Double victorys for Höher and Gerstl at the season opener in Italy.
Guest starter Christopher Höher also won the FORMULA class in race 2. In a convincing manner he crossed the finish line only two seconds behind OPEN winner Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed). After finishing third in race 1, Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) was able to improve his performance by finishing second behind Höher in the FORMULA class. The defending champion is therefore second in the championship after the first race weekend and is also a contender for the title this year. After a longer period of not being on the podium, Salvatore de Plano (ITA, Coloni) was allowed to step on the podium again. With a third place at his debut in an A1GP Lola he is also a real contender in the championship.
Roman Hoffmann impressed after his retirement in the first race with the fourth place in race 2, only three tenths of a second separated him from de Plano and thus from the podium. Luca Martucci finished fifth after a drive-through penalty (wrong position at the flying start). On the following places: Nicolas Matile, Michael Aberer, Bruno Jarach and Walter Steding.
The next race for the Big Open Single Seater will take place on 1-2 August at the DTM event in Spa-Francorchamps.
Fantastic season opener for the BOSS GP at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari.
Chris Höher (AUT, Top Speed) wins the race in the FORMULA class. Although he was beaten by Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International) in the qualifications, in the race none of his fellow racers were able to keep up with Höher’s impressive pace. The 23-year-old former GT3 ace flawlessly secured his fifth BOSS GP racing victory.
Behind him, two thrilling duels kept us in suspence for almost the entire race. Martucci and Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) competed for second place in the FORMULA class, while Marc Faggionato (MCO, Zig-Zag) and Salvatore de Plano (ITA, Coloni) engaged in a fierce battle for fourth place. While Martucci had to defend himself against Ghiotto until the very end and took a hard-fought second place, the fate of who would take fourth place was determined by a defect in Faggionato’s car, which tipped the scales in favour of de Plano in his A1 GP car. Walter Steding finished the race fifth just behind Nicolas Matile, while Christian Ferstl (AUT Top Speed) finished seventh, which crowned him the best of the six rookies.
In the OPEN class of Formula 1 cars, five-time BOSS GP overall winner Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) did not give in. He drove his Toro Rosso STR1 to overall victory without any troubles. Second place went to Ulf Ehninger, who achieved his best BOSS GP result so far. Riccardo Ponzio (ITA, Adriatico Competition) was unable to start with his Jaguar R3 due to mechanical failure. Race 2 starts at 16:15.
Ingo Gerstl on pole, fastest FORMULA driver was Luca Martucci.
The first qualifying session this season for the BOSS GP Racing Series brought a big surprise. While Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) will once again start from pole position with the Toro Rosso STR1, the Italian Luca Martucci (MM International) will start for the very first time from row 1. At his home race, the GP2 driver brought himself into an excellent position in the battle for victory in the FORMULA class.
From row 2 the actual favourites Christopher Höher (AUT, Top Speed) and Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) will start the first of two races this weekend. Only a few tenths of a second separated the three fastest GP2 drivers from each other.
Marc Faggionato (MCO, Zig-Zag) was able to fulfil high expectations by finishing fifth overall. After a messed up 2019 season, Salvatore de Plano (ITA, Coloni) can be pleased with 6th place, as this is his first time in an A1 GP Lola car. Walter Steding (DEU) also boasted an impressive performance as as he qualified in his first outing with his new team Scuderia Palladio ahead of Ulf Ehninger (DEU, ESBA Racing) in the Benetton B197 Formula 1. Roman Hoffmann (AUT, Hoffmann Racing) proved to be the fastest of the BOSS GP rookies: he finished 10th overall.
Riccardo Ponzio (ITA, Adriatica Competition) could not participate in the qualifying. The engine of his Jaguar R3 needs to be changed until tomorrow. The 20-minute race 1 starts at 11:15 and, race 2 over a distance of 25 minutes at 16:15.
BOSS GP brings back world-class motorsport to Italy this weekend.
The 26th BOSS GP racing season kicks off with Forza Fanatec in Imola (July 11th-12th), where the season finale is set to take place just 15 weeks later. The BOSS GP races are the first major motorsport event in Italy after the lockdown. Just like the races in Spa at the beginning of August (1-2), the meeting is a two-day event without spectators on site.
In Imola, there are a couple of new drivers and cars on the grid. All eyes are certainly on the 22-year-old Italian Riccardo Ponzio, who will make his debut with a 2002 Formula 1 car from Jaguar. With Ulf Ehninger (Benetton B197) and OPEN champion Ingo Gerstl (Toro Rosso STR1) two more Formula 1 cars are in the mix.
