Category: General

Self-made man

Posted on June 17, 2022 by - General

From race kart to Formula 2: Simone Colombo (35, from near Milan) shows how it’s done. In our interview, the MM International driver explains why the BOSS GP Racing Series has captivated him.

You come from professional karting and switched to a Formula 2 car last year. How did that come about?

SIMONE COLOMBO: “I started karting and then stopped when I got my job. I didn’t race for seven years and I felt I was missing something. But during my job I couldn’t do both, so I couldn’t continue karting. So I tried to start motor racing and that’s why I’m here. In 2021, I drove my first race ever. I just started racing formula cars and I don’t know much about it. But this year I tested before the first race a lot.”

But it looks very skillful, you don’t make many mistakes. Were GT cars actually not an option for you?

COLOMBO: “No! Only single seaters, that’s the maximum.”

Why do you race in the BOSS GP Racing Series?

COLOMBO: “To have fun! I enjoy the experience, the tracks, the car. There are not so many opportunities to drive this kind of cars.”

Promising start: In Simone’s debut season in 2021 he immediately became runner-up in the FORMULA class

What does your company Mondokart do?

COLOMBO: “We sell kart parts and karts. We work hard to be very good and fast in shipping. We are sort of the ‘Amazon of karting’. Karting is very big in Italy because most karts are produced in Italy and all the main manufacturers are in Italy.”

What kart chassis do you sell?

COLOMBO: “We sell CRG, Tonykart, but we also have many other brands. We work with all the companies in the sector. In addition, we are also manufacturers of karts ourselves, but that is not the biggest part of the business.”

What is your goal for this racing season, what do you expect?

COLOMBO: “I want to do better than last year. Maybe I can get first place in the championship, but I don’t know if I will be able to do that. There are also some new riders this year … I will just take it step by step.”

Pictures: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP, Robert Lösch

Report: Red Bull Ring Spielberg Race 2

Posted on June 5, 2022 by - General

Plenty of fans listened to the sounds of the BOSS GP Racing Series today. Numerous duels characterized the second round of the Rundstreckentrophy in Austria.

BOSS GP F1 Class

In the early stages of Sunday’s race, the two Top Speed teammates Ingo Gerstl (AUT) and Thomas Jackermeier (DEU) circulated around the 2.7-mile Formula 1 track in their Toro Rossos synchronously. Jackermeier even recorded his first leading miles in the BOSS GP Racing Series. This was remarkable, as it was only his second race in a Formula 1 car. In the second half of the race, however, Gerstl shifted up a gear and took the lead again in his Toro Rosso STR1. The Austrian not only drove to home victory but also to his fourth win of the 2022 season. Jackermeier finished the race in second place, as he did yesterday, and can thus look back on a highly successful debut weekend in the Toro Rosso STR3. Third place went to last year’s champion Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing) in the 1997 Benetton.

BOSS GP OPEN Class

As pole setter of the second starting group, Harald Schlegelmilch (LVA, HS Engineering) was once again trying to catch up with the Formula 1 cars in front of him. Schlegelmilch drove to a safe start-finish victory in the OPEN class in his modified World Series car. Anton Werner (GER, Ryschka Motorsport) in the only IndyCar car finished second.

BOSS GP FORMULA Class

Chovanec-Lopez (Dallara GP2 Mecachrome) won both races in the FORMULA class

With an advantage of half a minute in the final classification Zdenek Chovanec-Lopez (PRT, MM International) dominated the class, which was mainly filled with Formula 2 cars. In contrast to yesterday, he tried to build up a bigger lead with fast lap times already in the early stages, which he succeeded in doing. With victory number 3 this season, Chovanec-Lopez also extended his lead in the standings. Behind the winner, the competitors were increasingly fighting with each other: Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International) and Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) duelled for second place for a long time. Because Ghiotto was losing ground towards the end of the race due to overheated brakes, the reigning champion was only able to finish 3rd behind Hockenheim race winner Colombo. Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International) in the green glittering GP2 Dallara drove unchallenged to fourth place.

The best fights for positions were again delivered by the group around Paul O’Connell (IRE, HS Engineering) in the World Series V8 car, Michael Aberer (AUT, MA Motorsport), Walter Steding (GER, Scuderia Palladio) and Bianca Steiner (AUT, Steiner Motorsport) in their GP2 cars. The positions changed several times, including some impressive braking manoeuvres. In the end, it was Steiner who prevailed, delighted with fifth place and a flawless race but annoyed with a botched qualifying session. Behind O’Connell and Aberer, Giancarlo Pedetti (ITA, Nannini Racing) was also able to work his way up the order in the race. Steding finished ninth, Thomas Jakoubek (AUT, Top Speed) finished tenth, glad to see the chequered flag this time.

