as he held the lead for a while with the World Series V8 ahead of the Formula 1 of Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed). For several laps the two swapped the lead in the race until Gerstl finally picked up the pace and saw the black and white chequered flag for the BOSS GP F1 Class first. The race for the premier class ended after just 15 minutes to reduce the running time of the valuable cars. For Pizzonia, it continued for another ten minutes, which he filled with more lap times just short of the 1:30 barrier. Pizzonia, who drove to class victory yesterday with a failed traction control system, also secured full points in OPEN class today. Climbing onto the class podium with him was team-mate Paul O’Connell (IRE) in a Dallara World Series car that had also been modified.

Duel in SUPER-LIGHTS category: Jody Stadelmann (le.) and Henry Clausnitzer (ri.)

Once again Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International) and Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) met on the track. The “eternal duel” in FORMULA class continued, at least in the early stages, until Colombo was able to shake off his rival with strong lap times after a safety car interruption. With his third victory in four races this season, Colombo was already able to build up a cushion on his fiercest rivals. Behind Ghiotto, Alexander Seibold (GER, Seibold Auto + Sport) held third place until shortly before the end. Marc Faggionato (ITA, MM International) stopped at the pre-start and then rushed after the field. Shortly before the end of the race he caught up with Seibold and tried to overtake the German several times. Seibold held his ground for a long time, but then had to give way in front of the Mercedes grandstand. However, with 4th place Seibold got his best BOSS GP placing so far. As the best German he also stayed ahead of Andreas Fiedler (GER, Fiedler Racing), who had started with used tyres and therefore could not start any more attacks to the front. A collision between Florian Schnitzenbaumer (GER, Top Speed) and “Checco” Malavasi (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) ended their race. Thomas Jackermeier (GER, Top Speed) also spun off the track in a promising position at the exit of the Bernie Ecclestone bend.

In the SUPER LIGHTS class, “to finish first, you first have to finish” was the key this time. Stefan Eisinger-Sewald (AUT, Red Rose Racing) went home to the workshop already on Saturday evening after a gearbox failure, but Jody Stadelmann (SUI) in the Formula Nippon was able to take part in today’s race after a steering failure yesterday. The victory, however, went to Henry Clausnitzer (GER, WF Racing), who has become a series winner with his fourth victory in the fourth race.

f. le.: Stadelmann, Ghiotto, O’Connell, Ehninger, Pizzonia, Colombo, Clausnitzer, Gerstl, Faggionato

It is now five weeks until the third event of the season. For the first time, BOSS GP will be part of the Red Bull Ring Classics programme from 9 to 11 June.

Pictures: Angelo Poletto

Report: Race 1 Hockenheim

Posted on May 6, 2023 by - General

In front of a record crowd at the Bosch Hockenheim Historic, the BOSS GP Racing Series brought Formula 1, Formula 2 and co. back to the Hockenheimring. Podium finishes for the Germans Henry Clausnitzer, Ulf Ehninger and Andreas Fiedler.

Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) dominated the BOSS GP F1 Class in the Toro Rosso STR1 and controlled the pace ahead of Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing) in the nine-year older Benetton B197. For Gerstl it was the third victory, for Ehninger the third podium of the new season.

Once again, Antonio Pizzonia (BRA, HS Engineering) focused on the hunt for the fastest lap. With a time of 1:29.007 min, he succeeded in doing just that in the World Series Dallara-Gibson. Paul O’Connell, who had travelled from Ireland and was also serviced by HS Engineering, was moved to the OPEN class after qualifying. His car is a 2002 World Series Dallara with a 3.3 litre Nicholson McLaren tuned Cosworth V8 giving it significantly more power than originally. O’Connell classified in the front group among the Formula 2 and in second place in the OPEN class behind Pizzonia.

The BOSS GP orchestra played big

There were numerous movements in the FORMULA class over the 20-minute race. Despite a safety car phase after a spin by Alexander Seibold (SUI, Seibold Auto + Sport), Andreas Fiedler still had enough time to advance into the top three. The German made his way from 8th on the grid and defended the last spot on the podium against “Checco” Malavasi, who had to settle for 4th. For Fiedler, it was his first podium since 2020 right on his debut in a 2008-generation GP2 Dallara.

