Tag: Nürburgring

Review: Nürburgring 2024

Three weeks after the season opener in Hockenheim, the BOSS GP Racing Series resumed its season at the Nürburgring. Among other things, there was a thrilling duel for FORMULA victory and Pizzonia’s record-breaking drive.

The return to the legendary circuit in the Eifel offered drivers and fans plenty of excitement and thrilling motorsport. This time, the Grand Prix circuit with the smoother motorbike version in the Veedol-S was used. Rock concerts, a huge firework’s display on Saturday evening and an illuminated Ferris wheel in the paddock attracted thousands of visitors to the Nürburgring Classics just one week before the 24-hour race. At the Grid Walk before the BOSS GP races, many fans were able to get up close to the cars.

F1 and OPEN

F1 driver Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA-Racing) and OPEN driver Antonio Pizzonia (BRA, HS Engineering) scored maximum points for the championship twice. Ehninger enriched the event with his Benetton B197, which had already competed here at the Grand Prix of Luxembourg in 1997. ESBA-Racing also put Alexander Wurz’s 1998 Benetton on display.

Benetton’s 1998 (le.) and 1997 (ri.) F1 cars

Pizzonia caused a sensation with an outstanding qualifying lap in the World Series 4.5: With a time of 1:38.135 min, the ex-Formula 1 driver set a new lap record for non-Formula 1 cars, once again living up to the reputation of Europe’s fastest racing series.

Antonio Pizzonia on the way to his record lap

FORMULA

The FORMULA category, which this time featured exclusively GP2 cars, was hotly contested. Reigning champion Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International) won both races, but was under a lot of pressure, especially in the second race. Japanese driver Juju Noda (MM International) tried to pass her team-mate several times. The two top drivers showed each other no mercy and were side by side several times, especially in the first corner. However, Noda overshot the braking point on another overtaking attempt and subsequently spun.

The fact that she was able to compete at all is thanks to the spirit of solidarity within the BOSS GP family. After an engine failure on Friday, the neighbouring team Scuderia Palladio provided a spare car shortly before qualifying. She thanked them with third place in the first race.

Marco Ghiotto from team Scuderia Palladio (li.) helped out Juju Noda (re.)

Meanwhile, everything is going according to plan for Simone Colombo. After three wins in a row, he is leading the overall standings by nine points from Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio), who also had a successful weekend with second and third place. Michael Fischer made a strong debut with 4th place in the first race. In the second race, the Austrian with monoposto and GT experience was able to improve once again and celebrated second place behind Colombo. The best German in the races turned out to be Alexander Seibold (Seibold auto + sport) in both races.

Great racing in the SUPER LIGHTS category

SUPER LIGHTS

Stefan Scho (GER, Scho) celebrated a perfect debut. In his first appearance in the BOSS GP Racing Series, the experienced German in the Lola Formula 3000 was able to prevail against the increasingly strong competition in terms of quantity and quality in the SUPER LIGHTS and clinch victory twice. Swiss driver Stephan Glaser (Jo Zeller Racing) in the World Series car, who scored good points again with second place in the first race, retains the lead in the standings. Henry Clausnitzer (GER, WF Racing) also remains consistent, finishing third twice. Stefan Eisinger-Sewald (AUT, Red Rose Racing) also finished on the podium in his Formula 3000. Once again, it became evident how diverse this still young class is this year.

The next two races in the BOSS GP Racing Series will take place at the Red Bull Ring Classics from 7 to 9 June 2024.

Photos: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Nürburgring race postponed to 2022

The Cuvee Sensorium Grand Prix originally planned for 13 to 15 August 2021 is postponed until next year.

The scheduled appearance at the Oldtimer Grand Prix at the Nürburgring in August had to be cancelled due to the severe storms in the Ahr valley. A record number of participants had announced their attendance, including Le Mans winner Marco Werner in an IndyCar. The reason for the postponement to 2022 (12 to 14 August) is that the paddock is being used as an operations centre for relief workers in the flooded regions. Tickets which have already been sold will remain valid for the following year.

Dr Willie Beck, Series Coordinator BOSS GP Racing Series:

“After a season already affected by COVID-19, the BOSS GP has so far overcome all hurdles and offered good racing. However, nobody could have predicted what happened in Germany in July. In view of what those events, a cancellation is completely understandable and even though it deprived us all of a great race weekend, our thoughts were and are with the people in the flooded areas.

Now we have to look forward, the great and challenging racetrack in Brno is our next host – we are looking forward to it!”

Photo: Gruppe C

Report Race 2 Misano

Making the most of home advantage: With Ghiotto, Colombo and Martucci again three Italians on the podium.

In even hotter temperatures than yesterday, the BOSS GP drivers were once again enormously challenged in the 25-minute main race at the Misano World Circuit. Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio), Saturday’s winner, kept his cool from the start and was never in danger of losing his top spot. The championship leader in the FORMULA class won for the fifth time in the sixth race of the season. Ghiotto is now fully on course for title number 3.

The longest on the tail of Ghiotto’s Dallara Formula 2 was compatriot Simone Colombo (MM International), who shared the fastest lap of the race with Ghiotto and bring home second place, as he had done yesterday – but even he could not effectively put the frontrunner under pressure. Nevertheless, after this very successful weekend for the Italian, Colombo also takes the role of the first chaser in the overall standings.

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Marco Ghiotto was unstoppable in Misano

Finishing behind the BOSS GP rookie was MM International teammate Luca Martucci (ITA), who showed unusual caution, especially at the beginning of the race. In the early stages Martucci had fallen behind Andreas Fiedler (GER, Fiedler Racing) and even in the slipstream it took him a long time to attempt an overtaking manoeuvre.

Fiedler is celebrating his birthday today, and for a long time it even looked as if he could round it off with a top-3 finish. In the first race, Fiedler was slowed down by a deformed tie rod, and today, too, he had to let both Martucci and newcomer Paul O’Connell (IRE, HS Engineering) pass him with degrading tyres in the further stages of the race. Rookie O’Connell again impressed with numerous overtaking manoeuvres in his second ever BOSS GP race.

Thomas Jackermeier (GER, Top Speed) showed a clean and fearless performance today after yesterday’s unfortunate starting collision – he finished in sixth place. Son Simon (GER, Top Speed), competing for the second time in a BOSS GP race, started cautiously at first, but then improved enormously with similar fast lap times as his dad, overtaking Maurizio Copetti (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) and Christian Ferstl (AUT, Top Speed) for 8th place behind Walter Steding (GER, Scuderia Palladio).

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Maurizio Copetti wins the SUPER LIGHTS category

Copetti won the SUPER LIGHTS classification in his V6 WSbN single seater. He was at the front of the pack in the early stages, but a mistake at the end of the last corner almost ended his race. Only with the right movements behind the wheel and a bit of luck he was able to avoid a crash. Gianluca De Lorenzi (RSM, GDL Racing) had to learn early on what can happen when you push too hard. Lying in second place, he also went wide on the curbs in his WSbR Dallara at the end of the last turn. The car than lost contact with the ground, was thrown into the meadow, and then stopped by the tyre barrier. The fourth-placed driver from race 1 had to end the second race very early, but at least without any major damage to man or machine.

After the summer break, the BOSS GP Racing Series will be back in action with the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix at the Nürburgring (13 to 15 August 2021). Finally with fans again and in the beautiful and prestigious setting of one of the biggest motorsport events in Europe.

Pictures: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP