Author: Keke Platzer

Report Qualifying Imola

Posted on July 11, 2020 by - General

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.

Preview & Guide Imola

Posted on July 11, 2020 by - 5, General

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)

Sunday, 12 July 2020:
11:15–11:35 Race 1 (20 minutes)
16:15–16:40 Race 2 (25 minutes)

Where can fans follow the races online?

Gruppo Peroni livestream on www.youtube.com/user/PeroniRace
Livetiming and results on www.autodromoimola.it/live-timing-imola
All results on bossgp.com as well
Up-to-date with Instagram @bossgpofficial and Facebook @bossgpofficial

BOSS GP goes to Spa

Posted on June 30, 2020 by - General

Europe’s fastest racing series will be driving together with the DTM in Belgium on 1-2 August.

With the famous corners of Eau Rouge, Blanchimont and Stavelot, the participants can expect an unforgettable experience in a formula racing car. For the first time since 2011, the legendary circuit of Spa-Francorchamps will become part of the BOSS GP race calendar once again. The second race weekend in the Belgian Ardennes will take place on 1 and 2 August together with German touring cars. The event will last two days, as usual with two BOSS GP races in the program.

According to current information, no spectators are planned. However, in cooperation with the DTM, BOSS GP will provide a free live stream for its international fans.

Six races spread over four months and in four different countries, all on current or former Formula 1 or MotoGP racetracks. Despite the difficult circumstances this year, the BOSS GP Racing Series is able to present a very attractive racing calendar to its participants and fans.

  • 11/12 July Imola (Italy) Forza Fanatec
  • 1/2 August Spa (Belgium) DTM
  • 4–6 September Brno (Czech Republic) Masaryk Racing Days
  • 26/27 September Assen (Netherlands) Cuvee Sensorium Grand Prix
  • 9–11 October Mugello (Italy) BOSS Mugello Grand Prix
  • 23–25 October Imola (Italy) Pirelli Grande Finale

Season starts in July

Posted on June 20, 2020 by - General

Luca Martucci in his GP2 drives down the pit lane

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.

Cancellation Misano and Hockenheim

Posted on June 4, 2020 by - General

GP2 cars from MM International in the pit garage

The scheduled BOSS GP races in Misano Adriatico and at the Hockenheimring will not take place in 2020.

The first BOSS GP race after the Corona crisis should have taken place in Misano (ITA) on June 20, 2020. The organizers in Italy have tried until the end to be able to hold the race event, if necessary, without spectators. However, as the Italian authorities have not yet given their approval, the event had to be cancelled unfortunately. The reason for the restrictions are the still ongoing regulations to contain the corona pandemic. This means that the debut of Europe’s fastest racing series on the very interesting racetrack on the Adriatic coast is postponed to next year.

Sadly, the race at the Jim Clark Revival in Hockenheim (DEU) cannot take place either. The race originally planned for April was already postponed two months ago. The organisers are aiming a spare date in autumn. However, because BOSS GP has already planned two races each in September and October, the Big Open Single Seater will not be able to compete in this year’s Hockenheim Historic.

Four race weekends in the schedule of the 2020 BOSS GP series are currently confirmed:

  • 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

BOSS GP is in negotiations with other racetracks and organisers in order to be able to include possible substitute races in the calendar. As soon as there are any news, we will publish them on www.bossgp.com.

New date for Mugello

Posted on May 17, 2020 by - General

F3000 car on Mugello Circuit

Good news: The BOSS GP return to Tuscany can take place from 9–11 October.

Originally scheduled as the season opener, the race in Mugello had to be postponed from March to October due to corona measures. Whether spectators will be allowed to attend the race cannot be confirmed at this time.

This means that six race weekends are still on the calendar in 2020. The season is supposed to start on 20/21 June in Misano. Followed by Brno, Assen and the Italian double Mugello and Imola in October. A new date for the Jim Clark Revival in Hockenheim will be published soon. BOSS GP is in close contact with the German organizers to make this traditional race happen.

New date for Assen

Posted on May 6, 2020 by - General, General

A GP2 car drives into the pit lane in Assen

The Gamma Racing Days with the Cuvee Sensorium BOSS Grand Prix have been moved to September.

The BOSS GP event in the Netherlands will now take place from 25 to 27 September instead of August. Due to the extensive regulations to control the spread of the corona virus, the organizers were forced to react and move the popular event to fall. Already purchased paddock tickets and VIP tickets remain valid.

Current developments regarding a possible start of the season will be published as soon as possible on www.bossgp.com.

Obituary Roger Cowman

Posted on March 30, 2020 by - General

We deeply mourn one of the founding fathers of BOSS GP.