At the front, it was another epic duel between Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International) and Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio), which kept coming to a climax all the way to the finish line. In the end, 0.085 seconds decided victory and second place. Colombo kept the upper hand, took his second win of the season and extended his lead in the standings.

Florian Schnitzenbaumer (GER) recovered from a spin in the early stages and still managed to finish 5th ahead of Top Speed team-mate Thomas Jakoubek (AUT). The duel between Thomas Jackermeier (8th) and his son Simon (10th) was won by Thomas. He will also be on display at the BOSS GP Hypercar Demonstration tomorrow Sunday at 9:35 am when he will pilot his over 1,000-hp Aston Martin Valkyrie around the 4.6-kilometre circuit.

Henry Clausnitzer (GER, WF Racing) could hardly believe it as he took victory in the SUPER LIGHTS for the third time in three races. Stefan Eisinger-Sewald (AUT, Red Rose Racing) was still able to take home the trophy for second place in the class. However, due to a clutch failure and subsequent damage to the gearbox, he had to retire from the race early. As this is irreparable on site, Eisinger-Sewald’s Ralt RT23 Formula 3000 will not be seen again until the next event at the Red Bull Ring.

A second race over the longer distance of 25 minutes will follow on Sunday. The race start is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. and can again be followed in the livestream.

Photos: Angelo Poletto

Report: Qualifying Hockenheim

Posted on May 6, 2023 by - General

Pole position for Gerstl in the Toro Rosso STR1. FORMULA: Colombo finishes slightly ahead of Faggionato. O’Connell in front in his comeback in the SUPER LIGHTS class.

Thousands of spectators crowded into the Motodrom early in the morning. The Hockenheim Historic is expecting a record number of spectators on Saturday. The qualifying of the BOSS GP Racing Series at the Hockenheimring took place early this morning in perfect spring weather. The best grid positions for the two races were determined.

In the BOSS GP F1 Class there was no surprise: Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) took pole position for the second time this year in his 2006 Toro Rosso Formula 1, with a lap time of 1:21.140 min, just slightly behind his pole time from last year. He will be joined on the front row of the grid in both races by German Ulf Ehninger (ESBA Racing) in the Benetton B197.

19 years after his last appearance at Hockenheim, Antonio Pizzonia (BRA, HS Engineering) is back at Hockenheim. The ex-Formula 1 driver will start for the second time this weekend in HS Engineering’s modified World Series Dallara. The Brazilian will be back in the hunt for the Formula 1 cars in his OPEN class race car.

Florian Schnitzenbaumer shows strong pace at his motorsport comeback

The FORMULA class had never been so close in qualifying. The top 5 were separated by less than one and a half seconds on the fastest lap. The Italian MM International team celebrated a row one “lockout”: Simone Colombo (ITA) beat Marc Faggionato (MCO) by one tenth of a second. Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) follows in 3rd place, who has his usual more difficult time at the Hockenheimring. “Checco” Malavasi (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) and Florian Schnitzenbaumer (GER, Top Speed) also expect to have a chance of a podium finish. The latter, on his return after a break of several years, is to be found at the front of the field right away and was able to set a good lap time despite an aborted second attempt. Alexander Seibold (GER, Seibold Auto + Sport) also had a fantastic qualifying session in his first BOSS GP race in 2023. The German will start from 7th in class in an eye-catching design combination with a homage to Valentino Rossi and Jo Siffert.

In the SUPER LIGHTS, after the solo of Henry Clausnitzer (GER, WF Racing) last time in France, there is a lot going on this time. An outstanding best time was set by Paul O’Connell (IRE, HS Engineering), who is driving an older Dallara with a eight-cylinder engine this year. With a best time of 1:32.368 min he qualified in the middle of the field of GP2 cars. The two newcomers Jody Stadelmann (SUI) in a G-Force-Mugen from Japan and Stefan Eisinger-Sewald (AUT, Red Rose Racing) follow in 2nd and 3rd place on the grid.

