Highlights of a dramatic season full of speed, action and fun. From Europe’s fastest racing series. Check out also on our YouTube channel @bossgpofficial.
Credit: 7 Berge Filmwerkstatt
Season review clip 2018
Tag: Hockenheim
BOSS GP race calendar 2019
Six race weekends are on the schedule of Europe’s fastest racing series in the coming season. At Assen, BOSS GP will support the DTM, at the finale the series will return to Imola.
Update, 12/12/2018: bossgp.com/update-new-date-for-monza-2019/
The 25th season of the BOSS GP starts with the Jim Clark Revival in the Hockenheim Motodrom. The event from 26 to 28 April is devoted to the Formula 1 legend who died in an accident at Hockenheim. The event is one of the most important classic racing events in Europe, and in 2019 the BOSS GP will once again be the main event of this highlight.
On the second race weekend from 23 to 25 May, the BOSS GP will be making a guest appearance in the new home of the racing series. At the Red Bull Ring in Austria, the Big Open Single Seaters will share the program with the KTM X-Bow Battle for the first time. The sports car racing series is one of the strongest one-make championships in the world. The event at Spielberg takes place from Thursday to Saturday.
In June (Update: 14–16 instead of 21–23) the first of two Italian appearances of the BOSS GP 2019 will take place at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. On Italy’s fastest motorway, the adrenaline level will rise as always, because besides skill, the drivers will also need a lot of courage.
Another highlight in the 2019 calendar is the popular event in Assen (Netherlands). Instead of the Gamma Race Days, this time the BOSS GP will be part of the DTM programme (19 to 21 July). Last year, BOSS GP and the German premium touring car series had already contested the event together in Spielberg, and now the partnership is being extended.
From September 6th to 8th, the BOSS GP will once again attend the Masaryk Racing Days in Brno. The Czech racetrack attracts with a roller coaster that is well appreciated by the drivers. The most exciting races of 2018 took place here.
The BOSS GP will return to Italy for the final round of 2019 and to Imola after a one-year break. The races will take place on the former Formula 1 track from 11 to 13 October.
In the calendar planning, particular importance was attached to extending the intervals between the individual events and dividing the races into seven months. There will be a summer break in August.
As usual, every race weekend will have two races of 20-25 minutes each, in addition to training and qualifying. The exact schedules will be published at www.bossgp.com before the races.
Report: Race 1 Hockenheim F1
BOSS GP delivered a show of superlatives within the German Grand Prix. Two safety car phases and the beginning of rain made the race the most exciting of the year.
For the 17 drivers and 2 pilots of the BOSS GP it was the race of their lives: In front of almost 30,000 spectators, Europe’s fastest racing series started for the second time this year at the Hockenheimring, but for the first time ever as support of the Formula 1 World Championship.
The start was already turbulent: Ingo Gerstl (Top Speed) in his Toro Rosso started from pole position, Phil Stratford (Benetton; Penn Elcom Racing) and Bernd Herndlhofer (Top Speed) were behind him at the flying start. The Swiss Roy Glaser (Speed Center) had a quick start and shot forward to third place in the first corner. However, he also benefited from the collision of team-mates Luca Martucci and Armando Mangini (MM International). Martucci lost the front wing of his GP2 Dallara.
But that’s not all with the action: Glaser made a 360-degree turn through his own fault, but continued immediately. Also Bianca Steiner (Top Speed) was involved in the action zone in turn 1, she had to avoid the flying front wing of Martucci over the asphalted run-out area.
Wolfgang Jaksch (F Xtreme Racing; started from position 8) and Florian Schnitzenbaumer (Top Speed; started from position 11) did as expected and were the biggest mover during the first part of the race. Surprisingly, Martucci did not enter the pits, instead he tried to continue without his front wing. Without much grip on the front axle the lap times dropped by five seconds. But Martucci was brave, behind him a slow train with at times five cars formed. First Jaksch passed the wounded Dallara of Martucci, then Schnitzenbaumer, who overtook three cars in only one and a half laps. Martucci finished surprisingly seventh, ahead of his opponent Armando Mangini (8th).
