Victory for Joey Mawson in first race of 2016 ADAC Formula 4
From pole position to first victory of the season – Australia’s Joey Mawson (20, Van Amersfoort Racing) won the opening race of the 2016 ADAC Formula 4. Pole-setter Mawson claimed the win ahead of the two US Racing drivers, Kim Luis Schramm (18, Germany) and Jannes Fittje (16, Germany) at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben in a race that was affected by rain prior to the start. Mick Schumacher (17, Germany, Prema Powerteam) placed fourth. “The championship has got off to a perfect start with a great qualifying and today’s victory,” said Mawson. “I’m really happy; the team did a great job.”
Rain fell just before the race at Oschersleben, delaying the start. Most teams took the opportunity to switch to wet-weather tyres on the grid. The contest started behind the safety car, and the 35 drivers were released after two laps. Mawson accelerated in an expert manner and promptly pulled out a small lead – only Schramm was able to keep up with him. Fittje, Schumacher and Moritz Müller-Crepon (19, Switzerland, Van Amersfoort Racing) battled for third place on the podium behind the leading pair.
Mawson defends comfortable lead despite safety car
There were two more safety car periods during the race. First Juan Manuel Correa (16, Italy, Prema Powerteam) skidded off track, then the two ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg eV drivers, Mike David Ortmann (16, Germany) and Lirim Zendeli (16, Germany) were forced to retire following a collision. But Mawson defended his comfortable lead even after the two subsequent restarts and ultimately secured victory.
In fifth place was Müller-Crepon ahead of the two Lechner Racing drivers Thomas Preining (17, Austria) and Michael Waldherr (19, Germany). On her ADAC Formula 4 debut, ADAC Sports Foundation protégée Sophia Flörsch (15, Germany, Motopark) finished ninth behind Dutch youngster Job van Uitert (17, Jenzer Motorsport). In tenth place was Estonia’s Juri Vips (15, Prema Powerteam) who also emerged as the best rookie. His tenth place means that he starts from pole position in the third race at 16:40 on Sunday. The starting order for this final run of the weekend is determined by the results of the first race. The Top Ten line up on the grid in reverse order. Consequently, Joey Mawson will start from tenth.
Mawson also wins second ADAC Formula 4 race
Second race, second win. The Australian Joey Mawson (20, Van Amersfoort Racing) also won the second round of the ADAC Formula 4 in the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. Mawson won the race from pole position on Sunday morning, finishing ahead of Kim Luis Schramm (18, DEU, US Racing) and ADAC Sports Foundation protégé Mike David Ortmann (16, DEU, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg eV). Mick Schumacher (17, DEU, Switzerland, Prema Powerteam) was again fourth. Jannes Fittje (16, DEU, US Racing), who was third in the first race on Saturday, finished fifth.
“This is the perfect start to the new season. I’m very pleased to have two wins in the bag on the very first race weekend. It’s just great,” said Joey Mawson. The race was again started on a wet track behind the safety car, as on the previous day. Mawson and his rivals set the pace after one lap behind the safety car. However, the safety car came back out on track after contacts involving Yannick Brandt (15, Switzerland, Lechner Racing), Louis Gachot (16, UK, US Racing) and Carrie Schreiner (17, DEU, US Racing).
Schumacher overtakes Fittje – Mawson defends lead
A third safety car period was initiated after the restart following a collision between ADAC Sports Foundation protégée Sophia Flörsch (15, DEU, Motopark) and Moritz Müller-Crepon (19, Switzerland, Van Amersfoort Racing).
Mawson, however, stayed in front again after the ensuing restart, pulling out a small lead as cushion against Schramm and Ortmann in pursuit. Schumacher, who had started the race from ninth position, made a move on Fittje with just a few laps remaining and muscled his way into fourth place. Mawson ultimately reached the finish line 1.757 seconds up on Schramm and 3.681 seconds ahead of Ortmann. Schumacher (4.220 seconds) and Fittje (4.883) came home next.