Other debutants are Austrian hill-climb specialist Christian Ferstl, former touring car ace Roman Hoffmann (both GP2) and Michael Aberer (AUT, WSbR). Also participating for the first time in the FORMULA class are Estonian Bruno Jarach and Italian Roberto Vanni, who will compete in the only Formula 3000 car.
They will take on champion Marco Ghiotto (Scuderia Palladio), Luca Martucci (MM International) and Florian Schnitzenbaumer (Top Speed), among others. We can also be excited about the first appearance of Salvatore De Plano in the A1GP Lola car of Coloni.
The new dry tyre from Pirelli in purple also makes its debut. This tyre is intended to enable experienced drivers to achieve faster lap times and make it easier for less experienced drivers to handle the “black gold”.
Modern and historic sports car and touring car series will round up the Gruppo Peroni event, as well as the Lotus Cup and the Alfa Revival Cup.
When are the BOSS GP cars on track?
Saturday, 11 July 2020: 10:35–11:05 Free Practice 1 (30 minutes) 12:50–13:20 Free Practice 2 (30 minutes) 16:10–16:40 Qualifying (Q1 20 minutes, Q2 8 minutes)
First BOSS GP races will be held in Imola on 11 and 12 July.
The event and travel restrictions have also affected the BOSS GP Racing Calendar in 2020. Nevertheless, there is good news: The championship can start in just a few weeks. The first two races will already be held on the weekend of 11 and 12 July at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. This makes the BOSS GP races “Forza Fanatec” in Imola the first major motor sport event in Italy after the Coronavirus crisis. By the way, the season finale in October will also take place on the former Formula 1 racetrack in Imola.
The event is hosted by the experienced organizers of Gruppo Peroni. The event will last two days, and there will also be several support races. Whether spectators will be allowed has not yet been decided. Further details will be published on www.bossgp.com in the next few days.
11/12 July Imola (Italy) Forza Fanatec
4–6 September Brno (Czech Republic) Masaryk Racing Days
25–27 September Assen (Netherlands) Cuvee Sensorium Grand Prix
9–11 October Mugello (Italy) BOSS Mugello Grand Prix
23–25 October Imola (Italy) Pirelli Grande Finale
In addition, the organizers of BOSS GP are currently making intensive efforts to hold another race on a well-known Formula 1 racetrack in August. This would ensure the originally planned twelve races on six race weekends in this year’s BOSS GP Racing Series calendar.
Europe’s most exciting racing series visits six top-class racetracks in the upcoming season – two of them are new on the schedule.
The 26th season of BOSS GP begins with a premiere. The
opening race of this spectacular motorsport series will take place at the end
of March in Mugello. The MotoGP circuit is one of the most popular tracks in
Italy and is owned by Ferrari. In 2020 the location will be back on the BOSS GP
schedule after a five-year break. From 27 to 29 March, the comeback of the Big
Open Single Seater series will be the highlight of the Peroni Racing Weekend.
From 24 to 26 April, the fastest racing cars on the
continent will be guests at the Hockenheimring in Germany. The Bosch Hockenheim
Historic is one of the most important classic racing events in Europe and
attracts numerous spectators to the Motodrom year after year. In the program of
the revival dedicated to Jim Clark, BOSS GP is a perfect headliner.
A completely new racetrack for the BOSS GP pilots will
follow in June: The Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli is the venue for
races 5 and 6 of the season. The flat track is technically demanding and an
ideal playground for BOSS GP racing. The racetrack near Rimini is located
directly on the Adriatic coast and can be easily combined with a holiday.
Fantastic crowd at the Gamma Race Days in Assen
In 2020 the BOSS GP series is again part of the Gamma
Race Days in Assen. After the summer break in July, Formula 1, Formula 2 and other
spectacular monoposto cars will show their strength from 7 to 9 August in front
of an enormous crowd of 100,000 Dutch fans. In addition to BOSS GP,
motorcycles, touring cars and superkarts will also be putting the pedal to the
metal. Admission is free.
The first weekend of September (4–6) will see the
Masaryk Racing Days in Brno on the schedule of the BOSS GP racing series. The
biggest Czech circuit will be once again a thrilling location, which has
delivered exciting BOSS GP races in the past.
The grand final will take place in Imola like in 2019. After a successful comeback with fantastic races and satisfied drivers, BOSS GP will return to the Emilia-Romagna region on 23, 24 and 25 October. We hope for another exciting title decision as in FORMULA class 2019.
Unique motorsport is guaranteed with BOSS GP in 2020
As usual there will be two free practice sessions, one qualifying session and two 20 to 25-minute races on each race weekend. The exact timetables and ticket information will be published on bossgp.com prior to the races.
BOSS GP driver Armando Mangini retires, but remains with the series.
BOSS GP veteran Armando Mangini has announced his retirement from active racing at his home race in Imola. Mangini has been part of the BOSS GP family for nine consecutive years. The Italian contested a total of 72 races in Europe’s fastest racing series. A hand injury after a practice accident prevented races number 73 and 74 in Imola. Armando took it calmly: “I wanted to stop anyway.”
Monza 2018: Mangini on his way to the biggest sporting success of his long BOSS GP career
The Italian had his biggest sporting success last year in Monza. He won the Sunday race of the FORMULA class in his Dallara GP2 car. In a chaotic race he kept a cool head and drove to victory with constant lap times. These characteristics distinguished him for many years. Without making stupid mistakes, he drove the high-performance machines at a pace that challenged his often younger teammates.
Mangini (m.) with his friend and rival Walter Steding (l.) and his mechanic Mario (r.) at the farewell party
Mangini announced his plans at a farewell party at the Cuvée Sensorium victory ceremony in the BOSS GP hospitality. “Now it’s time to give the younger ones a chance.” As a farewell gift Armando gave his long-time competitors on the track and friends beside the racetrack bathrobes with personal imprints.
For next year, however, Mangini will remain in the BOSS GP as team manager. MM International is planning to have more than three cars at the start next season, according to Mangini. We wish him all the best – behind the pit wall and in his private life.
FORMULA title decision: Bracalente wins the race, Marco Ghiotto the championship.
How can it be better? The final decision for the championship title in the FORMULA class was made in the twelfth and last BOSS GP season race of 2019. Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) went into the race weekend with better chances. After Alessandro Bracalente’s (ITA, Speed Center) victory in Saturday’s race his lead reduced from 15 to 12 points. This means: Ghiotto had to be at least sixth today if Bracalente scores another victory in Sunday’s race.
Ghiotto already had a shock moment at the start of the warm-up lap when his red GP2 Dallara did not come off the spot. Lucky for Ghiotto: Because a second car also stopped, Ghiotto could line up again in the second row of the grid for the rolling start. The Scuderia Palladio was able to breathe a short sigh of relief.
The best start behind OPEN champion Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) had Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International), who almost caught Bracalente at the top. Ghiotto not only lost the place to Martucci, but also to Salvatore de Plano (ITA, Top Speed). However, Ghiotto overtook both again in the early stages and even managed to catch up with Bracalente with a couple of fast lap times. With second place he was fully on target for the title.
And it remained like that. Bracalente won the last race of the season and ended the year with an incredible result for a rookie: 5 victories, 10 podium places and only two retirements. In the end, one too many to defeat his fellow countryman Ghiotto, who also has a great score: 9 podium finishes and 2 victories, but only one DNF. After six exciting race weekends in Hockenheim, Spielberg, Monza, Assen, Brno and Imola, the new FORMULA champion Ghiotto and his opponent Bracalente finally separated by only nine points.
For the first time Marco Ghiotto is the champion of BOSS GP FORMULA class
Third place
in the race went to Martucci, who fought again with de Plano until the middle
of the race. De Plano finished fourth ahead of Andreas Fiedler, who secured
third place in the championship with a damaged gearbox.
The best
duel was delivered by Philippe Haezebrouck (FRA, Speed Center) and Gianluca
Ripoli (ITA, MM International), with a better end for the Frenchman. Until the
last lap both were within striking distance of each other on the 4.9-kilometer
course. Towards the end of the 25-minute race, Peter Göllner (SUI, Speed
Center) also caught up with the two, but could no longer attack. He finished
the season with a respectable eighth place. Nicolas Matile (MCO, Zig-Zag)
finished ninth in the class. By the way good news for the championship: His
Team Zig-Zag Motorsport Service announced that they would be competing in more
than two races next year.
Overall winner of the race was Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed), who once again put the pedal to the medal today in his Toro Rosso STR1. Although his mechanics gave everything, Phil Stratford had to load his Benetton B197 into the van early due to a defect. Second in the OPEN class and new runner-up instead is “Piter” (FRA, Ray-Ban), whose team managed to repair a big oil leak just before race began.
Next up: The
BOSS GP annual award ceremony will take place on 7 December in Salzburg.
Alessandro Bracalente reduces the gap to championship leader Ghiotto by winning his 4th race of the year.