The first safety car phase brought disorder on the first places: The SC was triggered by a collision of Hans Laub (Speed Center) in the Forti with Bianca Steiner (Top Speed) in the Dallara GP2. The manoeuvre against Steiner went wrong, the gap was too small. Laub’s Forti rushed over the curbs on the inside and than into Steiner’s car – both did not finish.
The safety car brought the first pilots together again. When the track was cleared again, Roy Glaser reacted the fastest. The Swiss was at the start of a BOSS GP race for the first time this year. With his manoeuvre he surprised Stratford and Herndlhofer in front of him and overtook them, so he had made up to the first place in the FORMULA classification. Herndlhofer just overtook
Unimpressed by the events, Ingo Gerstl clinched his sixth victory of the season. When it started raining, the race was stopped due to the conditions. One of the victims of the rain was Wolfgang Jordan, who spun in the hairpin bend. Behind Gerstl, Phil Stratford and Wolfgang Jaksch landed in the OPEN class. Behind Glaser the Top Speed drivers Bernd Herndlhofer and Florian Schnitzenbaumer completed the FORMULA podium.
Walter Steding (Inter Europol Competition) finished in a good ninth place despite a spin in the reconnaissance lap. Karl-Heinz Becker, the oldest participant in the field, was probably just as happy about 10th place. Christian Eicke (Speed Center) finished eleventh ahead of Thomas Jakoubek (Top Speed), who only travelled to the Hockenheimring this afternoon.
Race 2 starts tomorrow Sunday at 11:10 am and goes over the longer distance of 25 minutes. Starting grid is the same as for race 1.
Photos: Daniel Glaser/BOSS GP
Report: Free Practice Hockenheim F1
The first kilometres in the Motodrom are completed: The BOSS GP is ready for the biggest event in its history.
As always, Friday was about qualification for Q1 in tomorrow’s qualifying (start: 10:40 a.m.) session for the BOSS GP front runners . Ingo Gerstl (Top Speed) set today’s best time with 1:22.731 min in the second practice session. A time under 1 minute 20 seconds is expected from the Toro Rosso driver tomorrow. Phil Stratford (Penn Elcom Racing) was clearly behind, but also had less training time. The American had to park his Benetton F1 on the track. A problem with the brake cylinders caused the front wheels to lock, Stratford’s Benetton could only be towed by crane.
Johann Ledermair made the story of the day: The former champion and winner of the double in Spielberg replaced the absent Thomas Jakoubek at Top Speed. Actually, the Austrian had only come to Hockenheim as a guest. Ledermair set the best time in the FORMULA class from a standing start. The toughest opponents for Ledermair come from the same team: Bernd Herndlhofer was only a tenth slower than Ledermair. The ambitious Austrians will provide us an exciting fight for the rest of the weekend.
Championship leader Florian Schnitzenbaumer (Top Speed) placed 3rd, and the German was already successful at Hockenheim in April. In the second practice he rolled out early – a fate he shares with Johann Ledermair and Bianca Steiner. Gerstl, Stratford, Ledermair, Herndlhofer, Schnitzenbaumer – these five will be the first to get on the track tomorrow in qualifying and thus have an open track at their disposal. The remaining 14 drivers must go into traffic ten minutes later.
Wolfgang Jaksch (F Xtreme Racing), last winner in Monza, got along well in the first training and tried different lines. In the second practice session he spun off the track at high speed already in the first laps – car and driver remained undamaged. The fourth starter in the top class is Hans Laub (Speed Center). From FP1 to FP2 he improved by more than five seconds. The link-up to the other OPEN drivers will be possible tomorrow.
Armando Mangini (MM International) was inconspicuous, but again consistently well on the way. The Italian enters the Formula 1 weekend exhilarated by his home win at Monza. Team mate Luca Martucci has settled in well to the BOSS GP as the ninth of today. The debutant usually starts in Italian Formula 3; at the GP2 premiere he was more than properly on the road.
