At the half-way point of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, Philipp Eng (Team Deutsche Post by Project 1) is looking strong with four victories from nine races to his credit. Two of these were achieved this weekend on the Zandvoort race track in the Netherlands. At the wheel of his 460 hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, on Saturday the Austrian beat Michael Ammermüller (D/The Heart of Racing by Lechner) and Alex Riberas (E/The Heart of Racing by Lechner) to the flag. On Sunday he outpaced Riberas and Nicki Thiim (DK/Küs Team 75 Bernhard). “I’m fit, mentally well prepared and look forward to every single race. The feeling I get standing at the top of the podium is simply indescribable. But I also realise that I still have another eight Carrera Cup races to go and the opposition is strong,” declared Eng after his fourth straight champagne shower.
The 4.307-kilometre dune course proved challenging for the 22 pilots. Sharing the front grid row on positions one and two, Eng and Riberas got off the line well and pulled clear of the field in the first lap. Sitting in third, Ammermüller attempted to fend off an attacking Thiim but eventually had to let the Dane past in lap two. The podium places were then set. Despite a short safety car phase towards the end of the race, Eng took the flag with a three-second advantage. In Zandvoort, Eng also achieved the fastest time in practice, two pole positions, the fastest race lap in both races and two victories: Pocketing positions two and three this weekend, Riberas moved up the championship table: “That was a really good weekend at Zandvoort. We’re leading the team classification and I’m currently second in the drivers’ category.”
Ammermüller finished Sunday’s race on fourth ahead of Christian Engelhart (D/TECE MRS-Racing). As the best Porsche Junior, 19-year-old Matteo Cairoli (I/Team Deutsche Post by Project 1) crossed the finish line in sixth. “That was a great weekend with a great result. I enjoyed my battle with Robert Renauer, Connor de Phillippi and Christopher Zöchling. It was all very fair and great fun,” said a satisfied Cairoli.
Christopher Zöchling (A/Konrad Motorsport) demonstrated an impressive fighting spirit, coming from grid position 13 to finish on seventh place. Robert Renauer (D/Herberth Motorsport) netted eighth. Porsche Junior Sven Müller (D/Lechner Racing Middle East) earned points for ninth. “Unfortunately, the second race of the weekend didn’t run as smoothly. Now we need to find out why. But next time I’m back in full force,” analysed Müller. Jeffrey Schmidt (CH/Lechner Racing Middle East) rounded off the top ten on Sunday. Porsche Junior Connor de Phillippi (Land-Motorsport) was hampered by the safety car phase: Prior to the caution phase the 22-year-old American was running in sixth but crossed the finish line eleventh: “The drivers in front of me braked suddenly which forced me into the gravel to avoid contact. That’s somewhat annoying,” said de Phillippi.
In the overall standings, Eng leads after nine of 17 races with 154 points over Riberas with 112 points. Ranking third is Engelhart with 109 points to his credit. Fourth in the drivers’ standings is occupied by Ammermüller with 107 points.
Races ten and eleven of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland will be contested in Spielberg, Austria, from 31 July to 2 August. The Red Bull Ring is home turf for several drivers and teams. Christopher Zöchling hails from the Styrian town of Bruck an der Mur. Philipp Eng from Salzburg travels to his home country topping the points’ table. Furthermore, several of the competing teams are led by Austrians: the squad under Walter Lechner Senior campaigning the Lechner Racing Middle East and The Heart of Racing by Lechner come from the Salzburg region with their headquarters in Faistenau. Konrad Motorsport’s team principal Franz Konrad was born in Graz near the Red Bull Ring.
Race 9 result: 1. Philipp Eng (A/Team Deutsche Post by Project 1) 2. Alex Riberas (E/The Heart of Racing by Lechner) 3. Nicki Thiim (DK/Küs Team 75 Bernhard). 4. Michael Ammermüller (D/The Heart of Racing by Lechner) 5. Christian Engelhart (D/TECE MRS-Racing) 6. Matteo Cairoli (I/Team Deutsche Post by Project 1) 7. Christopher Zöchling (A/Konrad Motorsport) 8. Robert Renauer (D/Herberth Motorsport) 9. Sven Müller (D/Lechner Racing Middle East) 10. Jeffrey Schmidt (CH/Lechner Racing Middle East) Points’ standings after 9 of 17 races: Drivers’ classification 1. Philipp Eng (A/Team Deutsche Post by Project 1), 154 points 2. Alex Riberas (E/The Heart of Racing by Lechner), 112 points 3. Christian Engelhart (D/TECE MRS-Racing), 109 points 4. Michael Ammermüller (D/The Heart of Racing by Lechner), 107 points 5. Jeffrey Schmidt (CH/Lechner Racing Middle East), 101 points Rookie classification 1. Richard Charles Goddard (AUS/TECE MRS-Racing), 11 points 2. Pepe Massot (E/KÜS Team 75 Bernhard), 7 points 3. Alexander Toril (E/Market Leader Team by Project 1), 5 points Amateur classification 1. Rolf Ineichen (CH/Konrad Motorsport), 160 points 2. Wolf Nathan (NL/Land-Motorsport), 156 points 3. Ralf Bohn (D/Herberth Motorsport), 120 points Team classification 1. The Heart of Racing by Lechner, 219 points 2. Team Deutsche Post by Project 1, 215 points 3. Lechner Racing Middle East, 184 points Press release Porsche]]>