The start times are 14:40 on Saturday and 14:05 on Sunday. Both races will be livestreamed.

Photos: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Report: Race 2 Paul Ricard

Posted on April 9, 2023 by - General

In the longer race on Easter Sunday, Ingo Gerstl, Antonio Pizzonia and Henry Clausnitzer were able to add a second victory. Simone Colombo takes revenge in the FORMULA class.

In front of thousands of spectators and once again in the best spring weather in Le Castellet, Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) in the Toro Rosso STR1 continued his winning streak. As Didier Sirgues (FRA, LRS Racing) could not start the Jaguar R2 today, Gerstl and Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing) remained among themselves in the BOSS GP F1 Class. Gerstl therefore took a more relaxed approach and left the fastest lap to another driver. With 50 points from the first two races, the Austrian is already setting the path for the next title. Who can challenge him at Hockenheim?

The runner-up, Benetton driver Ulf Ehninger, was pleased to be able to present Jean Alesi’s former car to the fans twice over the full BOSS GP F1 race distance. Next up is his home race at the Hockenheimring.

Former Formula 1 driver Antonio Pizzonia (BRA, HS Engineering) put the pedal to the metal again today and set the fastest lap time of 1:47.991 (lap average 194.7 km/h). Towards the end of the race, the OPEN driver made his pit crew sweat again as he allowed the FORMULA group’s gap to melt down to 0.8 seconds. Pizzonia will be racing the entire season for HS Engineering.

Pizzonia leads the second group, behind are Faggionato, Colombo and Ghiotto

In the FORMULA class, today was the day of Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International). After a turbulent duel with compatriot Marco Ghiotto (Scuderia Palladio) in the first race of the season, the order was quickly sorted this time. At the start Ghiotto tried to overtake Colombo, but this was not successful and as the race progressed the lead increased to around five seconds. Finally, Colombo crossed the finish line 2.5 seconds ahead of Marco Ghiotto and 24.7 seconds ahead of “Checco” Malavasi (ITA, Scuderia Palladio). Malavasi thus repeated his podium finish from yesterday.

Thomas Jackermeier (GER, Top Speed) fought his way to a great fourth place. For a long time he was involved in a duel with David Moretti (FRA, Griffith’s), who delivered an excellent performance today. Until the last lap he was on course for fourth place before he had to park his car on the Mistral straight. Marc Faggionato (MCO) in the MM International GP2-Dallara was also out of luck: After the Monegasque had competed in no less than three races at the Grand Prix de France Historique yesterday and took victory in all of them – including the BOSS GP – he had to retire early today in both the Formula Ford race and the second heat of the BOSS GP. Faggionato was thus denied the chance of another double victory after Brno 2018.

Fourth place in FORMULA class for GP2 driver Thomas Jackermeier, who supposed to be in his Toro Rosso ST3

Rookie Henry Clausnitzer (GER) and his team WF Racing celebrated another finish at their first BOSS GP race weekend. He was rewarded with another 25 points for the class win in the SUPER LIGHTS six-cylinder class.

The next opportunity for teams and drivers to take to the track in their Big Open Single Seaters is in Baden-Württemberg in just four weeks’ time (5–7 May). Traditionally, the BOSS GP Racing Series competes there at the Bosch Hockenheim Historic in honour of Jim Clark.

Pictures: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Report: Race 1 Paul Ricard

Posted on April 8, 2023 by - General

Anglo-American Peter Mann’s Formula 1 Ferrari F2008 led the BOSS GP Racing Series field into the first race of the season. This was just one of many highlights at the Grand Prix de France Historique on Saturday.

Once again, both Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) and his Toro Rosso STR1 Formula 1 car kept a “cool head”. The record-breaking champion secured the winner’s trophy at the first of 14 races of the 2023 season. The Salzburg native was presented with his winner’s trophy by French racing legends Jean Alesi, Rene Arnoux and Franck Montagny in the atmospheric setting of the paddock. Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing) in second place and Didier Sirgue (FRA, LRS Racing) in third place in the BOSS GP F1 Class also enjoyed the applause of the fans.