Best FORMULA pilot from Team Speed Center was Peter Göllner in 10th place, Roy Glaser at his comeback and Christian Eicke complained about the Red Flags, which stolen a lot of track time. Karl-Heinz Becker (Becker Motorsport) and Walter Steding (Inter Europol Competition) collided in the first practice session. Becker’s bolide was damaged at the suspension, but for the afternoon the damage was repaired. The race control blamed Steding for the incident. ‘Piter’, who was again bothered by technical problems, did not manage to set a time.
Schedule for tomorrow, July, 21st 2018:
10:40–11:10: qualifying
18:00–18:25: race 1
Pictures: Daniel Glaser
Season highlight: BOSS GP at Hockenheim F1
Europe’s fastest racing series is part of the German Grand Prix weekend and for the first time support series of Formula 1.
The big stage
For the second time this season the Big Open Single Seater will come to Hockenheim. Like the season opener three months ago, the 20 players of the BOSS GP are bringing powerful sounds and high speed to the Motodrom. The 4.5-kilometer Grand Prix circuit will be the stage for a premiere: for the first time, the BOSS GP will drive as a support series for the Formula 1 World Championship.
The BOSS GP is for the second time this year in Hockenheim
The Protagonists
20 cars divided into two classes – that is the setting for the BOSS GP premiere at Hockenheim. In the OPEN class Formula 1 and IndyCars are allowed, the engines are unrestricted. Four brave starters of the highest class compete in the magic Motodrom: The triple BOSS GP Champion Ingo Gerstl (Top Speed) from Austria with the very first Toro Rosso Formula 1 car; the American Phil Stratford (Penn Elcom Racing) in 1997-Benetton by Jean Alesi (team mate Gerhard Berger won the 1997 German Grand Prix in the identical car); Hans Laub (Speed Center) in the Forti FG 03, a rare piece of racing history; Wolfgang Jaksch (F Xtreme Racing) in the white and red Super Aguri from 2006, with 10 cylinders and 800 hp Cosworth power.
| Starting No. |
Name | Team | Nat. | Car |
| 1 | Ingo Gerstl | Top Speed | AUT | Toro Rosso STR1 |
| 7 | Phil Stratford | Penn Elcom Racing | USA | Benetton B197 |
| 22 | Hans Laub | Speed Center | DEU | Forti FG 03 |
| 26 | Wolfgang Jaksch | F Xtreme Racing Team | DEU | Super Aguri 06 |
Fast identes Material haben die 16 Akteure der FORMULA zur Verfügung: 14 der 16 Teilnehmer starten mit Dallara-GP2-Rennfahrzeugen, allerdings mit unterschiedlichen Aerodynamik-Ausbaustufen. Der Franzose „Piter“ und der deutsche BOSS GP-Dauerbrenner Karl-Heinz Becker starten in Boliden der World Series by Nissan bzw. Renault. Die heißesten Kandidaten auf die Siege am Wochenende sind Tabellenführer Florian Schnitzenbaumer (Top Speed) aus Deutschland und Armando Mangini (MM International) aus Italien, der das letzte Rennen in Monza gewinnen konnte. Nicht außer Acht lassen dürfen wir Bernd Herndlhofer (Top Speed), der Ex-Meister startet zum ersten Mal in diesem Jahr in der FORMULA. Nach einem Rennen Pause ist Bianca Steiner (Top Speed) zurück: Die junge Österreicherin holte zuletzt am Red Bull Ring ihr erstes Podest. Sie ist übrigens nicht die einzige Dame im Starterfeld, Veronica Cicha (H&A Racing) ist schon länger fester Bestandteil der BOSS GP.