Alessandro
Bracalente (ITA, Speed Center) drove unchallenged to his fourth victory of the
season in the FORMULA class. The BOSS GP rookie thus reduced the gap to Marco
Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) in the points standings from 15 to only 12
points. Now it is clear that the championship will be decided in the last race
on Sunday. Ghiotto followed Bracalente throughout the race like a shadow. Only
at the end of the race he lost the connection to Bracalente and the gap grow to
an high of four seconds at the finish line.
Luca
Martucci (ITA, MM International) showed an incredible pace at the finish. At
the beginning of the race he dropped back to 9th place, but on the last lap he
made it onto the podium. For Martucci it is his fifth visit on the podium in
2019. In a courageous last lap manoeuvre, he overtook Salvatore de Plano (ITA,
Top Speed), who seems to have bad luck on his racing boots. For de Plano it was
nevertheless the second-best result of the season and the highest finish since
the Hockenheim season opener.
Andreas
Fiedler (DEU, Fiedler Racing) was also involved in the fight for the podium at
the opening stage of the race. In the end he finished fifth. He scored five
championship points more than Philippe Haezebrouck (FRA, Speed Center), who
finished seventh. Tomorrow Haezebrouck and Fiedler will fight for third place
in the FORMULA ranking.
Marc
Faggionato (MCO, Zig-Zag) could not set any time in qualifying because his car
had not been repaired in time. That didn’t stop him from moving up to 6th place
from last position on the grid. For several laps he battled with Haezebrouck
for position.
Walter
Steding (DEU, Inter Europol) was surprisingly in the top 6 at the beginning of
the race, ahead of Martucci and Haezebrouck. With rank 8, he finished in good
midfield this time.
Nicolas
Matile (MCO, Zig-Zag) finished 9th with the only Auto GP Lola in the field.
Peter Göllner won the internal team duel between him and Christian Eicke (both
SUI, Speed Center).
Gianluca
Ripoli (ITA, MM International) and Ulf Ehninger (DEU, ESBA Racing) had to
retire early in the race. Because Ripoli stopped at the warm-up lap, he had to
start at the back of the grid at the Indy start. He tried to improve his
position in the first lap and collided with Ehninger’s Benetton in the Tosa
hairpin.
The overall
victory was again secured by Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed). Not surprisingly,
the already crowned OPEN champion in his Toro Rosso dominated the eleventh race
of the season.
The 12th
and last race of the BOSS GP anniversary season will take place tomorrow Sunday
at 2:10 p.m., before that at 10:30 a.m. is BOSS GP’s warm-up session.
The last qualifying session of 2019 promises high tension in the fight for the BOSS GP FORMULA title.
Ingo Gerstl
(AUT, Top Speed) in the Toro Rosso STR1 takes his fifth pole position in the
sixth race of the year. Behind him title contender Alessandro Bracalente (ITA,
Speed Center) set the fastest time of the FORMULA drivers and put himself in a
good position for the first race on Saturday afternoon (starting time: 15:50).
With 1:30.641 he was a solid six-tenths faster than championship leader Marco
Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio), who will start the race in third place from
the second row of the grid. On the very last lap Ghiotto managed to drive into
the top-3. Should Ghiotto win the first race, Bracalente must finish at least
sixth to postpone the title decision until the last race on Sunday.
Luca
Martucci (ITA, MM International) starts from row 2 next to Ghiotto. This means
that three Italian will chase pole setter Ingo Gerstl through Tamburello, Acque
Minerali, Rivazza and Co. Benetton driver Phil Stratford (USA, Penn Elcom) had
to retire from qualifying early. There had already been a leak in the gearbox
yesterday. With just one fast lap he qualified in fifth place on the grid.
The fastest
driver in Q2 was Salvatore de Plano (ITA, Top Speed), who qualified sixth
overall. After a messed-up season, he wants to perform strongly in the finale.
Andreas
Fiedler (DEU, Fiedler Racing) increased his pace from lap to lap as usual. When
hardly anyone could further improve his lap times, Fiedler drove the seventh
fastest time. So, Fiedler starts a row
ahead of his fiercest competitor for third place in the championship: Philippe
Haezebrouck (FRA, Speed Center).
Walter
Steding (DEU, Inter Europol) proved the strong impression from the free
practice sessions on Friday with rank 10. With 10th place he was able to repeat
his best qualifying result of this year in Assen.
The first
of two races this weekend will have a distance of 20 minutes and begin at 3:50
p.m. – according to the forecast at dry weather and 22 degrees.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkRead more