At the grid walk the spectators got a closer look to the BOSS GP jewels

Antonio Pizzonia (BRA, HS Engineering) was busy handing out autographs before the start, before he burned lap times under 1:50 minutes into the asphalt a few minutes later. Finally, to the delight of his team, he set an impressive best time of 1:47.092 in the World Series car – victory in the OPEN class was only a formality. It was the first victory for Pizzonia in a single-seater car since his triumph in the AutoGP championship eight years ago.

The FORMULA class was explosive: Pole setter Marc Faggionato (MCO), wearing the MM International colours for the first time, stalled at the start of the warm-up lap and had to take the flying race start from the back of the field. However, after just a few corners, the Paul Ricard specialist was back in the leading pack. There, the duel between Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International) and Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) in their GP2 Dallara cars resumed on the first lap. After a mistake by Colombo and a subsequent collision between the two Italians, the race was over for Ghiotto, Colombo on the other hand had to pick up a new car nose in his pit. All this helped Faggionato overcome the incident at the pre-start and race towards victory. The Monegasque took his third BOSS GP win today after double victory in Brno 2018, while Colombo was similarly rewarded for a race to catch up, taking second. Unimpressed by the duels around him, “Checco” Malavasi (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) remained successful with third place. Giancarlo Pedetti (ITA, Nannini Racing) in a strong fourth place was unfortunate to just miss the podium. Jean-Christophe Peyre (FRA, Zig-Zag) finished fifth in his home race in the only AutoGP car on the grid.

Rene Arnoux (l.) with the successful BOSS GP drivers

Due to the incidents in the FORMULA class, SUPER LIGHTS driver Henry Clausnitzer (GER, WF Racing) was also able to finish the race in the top-10 and take a class win in his very first BOSS GP race.

The second race over 25 minutes starts tomorrow at 15:15 local time and can again be seen with extensive pre-race coverage in the livestream.

Pictures: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Report: Race 2 Mugello

Posted on October 16, 2022 by - 5, General

Ingo Gerstl secures the championship title. Thriller for victory in the BOSS GP FORMULA class postpones decision to the Pirelli Grande Finale in Misano.

The third last race of the 2022 season at the “Forza Fanatec” had it all for fans and drivers alike. But first, the teams and riders had to wait, because the fog on Sunday morning postponed the programme by about an hour. However, this did not change the race distance of 25 minutes.

BOSS GP F1 Class

Thomas Jackermeier (GER, Top Speed) started the race from grid position 2. He overtook his team-mate Ingo Gerstl (AUT) in the two-year older Toro Rosso STR 1 right at the start, but a safety car phase made it impossible for Gerstl to pass his protégé Thomas Jackermeier. Jackermeier fulfilled a birthday wish with his third victory after the “double” in Brno and won for the first time on Italian soil with the Italian car. Gerstl’s second place was enough to secure his eighth BOSS GP title, the seventh in the highest class. Gerstl thus draws level with his long-time great rival Klaas Zwart (NLD) in the all-time BOSS GP leaderboard.

BOSS GP OPEN Class

Harald Schlegelmilch (LVA, HS Engineering) was able to take another winner’s trophy for himself and his Austrian team on the podium at Mugello after another faultless performance.

BOSS GP FORMULA Class

Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International) wanted to fix the championship deal after winning yesterday’s race. But in a tussle at the start with rival Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio), it was Colombo who lost out. He got stuck in the gravel, while Ghiotto and Francesco Malavasi (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) were able to continue the race with loss of position. In the last ten minutes of the race, a four-way battle for the class win ignited. Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International), who was leading at first, got more and more pressure, among others from Salvatore de Plano (ITA, MM International). He overtook Martucci, who counterattacked several times. Marc Faggionato (MCO, Zig-Zag) and Marco Ghiotto joined him from behind and worked their way forward lap by lap. With three laps to go, De Plano took the lead, which he would not relinquish until the chequered flag. Behind him, Luca Martucci defended himself with the knives between his teeth. But it did not end as Martucci would have wished. Both Faggionato with the fastest race lap and Ghiotto were able to pass Martucci on the last lap. With third place behind De Plano and Faggionato, Ghiotto keeps the title fight open in the FORMULA standings, 38 points separate him and Colombo before the last two races in Misano. 50 points are still up for grabs.