Andreas Hasler takes full points in the Spielberg races

BOSS GP SUPER LIGHTS Class

The class of the six-cylinder cars was reserved for Andreas Hasler (AUT, Hasler Motorsport) from Styria, who made the short journey home with two winner’s trophies. For the next races, the BOSS GP rookie plans to finally be able to call up the full engine power of his older World Series car.

Hasler will have his next opportunity to do so in just two weeks’ time, at the BOSS GP races as part of the French Historic Grand Prix in Le Castellet (June 17-19, 2022).

Report: Red Bull Ring Spielberg Race 1

Posted on June 4, 2022 by - General

After pole position comes the victory: Class wins for Gerstl (F1), Schlegelmilch (OPEN), Chovanec-Lopez (FORMULA) and Hasler (SUPER LIGHTS).

The first race of the BOSS GP Racing Series took place in perfect weather conditions and at the best starting time just after 2 pm. For the first time, the race was divided into two starting groups, first the BOSS GP Formula 1 class and then, with a gap of about 20 seconds, the OPEN, FORMULA and SUPER LIGHTS pilotes.

BOSS GP F1 Class

Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) continued his winning streak from Hockenheim. The man from Salzburg with his Toro Rosso STR1 won the first BOSS GP race at the Rundstreckentrophy. His Top Speed teammate Thomas Jackermeier (GER) drove a flawless debut race in his Toro Rosso Formula 1 car and finished in second place behind Gerstl. For a while he was able to follow his much more experienced teammate. Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing) drove an flawless race and deservedly picked up a trophy for third place.

The most successful drivers of race 1 in Spielberg

BOSS GP OPEN Class

After a safety car period, Harald Schlegelmilch (LVA, HS Engineering) also gave the Formula 1 cars in front of him a good run for their money towards the end of the race. Schlegelmilch won the OPEN class in his modified World Series car ahead of the rare IndyCar (IRL-IR8) of Anton Werner (GER, Ryschka Motorsport).

Hard, but fair racing: Fine battles in midfield

BOSS GP FORMULA Class

Zdenek Chovanec-Lopez (PRT, MM International) was unbeatable as expected after his strong qualifying performance. With his second victory of the season, Chovanec-Lopez regained the sole lead in the FORMULA class standings. Behind him, the two Italians Simone Colombo (MM International) and Marco Ghiotto (Scuderia Palladio) fought a hot duel as expected. While Ghiotto struggled with overheated brakes, Colombo also overshot the breaking points a time or two. In the end, Colombo prevailed over Ghiotto. Walter Steding (GER, Scuderia Palladio) finished fourth with his best performance of the season. Giancarlo Pedetti (ITA, Nannini Racing) finished 5th, just ahead of Bianca Steiner (Steiner Motorsport), who performed well in the race, as the best Austrian in this class. Victory in the BOSS GP SUPER LIGHTS Class went to Styrian local hero Andreas Hasler (AUT, Hasler Motorsport).

The fourth race of the season starts tomorrow Sunday at 2 o’clock local time.

Pictures: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP, Henry Gasselich/VOLLGAS!

Report: Red Bull Ring Spielberg Qualifying

Posted on June 4, 2022 by - 5, General

Pole position for Ingo Gerstl at his home race in Austria.

With a lap time of 1:12.076 min Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) set the best time in qualifying on Saturday morning with his Toro Rosso STR1. In front of a well-attended crowd, the man from Salzburg squeezed one fast lap after another out of his Formula 1 and the Pirelli P-Zero tires and continued to improve several times. Second fastest Formula 1 driver was Thomas Jackermeier (GER, Top Speed) in his very first outing in Sebastian Vettel’s winning car (Monza 2008), the Toro Rosso STR3. Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing) was able to qualify his Benetton B197 without any problems on class position 3 today after a defect on his front wing yesterday in the practice sessions.

As expected, the fastest OPEN driver was Harald Schlegelmilch (LVA, HS Engineering). In the modified Dallara World Series car he set clearly the fastest lap with 1:15.644 min. Anton Werner’s (Ryschka Motorsport) IndyCar is also an eye-catcher in the OPEN category. The German qualified in the middle of the FORMULA field.