Third race of season in afternoon – Juri Vips on pole
Schumacher’ s team-mate Juan Manuel Correa (16, Italy, Prema Powerteam) finished as best rookie by coming home sixth ahead of Simo Laaksonen (17, Finland, Motopark) and Kami Laliberté (16, Switzerland, Van Amersfoort Racing). The two Neuhauser Racing drivers Nicklas Nielsen (19, Denmark) and Felipe Drugovich (15, Brazil) completed the Top Ten.
Mawson leads the overall standings after two races of 24. He is on 50 points, 14 points up on Schramm (36 points). Fittje is in third place behind the two front-runners on 25 points, followed by Schumacher with 24.
Victory for Schumacher in third race of the 2016 ADAC Formula 4
Mick Schumacher (17, Germany, Prema Powerteam) has won the third race of the new ADAC Formula 4 season at Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. On the first weekend of the campaign in the third of three junior formula races, the son of record Formula 1 championship winner Michael Schumacher prevailed over Joey Mawson (20, Australia, Van Amersfoort Racing) and Thomas Preining (17, Austria, Lechner Racing). Mawson, who started the race from tenth, had already won the first two races on Saturday and Sunday.
For Mick Schumacher, it was the second victory of his ADAC Formula 4 career. His first also came in the third race in last year’s equivalent fixture at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben when he was still a member of the Van Amersfoort Racing squad. “Victory in the final race was the perfect end to an otherwise not so perfect weekend,” said Schumacher. “I’m really pleased to have won from sixth on the grid, and I want to thank my team for having given me such a car and such great support.”
Sophia Flörsch becomes first female driver to lead an ADAC Formula 4 race
Michael Waldherr (19, Germany, Lechner Racing) and ADAC Sports Foundation protégée Sophia Flörsch (15, Germany, Motopark) followed the three leading drivers across the finish line. During the race, she had even taken P1 for a time, becoming the first female driver in the history of the junior formula series to do so. A podium looked on the cards for a while, even after Schumacher and Mawson had passed, but she had to let the two Lechner drivers, Preining and Waldherr, go past following a bump with Job van Uitert (17, Jenzer Motorsport).
Kim Luis Schramm (18, Germany, US Racing) took sixth place ahead of team-mate Jannes Fittje (16, Germany). Nicklas Nielsen (19, Denmark, Neuhauser Racing) came eighth and won the rookie classification. His team-mate Felipe Drugovich (15, Brazil) and Kenneth Gulbrandsen (18, Norway, Team Timo Scheider) completed the Top Ten.
The third race marked the conclusion of a successful first race weekend of this year’s ADAC Formula 4, which attracted more than 20,000 spectators to the circuit near Magdeburg. Fans will have the chance to watch a recording of the entire race on SPORT1+ at 8pm this evening.
The third race got away without a hitch to a fine start in bright sunshine, but a number of drivers were forced to retire after the very first turn: Kevin Kratz (18, Germany, Jenzer Motorsport), Kami Laliberté (16, Switzerland, Van Amersfoort Racing), Louis Gachot (16, GB, US Racing) and Carrie Schreiner (17, Germany, US Racing). The safety car came out on track in response.
Following the restart, pole-setter Juri Vips (15, Estonia, Prema Powerteam) remained in front at first until race stewards penalised the Estonian’s premature start with a drive-through penalty. Flörsch then led briefly, but Schumacher immediately seized one of the first overtaking opportunities to present itself and pulled away. Mawson, who had started from P10 on the grid, also steadily worked his way through the field to secure his third podium finish in the third race of the year.
So Mawson leads the overall standings after three of 24 races. He is on 68 points, giving him a cushion of 19 points on Schumacher (49). The two US Racing drivers Schramm (44) and Fittje (31) are immediately behind them in the standings.
The next three ADAC Formula 4 races are scheduled for the end of April. The Sachsenring will host the junior formula racing series under the banner of the ADAC GT Masters (29th April – 1st May).
Press release ADAC Formel 4
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