BOSS GP SUPER LIGHTS Class

Walter Colacino (ITA, Colacino Motorsport) could hardly believe it. Unlike his opponents in the six-cylinder car class, Colacino was able to complete a race distance in his aged Formula 3000 with Alfa Romeo engine. Colacino thus scored the full 25 points. Alexander Geier (AUT, Geier Racing) was at least able to complete some race laps today (Sunday) after yesterday’s technical problems and finished second ahead of the new champion Andreas Hasler (AUT, Hasler Motorsport).

The BOSS GP Racing Series continues its European tour in three weeks. The final decisions of this season will be made at the Pirelli Grande Finale in Misano from 4 to 6 November 2022.

Photo: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Report: Race 1 Mugello

Posted on October 15, 2022 by - General

Andreas Hasler takes the title in the BOSS GP SUPER LIGHTS. Wins for Gerstl (F1) and Schlegelmilch (OPEN) as well as a crucial victory for Simone Colombo in the FORMULA classification.

The Pirelli Cinturato rain tyres stayed in the garages this time. The ninth of twelve races of the season in Tuscany took place under partly cloudy skies and in the best climatic conditions. 20 minutes had to be completed as usual in Saturday’s race at the “Forza Fanatec” in Mugello. The group of Formula 1 cars was started in the proven manner with a gap to the other three classes.

BOSS GP F1 Class

Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) controlled the first race of the weekend from pole position. In the 2006 Toro Rosso STR 1 the 7-time BOSS GP champion set the pace, only Thomas Jackermeier (GER, Top Speed) was able to keep up at times on his F1 debut at the Mugello circuit. Jackermeier held his own against the fastest driver from the OPEN classification, Harald Schlegelmilch (LVA, HS Engineering), who hung on to the rear of the Toro Rosso STR 3 after an early restart. Jackermeier scored 22 points for second place, which now puts him equal with Ulf Ehninger in second place in the standings behind Gerstl.

BOSS GP OPEN Class

Harald Schlegelmilch brought the improved World Series car home first again and without any technical problems. His team, HS Engineering, celebrated the seventh victory of the season at the seventh event together with their pilot.

BOSS GP FORMULA Class

When it comes to the championship, Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) made a serious mistake on the first lap. The reigning champion spun off the track with cold tyres on lap 1 and had to retire from the race early. This left the way clear for Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International), who controlled the race at the front. However, the gap at the finish to the next driver was not even one second. Salvatore de Plano (ITA, MM International) made it onto the podium for the first time in his third start this year. With 1:37.701 De Plano also drove the fastest lap in his class. Francesco Malavasi (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) was no match for him. However, his 3rd place was his third top-3 result in a row. With three Italians at the front, the “Fratelli d’Italia” (Italian national anthem) was rightly played. Colombo heads into tomorrow’s race with a 58-point lead over Ghiotto. If he maintains a lead of 50 points, Colombo could be celebrated as Ghiotto’s successor on Sunday.

In midfield Marc Faggionato (MCO, Zig-Zag) fought his way through the pack as expected after his bad qualifying. Similar to Alexander Seibold (GER, Seibold Auto + Sport), he managed some impressive overtaking manoeuvres. After a suspension change, Seibold was able to move up to 5th place behind Faggionato by setting quick lap times. Paul O’Connell (IRE, HS Engineering) in the only World Series 3.5 V8 kept ahead of the two GP2 cars for a long time, in the end he finished 6th ahead of Walter Steding (GER, Scuderia Palladio) and Bruno Jarach (ITA, Eesti Motorsport). Unlucky was Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International), who started the race late with electronics problems and finished the race one lap down.