Zdenek Chovanec-Lopez (CZE, MM International) did not show any weakness in FORMULA qualifying. The ex-Formula 3 driver dominated the class ahead of reigning champion Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio), Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International) and Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International). The three Italians were separated by only three tenths of a second, and close fights for positions in the races are to be expected here. Walter Steding (GER, Scuderia Palladio) and Michael Aberer (AUT, AM Motorsport) follow in 5th and 6th place. Technical problems slowed down Bernd Herndlhofer (AUT, H&A Racing) at his BOSS GP comeback, he starts into the races from position 11 in class.

Styrian local hero and BOSS GP rookie Andreas Hasler (AUT, Hasler Motorsport) was able to improve significantly compared to the practice session and will go into the races today Saturday (14:25) and tomorrow Sunday (14:00 local time) as the best-placed SUPER LIGHTS driver.

Picture: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

„Single Seaters are my world“

Posted on June 3, 2022 by - 5, General

We spoke to Austrian Michael Aberer (50) ahead of his home race at the Red Bull Ring (June 3–5, 2022) and learned why he admires Niki Lauda, but his GP2 Dallara will be on the grid in a retro livery of Jochen Rindt.

What motivates you to drive a GP2 car?

MICHAEL ABERER: “In terms of dimensions, the car suits me. I’m 90 kilos, in Formula 3 you need 70, 75 kilos – it’s simply a smaller car. So the GP2 is a better match for me from a purely physical point of view. And single seaters are my world anyway!”

Do you have a particular hero?

ABERER: “Niki Lauda, I’ve had him on my wall as a poster since I was a child. But also Gerhard Berger, I’m probably closest to him in human terms. Like him, I took care of everything: racing car, business … disco and, of course, girls (laughs).”

But your car is painted like Jochen Rindt’s world champion Lotus, why is that?

ABERER: “I came up with that together with Ingo Gerstl. He thought it was a bit of history and showed me pictures of memorable motorsport designs. Red-white-red are again my colors – so I thought, ‘okay, it will be Jochen Rindt’. Then there was also the 50th anniversary of his death (2020, note) and that’s how it all fell into place. Even though Jochen Rindt raced before my time, as an Austrian his story of course interests me.”

Most recently in Hockenheim, Michael Aberer belonged to the top group of the FORMULA class

What is your motorsport history so far?

ABERER: “In the classic way, karting and car slalom. I was very successful in car slalom, 30 years ago with a Golf GTi in Vorarlberg. Now it’s different, but in the past these were real racing cars, with a cage inside and the car slalom community was also big. In between I took a little break. Then I started karting again as a hobby and then switched to Formula 3. In 2006, I became champion of the so-called B series.”

Then you took another break …

ABERER: “Yes, in 2012 I stopped completely and let my son Lukas drive. Two years ago, however, I started again. Now I’d like to drive the car a bit more and then I’ll let Lukas go first.”

Aberer in his 2020 BOSS GP debut season with a World Series by Renault (seen here at Spa)

Two years ago, you raced in the BOSS GP Racing Series for the first time. How is your team made up today?

ABERER: “Currently I have hired the Asche Racing Team with Flo Leitinger as chief mechanic. They are good and for me it makes sense above all that they take care of the car, then I am much freer. They screw and I drive, like a Formula 1 driver (laughs).”

What do you like most about the BOSS GP?

ABERER: “I like the community. Here, many drivers from different nations come together, all around the same age. On the tracks we have our fun, in the evening we sit together at the barbecue. High performance, but also comfortable. We’re not going to be Formula 1 world champions anymore, so we have other ambitions. From a sporting point of view, my goal this year is to make it onto the podium and then we’ll see.”

Pictures: Angelo Poletto & Michael Kavena/BOSS GP

Preview: Red Bull Ring Spielberg

Posted on June 1, 2022 by - General

This coming weekend (June 3-5), the BOSS GP Racing Series will be returning to the Red Bull Ring with the fastest racing cars in the world. Among them cars from Vettel, Klien and Berger.

Before the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix is held at the Red Bull Ring in just over a month’s time, priceless showpieces can already be spotted in racing action at Spielberg this coming weekend. Europe’s fastest racing series, BOSS GP, will gather several thousands of horsepower on the grid from Friday to Sunday. 22 Big Open Single Seaters – Formula 1, IndyCar, Formula 2 and GP2, World Series by Renault and Nissan – will ensure a program at the Red Bull Ring that cannot be overheard.