| Starting No. | Name | Team | Nat. | Car |
| 100 | Thomas Jakoubek | Top Speed | AUT | Dallara GP2 |
| 101 | Peter Göllner | Speed Center | SUI | Dallara GP2 |
| 105 | Wolfgang Jordan | H&A Racing | DEU | Dallara GP2 |
| 110 | Bianca Steiner | Top Speed | AUT | Dallara GP2 |
| 111 | “Piter” | Ray-Ban | FRA | Dallara WSbR |
| 221 | Bernd Herndlhofer | Top Speed | AUT | Dallara GP2 |
| 222 | Veronica Cicha | H&A Racing | CZE | Dallara GP2 |
| 321 | Andreas Fiedler | Fiedler Racing | DEU | Dallara GP2 |
| 323 | Armando Mangini | MM International | ITA | Dallara GP2 |
| 324 | Gianluca Ripoli | MM International | ITA | Dallara GP2 |
| 377 | Luca Martucci | MM International | ITA | Dallara GP2 |
| 411 | Karl-Heinz Becker | Becker Motorsport | DEU | Dallara WSbN |
| 505 | Walter Steding | Inter Europol Competition | DEU | Dallara GP2 |
| 555 | Christian Eicke | Speed Center | SUI | Dallara GP2 |
| 666 | Roy Glaser | Speed Center | SUI | Dallara GP2 |
| 888 | Florian Schnitzenbaumer | Top Speed | DEU | Dallara GP2 |
German Wolfgang Jaksch (l.) comes as race winner to his home race
Season so far
Ingo Gerstl has dominated the OPEN class so far. Most recently in Monza, however, Phil Stratford in the Benetton F1 was the first to take Gerstl’s pace in the Toro Rosso F1, although Gerstl also clinched overall and class victory for the fifth time in six races up to now. In the second Monza race, both Gerstl and Stratford fell victim to a starting collision. The beneficiary of this unfortunate situation was Wolfgang Jaksch (Super Aguri F1). The German won in Monza for the first time this season, for the second time ever in the BOSS GP – right on time before his home race at Hockenheim. Hans Laub has only been on the track for testing purposes with his Forti F1 so far, and the German’s first race will take place this weekend.
The FORMULA is tighter and only slightly more silent. Four different winners in six races so far this season prove that this class is closer than ever before. In the overall standings after 6 of 14 races Schnitzenbaumer (120 points) leads ahead of Fiedler (101) and Mangini (87).
Timetable: BOSS GP at Grosser Preis von Deutschland
Friday, 20 July 2018
13:00–13:25: Free Practice 1
18:30–18:55: Free Practice 2
Saturday, 21 July 2018
10:40–11:10: Qualifying
18:00–18:25: Race 1
Sunday, 22. July 2018
11:10–11:40: Race 2
Highlight clips: Hockenheim & Spielberg
The best scenes from our 2018 races in Germany and Austria are available on our YouTube channel @bossgpofficial.
1st event: Hockenheim Historic
Video: 7 Berge Filmwerkstatt
2nd event: Rundstreckentrophy Spielberg
Video: 7 Berge Filmwerkstatt
Video: WeraceTV
Race Guide Hockenheim
What’s up? All links you need for the BOSS GP at Hockenheim Historic – The Jim Clark Revival
Breaking News on Twitter @bossgp2010
Sector times and Starting grid
Pictures from race weekend up-to-date in our gallery
Best-of pics and videos on Instagram @bossgp2010
Schedule BOSS GP
Friday: April 20, 2018
10:00 am-10:25 am: Free practice 1
16:15-16:40: Free practice 2
Saturday: April 21, 2018
10:35 am-11:05 am: Qualifying
17:00-17:20: Race 1
Sunday: April 22, 2018
13:20-13:40: Race 2
BOSS GP part of 2018 German Grand Prix weekend
The sensation is perfect: BOSS GP will be driving as support series at the German Formula 1 Grand Prix – from July 20 to 22, 2018 at the Hockenheimring.
Good news for all Formula 1 fans
The BOSS GP complements the programme of this summer’s German Grand Prix. This is the first time that Europe’s fastest racing series will take part in the support programme of the Formula 1 World Championship, which will celebrate its comeback in Germany in 2018 after a one-year break.