BOSS GP SUPER LIGHTS Class

While Harald Schlegelmilch had already secured the title in the OPEN class after the race weekend in Brno, it was now Andreas Hasler’s (AUT, Hasler Motorsport) turn in the SUPER LIGHTS. The former hillclimb racer won his class for the fourth time this year. Because Alexander Geier (AUT, Geier Racing) could not fix the gearbox problems from qualifying for the race either, Hasler’s most important opponent remained without points this time. This means that Hasler can no longer be ousted from the top spot before the last three races of the season. Second place in Mugello went to Walter Colacino (ITA, Colacino Motorsport) in the 1998 Formula 3000.

The tenth race of the season will take place tomorrow, Sunday, at 13:15 local time. Before that, there will be a ten-minute warm-up of the BOSS GP Racing Series at 10:00 am. Tickets are still available at the box office.

Photo: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Report: Brno Race 2

Posted on September 11, 2022 by - General

Jackermeier celebrates double victory in the BOSS GP F1 class, Ghiotto triumphs in the hotly contested FORMULA class, Geier in SUPER LIGHTS also in a class of his own on Sunday.

After the weather gods made it rain on Saturday, the race on Sunday remained dry despite dark clouds. In ideal conditions, there were plenty of wheel-to-wheel duels for the fans to marvel at during the Masaryk Racing Days. 

BOSS GP F1 Class

After his premiere victory on Saturday, Thomas Jackermeier (GER/Top Speed) followed up with another win on Sunday. Right from the start, the German pulled away unstoppable in his Toro Rosso STR3 and did not let anyone take the lead from him. With a high and constant pace, Jackermeier controlled the lead. His pursuers were no match for the German. In the championship, Jackermeier continues to make up ground on series dominator Ingo Gerstl (AUT/Top Speed). Gerstl did not start in the second race. The championship battle is thus picking up speed again with two race weekends to go.

BOSS GP FORMULA Class

The duel of the race was between Saturday’s winner Simone Colombo (ITA/MM International) and Marco Ghiotto (ITA/Scuderia Palladio). The two FORMULA class rivals fought a wheel-to-wheel duel for several laps. Ghiotto followed Colombo like a shadow, as he had done in Spielberg and Le Castellet. The fans were more than thrilled by the tough but fair duel. With just under ten minutes to go in the race, Ghiotto made the decisive manoeuvre at the entrance of the last corner and took the lead. With a clear track, Ghiotto was able to put a gap between himself and Colombo. Colombo tried to counterattack again towards the end of the race, but was unable to counter Ghiotto’s fast pace today. A few minutes before the end, Colombo had to let Ghiotto’s team mate Francesco Malavasi (ITA/Scuderia Palladio) pass. Malavasi thus secured his second podium this weekend after third place on Saturday. Malavasi, however, did not make a final attack on the victory. Salvatore de Plano (ITA/MM International) came close to Colombo towards the end of the race in fourth place, but was unable to catch his compatriot. Luca Martucci (ITA/MM International) rounded off a perfect Italian day. With his victory yesterday and his second place today, Colombo also takes over the overall lead from Zdenek Chovanec Lopez in the FORMULA class before the final two race weekends in Mugello and Misano.

BOSS GP SUPER LIGHTS Class

Andreas Hasler (AUT/Hasler Motorsport) was ahead on the grid, but after only a few metres rookie Alexander Geier (AUT/Geier Racing) took the lead from Hasler. Hasler could not follow Geier’s fast pace. Geier then controlled the action in the SUPER LIGHTS and thus made himself a double winner at the race weekend in Brno. The driver from Salzburg is also making up ground in the championship. Hasler tried to bring his second place in the SUPER LIGHTS class safely to the finish line, which he succeeded in doing.

The BOSS GP will take a short break and continue its season in Mugello in mid-October (14–16).

Photos: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Report: Brno Race 1

Posted on September 10, 2022 by - General

Jackermeier celebrates his premiere victory in tricky conditions, Colombo turns “pole” into victory in FORMULA class, SUPER LIGHTS triumph for Geier.

The weather gods had no mercy on the drivers of the BOSS GP Racing Series. A few minutes before the start of the first race, the heavens opened their floodgates. The race on the partly wet track thus became a challenge for the pilots in their Big Open Single Seaters.