The orchestra includes, among others, the Toro Rosso STR3, with which Sebastien Vettel celebrated his first race victory in the rain at Monza, Christian Klien’s first Formula 1 car, the Jaguar R5 and Gerhard Berger’s last winning car, the Benetton B197. In addition, the US IndyCar bolide of Anton Werner (GER, Ryschka Motorsport) also joins the colorful starting field. A familiar face will also be making his comeback in the BOSS GP Racing Series: Frits van Eerd (NLD, VES Racing), ProAM World Champion in the 2021 World Endurance Championship and a long-time BOSS GP driver, will try to stand up to opening double winner Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) in the Toro Rosso STR1 with his Jaguar R5.

NumberNameNationTeamClassModelBuild inModel
1Ingo GerstlAUTTop SpeedF1Toro Rosso2006STR1
2Florian SchnitzenbaumerGERTop SpeedF1Toro Rosso2006STR1
5Frits van EerdNLDVES RacingF1Jaguar2004R5
7Ulf EhningerGERESBA RacingF1Benetton1997B197
10Harald SchlegelmilchLVAHS EngineeringOPENDallara2012World Series by Renault
11Anton WernerGERRyschka MotorsportOPENDallaraIRL
21Bernd HerndlhoferAUTH&A RacingFORMULADallaraGP2
22Michael AbererAUTAM MotorsportFORMULADallara2005GP2
27Marco GhiottoITAScuderia PalladioFORMULADallara2011GP2
28Bruno JarachITAEesti MotorsportFORMULADallara2008GP2
31Paul O’ConnellIREHS EngineeringFORMULADallara2012World Series by Renault
32Simone ColomboITAMM InternationalFORMULADallara2017F2
37Luca MartucciITAMM InternationalFORMULADallara2011GP2
43Giancarlo PedettiITANannini RacingFORMULADallara2014GP2
44Thomas JakoubekAUTTop SpeedFORMULADallara2008GP2
47Walter StedingGERScuderia PalladioFORMULADallara2011GP2
51Zdenek Chovanec LopezCZEMM InternationalFORMULADallara2011GP2
69Thomas JackermeierGERTop SpeedFORMULADallaraGP2
110Bianca SteinerAUTSteiner MotorsportFORMULADallara2005GP2
111Alexander GeierAUTGeier RacingSUPER LIGHTSTatuus2003World Series by Renault
115Andreas HaslerAUTHasler MotorsportSUPER LIGHTSDallara2009World Series by Nissan

Local heroes:
The starting field also includes seven Austrian racing drivers: Beside Gerstl from Salzburg, Formula 1 TV expert Bianca Steiner (GP2, Steiner Motorsport), Bernd Herndlhofer (GP2, H&A Racing), Michael Aberer (GP2, MA Motorsport), Thomas Jakoubek (GP2, Top Speed) and the two V6 World Series cars of just 16-year-old Alexander Geier (Geier Racing) and Styrian local hero Andreas Hasler (Hasler Motorsport) will also be present.In addition, the Burgenland-based team HS Engineering has entered two cars for Harald Schlegelmilch (LVA) and Paul O’Connell (IRE).

Timetable (CEST):

Friday, 3 June 2022
13:30–13:55          Free practice 1
15:30–15:55          Free practice 2

Saturday, 4 June 2022
09:50–10:20          Qualifying
14:00–14:20          Race 1 (20 minutes)

Sunday, 5 June 2022
14:00–14:25          Race 2 (25 minutes)

Support races:

Motorsport fans will be offered a total of 17 races at the Rundstreckentrophy 2022 in addition to the free practice sessions and qualifying sessions. In addition to the two BOSS GP races (Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. each), several sports and touring car series and Formula 3 will start in the supporting program. Admission to all open grandstands is free, and fans can also visit the paddock free of charge and look over the teams’ shoulders as they work or get an autograph from one of the drivers.

Picture: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Report: Hockenheim Race 2

Posted on May 8, 2022 by - General

In the fight for victory in the FORMULA classification, the action came to a head on the last lap. Class wins for Gerstl, Schlegelmilch, Colombo and Hasler.

BOSS GP rookie Zdenek Chovanec-Lopez (CZE, MM International) set an incredible pace for almost twenty minutes and already looked like the secure winner when his tyres started to degrade badly. Chovanec-Lopez’s GP2 car clearly started to drift more and more. In a powerslide he still tried to keep the fast-approaching Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International) behind him, but the effort was in vain. Colombo managed his Pirelli P-Zero slicks better and thus took the FORMULA victory in Sunday’s 25-minute race.

Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) was again able to collect a trophy at the podium ceremony, he finished third. Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International) crossed the finish line in an unthankful fourth place. The experienced Italian defeated Michael Aberer (AUT, MA Motorsport), who kept Martucci busy at the beginning of the race. Today, Aberer was able to score a good result after his retirement yesterday.