The hearty eight-cylinder sound of the GP2 racing cars, the no less exciting sounding World Series by Renault engines, the infernal, loud 12-cylinder Superleague Formula 1 engines and of course the breathtaking and incomparably high-revving ten-cylinder engines of Formula 1 “scream” together in the BOSS GP in the truest sense of the word. All together they offer action-packed, fast and vocal motorsport at its finest, which in this form is unparalleled in the global motorsport universe.
In addition to Formula 1 and BOSS GP, the Hockenheimring Grand Prix weekend also features Europe’s fastest cup series, the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, and the young guns from ADAC Formula 4.
Formula 1 cars like the 1997 Benetton, will be driven in race speed around the Hockenheimring circuit
Get tickets now
Tickets can be booked in the online ticket shop at www.hockenheimring.de or via the ticket hotline +49 6205 950 222. Children up to and including 6 years of age have free admission (no seat entitlement), children and young people under 16 years pay only 45 Euro (Sunday) and 50 Euro (weekend) on each seat, with the exception of the south grandstand.
BOSS GP calendar 2018:
- 20–22 April Hockenheim (DEU)
- 18–20 May Spielberg (AUT)
- 29 June–1 July Monza (ITA)
- 20–22 July Hockenheim (DEU)
- 17–19 August Assen (NED)
- 7–9 September Brünn (CZE)
- 12–14 October Le Castellet (FRA)
Fans love the speed and sound of Formula One’s V10 and V8 era
Report: Race 1 Hockenheim
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.
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: Qualifying Hockenheim
Not surprisingly, the Austrian Ingo Gerstl takes pole position. De Plano and Schnitzenbaumer in the FORMULA only seperated by two hundredths of a second.
OPEN:
Only two of the four registered cars could start into qualifying today: Ingo Gerstl in his Toro Rosso and Phil Stratford in the Benetton, which the technicians managed to repair overnight. Bernd Herndlhofer and Wolfgang Jaksch had to pack their cars yesterday.
With 1:25.2 min Stratford improved his times in comparison to the previous day noticeably, against the ten years younger STR1-Cosworth of Gerstl of course no cure grew. The Austrian managed to finish under 1:20 with 1:19.664 min.
Phil Stratford’s Benetton is repaired and back on track
FORMULA:
This is where the music plays, especially when it comes to the excitement of the race: The fastest times were set by the drivers in Qualifying 1, which is reserved for the five fastest drivers from yesterday’s practice. Florian Schnitzenbaumer in the Dallara-GP2 of Top Speed led until shortly before the end of the only eight-minute session. Salvatore de Plano, who set the best time in the first free practice yesterday, beat the German in the penultimate lap and improved his time from 1:29 to 1:27.9 min. Only two hundredths of a second separated the two FORMULA pilots. De Plano was annoyed about a mistake in the first flying lap in the braking of the second corner, which almost cost him his pole. Schnitzenbaumer expects a close race between the two GP2 drivers.
Armando Mangini (MM International) is already in third place in the FORMULA class by far, but still very satisfied. On the track at Hockenheim, which he did not like, the Italian managed to get a good starting position for the first race this afternoon.
The second qualifying group was disturbed by interruptions. Martin Kindler stopped in the Mercedes Arena, a wheel nut had come loose – the car was towed away.
Shortly after the release Manfred Loach and Andreas Fiedler collided in the warm-up lap. Understandably Fiedler ran badly into the top speed pits. Loach damaged his front wing and also had to park his car at the side of the track, so the fast Austrian only starts from 13 at his BOSS GP debut; Fiedler has to start far more back from 16. Bianca Steiner (Top Speed) did a better job, she came close to the FORMULA front runners; behind de Plano, Schnitzenbaumer and Mangini she is fourth in the FORMULA class.
Best non-GP2 of the FORMULA racers was Karl-Heinz Becker, who got his red Worldseries car ready right before the qualification and will start later as tenth.
The first race starts today at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Race 2 starts Sunday at 13:20.
Right before they collide: Manfred Loach in front of Andreas Fiedler