BOSS GP F1 Class

Pole setter Thomas Jackermeier (GER, Top Speed), like his team mate Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed), was faced with a difficult decision in the Formula 1 car class due to the rain shower before the start of the race: keep dry tyres on or put on the Pirelli Cinturato wet weather tyres? Parts of the track were damp, others dry. Jackermeier and Gerstl both opted for the dry tyres on their cars. Jackermeier with his Toro Rosso STR3 with Ferrari V8 made ideal use of the pole position and started furiously into the race. Ingo Gerstl came into the pits after the warm-up lap and had to stop his Toro Rosso STR1 temporarily. A few minutes before the end of the race Gerstl drove back onto the track but promptly returned to the pits. Jackermeier managed the lead ideally, made no mistakes in the treacherous conditions and celebrated his first victory in the BOSS GP. 

2nd place for Ingo Gerstl (le.) behind debut winner Thomas Jackermeier (ri.)

BOSS GP FORMULA Class

All drivers in the FORMULA Class opted for the Pirelli P Zero dry tyres at the start of the race. The driving skills of the steering wheel acrobats were thus put to the test even more. Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International) made ideal use of his first starting position and was able to pull away first in the drying conditions. Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) held back in the initially damp conditions. However, the experienced Italian put rival after rival to the sword and worked his way up to second place. In the final minutes there was a thrilling duel between Colombo and Ghiotto for the win, but Colombo managed to save the victory over the finish line. Francesco Malavasi (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) drove in second place for a long time, but after a hard fight on the start-finish straight he had to let his team boss and colleague Ghiotto pass. Salvatore de Plano (ITA, MM International) and Walter Steding (GER, Scuderia Palladio) rounded off the top-5 of this spectacular race in FORMULA class. Andreas Fiedler (GER, Fiedler Racing), who was classified in the front of the field in qualifying, came into the pits just before the end of the race and had to park his GP2 car early.

Close finish between Colombo (f.) and Ghiotto behind

BOSS GP SUPER LIGHTS Class

In the SUPER LIGHTS category of the six-cylinder cars, Alexander Geier (AUT, Geier Racing) secured the next victory ahead of Andreas Hasler (AUT, Hasler Motorsport). Geier, who started the race on slicks, took the lead from Hasler shortly after the start and eventually controlled the pace at the front. In the final sprint Hasler tried to close the gap to Geier once more. Ultimately in vain, Hasler drove home a safe second place in drying conditions.

Good race by young Austrian Geier in difficult track conditions

After the spectacle today, the fans can look forward to part 2 of the racing action on Sunday. The second and final race of the BOSS GP in Brno will take place tomorrow from 12:50 local time (livestream).

Photos: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Preview: Brno

Posted on September 6, 2022 by - General

Next weekend (September 9–11) Europe’s fastest racing series, the BOSS GP Racing Series, returns from its summer break. Hosted by the Masaryk Racing Days at the Automotodrom in Brno.

The weekend of 9–11 September marks the start of the second half of the season for the BOSS GP Racing Series. After six races in Hockenheim, Spielberg and Le Castellet, six more races are scheduled in the next nine weeks in Brno, Mugello and Misano. Before the season ends in Italy, the unique mix of Big Open single-seaters in the Formula 1, Formula 2, World Series & Co. categories will head to Brno.

In the BOSS GP F1 Class, that is the classification for Formula 1 cars, four cars have been entered. Among them are three Toro Rossos, including the STR1 of championship leader Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed), who has won all races so far this season. In Sebastien Vettel’s premiere winning car, the Toro Rosso STR3 with a Ferrari engine, Thomas Jackermeier (GER, Top Speed) wants to break this streak in Brno. Racing fans can especially look forward to a rare piece of motorsport history in the form of the green and yellow Lotus T127. The Formula 1 car from 2010 is equipped with a Cosworth V8 engine and will be entered by Team Top Speed. The ex-car of Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen is driven by Austrian Thomas Jakoubek.