Roger Cowman from East Midlands near Donington Park Circuit was a team owner, tyre dealer and an old school racer. He once started with club sport, then founded his own team and successfully participated in Formula 3 and Formula 3000 races.

When these racing cars suddenly had no longer a platform, Cowman and some of his companions founded the international racing series BOSS Formula in 1994. The Royal British Automobile Club disagreed with the original name “British Open Single Seaters” because the terms “British”, “International” and “Europe” could only be used for FIA approved championships.

But Roger Cowman remained undaunted and simply called the racing series “Big Open Single Seater”. In 1997 he brought the owner of the airline “European”, the Australian and later Minardi team boss Paul Stoddart, into the crew. The series was subsequently renamed EuroBOSS. Because “European” was Stoddart’s company and team name, the motorsport authorities had no recourse against the use of the term EuroBOSS.

When the idea of races with high-capacity and powerful formula cars became popular in the USA towards the end of the 1990s, Roger Cowman sent his BOSS regulations in the US. He also acted as an advisor and gave many helpful tips. His vision was to create a globally set of regulations for all BOSS series across the continents. When smaller formula cars entered the series in the States, Cowman clearly spoke out against this: “Only if we all have the same basic rules, we can uphold the values of the BOSS series. With the BOSS formula series, I always went my own way – that’s the way it was, that’s the way it is and that’s the way it should remain!”

Roger was also a talented restorer of historic racing cars and an everlasting optimist. He died at the beginning of March at the age of 73.

The BOSS GP family offers its sincere condolences to his family and is making every effort to continue along the BOSS path Roger initiated.

Postponement Hockenheim

Posted on March 22, 2020 by - General

The BOSS GP race weekend at Hockenheim planned for April 24-26 has been postponed.

Due to the current rules and regulations in place to contain the corona virus, the BOSS GP races in Germany cannot take place at the scheduled time.

The organisers of the traditional event in Hockenheim try their best to find a later date this year. Tickets that have already been purchased remain valid.

Previously, the BOSS GP Season Opening in Mugello, scheduled for the end of March, had to be postponed due to the corona crisis. As soon as alternative dates are confirmed, they will be published on www.bossgp.com.

New Pirelli P Zero for BOSS GP

Posted on March 18, 2020 by - General

Matteo Braga from Pirelli with the 2020 BOSS GP tyre - Credit Michael Jurtin

Exclusively for drivers and teams of Europe’s most exciting racing series.

Pirelli presents a new dry tyre for the 2020 season in the BOSS GP series. This tyre is designed to help experienced drivers achieve faster lap times and make it easier for less experienced drivers to handle the “black gold”. Pirelli’s series consultant Thomas Hummer explains: “In order not to increase costs unnecessarily, we only use one tyre compound. This tyre has to work at five degrees in Hockenheim, but also at 38 degrees in Monza.”

The new slick tyre has been developed with the aim of maximising the temperature window where the tyre performs best. The P Zero 2020 absorbs the temperature faster and stores it longer than the previous tyre compound. This is to reduce the risk of spins when the tyres cool down, for example after safety car periods.

Unique: violet colour marking

The new P Zero BOSS GP can be identified from the outside by two indicators: One is the purple sidewall, the other the imprinted label “BGP”. As before, the Pirelli tyre works on Formula 1 cars as well as on Formula 2 cars (formerly GP2) and WSbR cars. The dimension 245/660 R13 is used at the front, at the rear axle 325/660 R13. The rain tyre Cinturato remains unchanged.

A Pirelli engineer checks the tyre pressure
Pirelli engineers support the teams with their know-how
Credit: Michael Jurtin/BOSS GP

Support like in F1

The new tyre is exclusively for registered teams and drivers for races in the BOSS GP series. “Motorsports is in Pirelli’s DNA. Wherever we see passion, wherever we experience emotion, we must be at home – and we feel that in BOSS GP!”, says Hummer. The fitting will comply with Formula 1 standards and Pirelli engineers will be on site at all BOSS GP events. They advise the teams on the correct use of the tyres. Tyres can be ordered from BOSS GP partner “Reifen Hollerweger”.

All BOSS GP tyres are produced at the Pirelli Formula 1 factory in Romania. The Italian tyre manufacturer can draw on a wealth of experience in developing tyres to meet the high demands of motorsport: Pirelli is currently the supplier of the Formula 1 World Championship, the GT3 World Challenge and, from 2021, the World Rally Championship.

Title picture: Matteo Braga from Pirelli with the 2020 BOSS GP tyre
Credit: Michael Jurtin/BOSS GP