In the absence of championship leader Zdenek Chovanec Lopez (PRT), FORMULA title defender Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) is aiming for his first win of the season. In the battle for the championship, however, Ghiotto’s compatriot Simone Colombo (MM International) could put himself in the best starting position. After three events, he is only twelve points behind Chovanec-Lopez, but already 35 ahead of Marco Ghiotto. Salvatore de Plano (ITA, MM International), who has won races with a GP2 in the past, has also been named. After a longer break from racing, he also wants to have a say in the fight for the podium.

In the BOSS GP SUPER LIGHTS, Alexander Geier (Geier Racing) in an older 2003 Tatuus-Renault and Andreas Hasler (Hasler Motorsport) will continue their inner-Austrian duel in the six-cylinder car class.

Entry list:

NummerNameNationTeamKlasseMarkeBaujahrModellMotor
1Ingo GerstlAUTTeam Top SpeedF1Toro Rosso2006F1 – STR1Cosworth TJ
2Florian SchnitzenbaumerGERTeam Top SpeedF1Toro Rosso2006F1 – STR1Cosworth TJ
15Thomas JackermeierGERTeam Top SpeedF1Toro Rosso2008F1 – TR3Ferrari 056
19Thomas JakoubekAUTTeam Top SpeedF1Lotus2010F1 – T127Cosworth CA
22Michael AbererAUTAM MotorsportFORMULADallara2005GP2Mecachrome
27Marco GhiottoITAScuderia PalladioFORMULADallara2011GP2Mecachrome
28Bruno JarachITAEesti MotorsportFORMULADallara2008GP2Mecachrome
32Simone ColomboITAMM InternationalFORMULADallara2017F2Mecachrome
37Luca MartucciITAMM InternationalFORMULADallara2011GP2Mecachrome
43Giancarlo PedettiITANannini RacingFORMULADallara2014GP2Mecachrome
44Thomas JakoubekAUTTeam Top SpeedFORMULADallara2008GP2Mecachrome
46Alexander SeiboldGERSeibold Auto + SportFORMULADallara2005GP2Mecachrome
47Walter StedingGERScuderia PalladioFORMULADallara2011GP2Mecachrome
87Salvatore de PlanoITAMM InternationalFORMULADallara2011GP2Mecachrome
66Andreas FiedlerGERFiedler RacingFORMULADallara2008GP2Mecachrome
77Francesco MalavasiITAScuderia PalladioFORMULADallara2011GP2Mecachrome
111Alexander GeierAUTGeier RacingSUPER LIGHTSTattus2003WSbRenaultRenault
115Andreas HaslerAUTHasler MotorsportSUPER LIGHTSDallara2009WSbNissanAER

Race track:

With a track length of 5.403 kilometres, the former MotoGP circuit is also the second longest circuit of the year after Circuit Paul Ricard (5.8 km long). Fast and fluid corners alternate with a technically demanding section. Engine power is also a decisive factor because the Czech rollercoaster goes steeply uphill in the last third of the track. Here you not only see what the cars are capable of, but also which driver can control his vehicle best.

Timetable (CEST):

Friday, 9 September 2022
12:35–13:05     Free Practice 1
15:35–16:05     Free Practice 2

Saturday, 10 September 2022
09:50–10:20     Qualifying
14:00–14:30     Race 1 (20 minutes)

Sunday, 11 September 2022
09:50–10:00     Warm-up
12:50–13:30     Race 2 (25 minutes)

Christopher Höher dedicate his win in Brno 2019 to his recently deceased father

Supporting program:

In addition to the headliner BOSS GP, other racing series will round off the programme from Friday to Sunday, including Drexler Formula Cup, ESET V4 Cup with the TCR Eastern Europe and Renault Clio Cup Bohemia and historic racing classes (HAIGO).

Tickets:

Children under 12 are admitted free of charge, day tickets are available for 13 euros, weekend tickets cost 17 euros. Parking at the open grandstands is free of charge. All tickets can be purchased at the box office on site.

Pictures: Angelo Poletto & Michael Jurtin/BOSS GP, Dirk Hartung/Autosport.at