Paul O’Connell (IRE, HS Engineering) finished sixth in class, ahead of Giancarlo Pedetti, who put in a clean performance as he did yesterday in his BOSS GP debut race. The best German was Walter Steding (Scuderia Palladio) in eighth place. Despite a collision at the start of the race, Alexander Seibold (GER, Scuderia Palladio) was also able to finish the race. Much to the delight of many fans, because Seibold started with a special helmet design as a tribute to the unforgotten Swiss Formula 1 and sports car racer Jo Siffert.

Well-attended grandstands in best early summer weather at the Jim Clark Revival in Hockenheim

The other classes:

The OPEN category of the Formula 1 cars was again a straightforward affair for Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) in the first car of Scuderia Toro Rosso (now Alpha Tauri). Despite an early technical knockout, Phil Stratford (USA, Penn Elcom Racing) and Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing) were able to score second and third respectively.

Harald Schlegelmilch (LVA, HS Engineering) in the yellow-and-black World Series V8 machine performed as he did in Race 1 and, starting from last place on the grid, managed to overtake most of the field in the opening laps. The Latvian left all FORMULA cars behind and won the new classification of the modified BOSS GP cars.

After Andreas Hasler (AUT, Hasler Motorsport) could not take part in the race yesterday, the Austrian was eager to get through today. He succeeded and even more: Hasler claimed victory in the SUPER LIGHTS six-cylinder classification.

The two races in the Bosch Hockenheim Historic can be watched in replay at www.hockenheim-historic.de/en/live

The next two races of the BOSS GP Racing Series will follow in four weeks’ time (3-5 June 2022) as part of the Rundstreckentrophy at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg.

Note: The overall standings are currently still unofficial, as the modified FORMULA car class is only just being added to the regulations.

Pictures: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Report: Hockenheim Race 1

Posted on May 7, 2022 by - General

Tens of thousands of fans listened intently as the BOSS GP made its comeback at the Hockenheimring.

In the first race of the 2022 season, Latvian Harald Schlegelmilch (HS Engineering) achieved the rare feat of taking FORMULA class victory from the last grid position. After a couple of laps, the former German Formula 3 trophy winner was already in the top three of the class, and on the sixth lap he finally overtook the FORMULA leader Zdenek Chovanec-Lopez (CZE, MM International). Schlegelmilch thus won for the fourth time in the BOSS GP Racing Series after Spielberg and Brno 2021. Chovanec-Lopez was also delighted with second place in his BOSS GP debut race.

Behind them, a three-way battle between the Italians Marco Ghiotto (Scuderia Palladio), Simone Colombo and Luca Martucci (both MM International) was going on for a while – including tyre lockups and a couple of overtake attempts. On the penultimate lap, Colombo managed the decisive braking manoeuvre against Ghiotto in the hairpin. Colombo thus jumped onto the podium “last minute”.

With a light gap, the Irishman Paul O’Connell (“I’m living my dream”) from HS Engineering finished in sixth place. 7th place in class was still being fought for all the way to the finish line: Bianca Steiner (AUT, Steiner Motorsport), who had already passed Walter Steding (GER, Scuderia Palladio) in the meantime, complained about a sudden loss of power. In the end, it was just not enough to challenge Steding for seventh place. Giancarlo Pedetti (ITA, Nannini Racing) also finished his debut race in the BOSS GP Racing Series in the top ten with a ninth place.

OPEN race winner Ingo Gerstl from Team Top Speed

The OPEN class was once again safe for Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) in the Toro Rosso F1. Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing) from Tübingen in a Benetton F1 kept out of all the FORMULA class fights and secured second place. His Benetton twin Phil Stratford (USA, Penn Elcom) was only seen for a short time, he had to retire from the race early on due to technical problems.

Michael Aberer (MA Motorsport) was among those beaten in race 1: The Austrian did it like Sebastien Vettel once did and sunk his chances for a top position in the gravel bed of the Sachs curve – but the damage to his GP2 car should be repaired by the second race. Start time for race 2 is tomorrow Sunday at 3:55 p.m. (CEST), before that the warm-up runs at 11:05. You can follow all the action via livestream on www.hockenheim-historic.de/en/live

Pictures: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Report: Hockenheim Qualifying

Posted on May 7, 2022 by - General

Already on Saturday morning, the grandstands in the Motodrom were well attended and the open paddock at the Bosch Hockenheim Historic was crowded. Early birds were rewarded with V10 and V8 sounds from the BOSS GP.

Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed), the BOSS GP champion from 2008, 2016 to 2020, took the first pole position of the year. Unsurprisingly, the man from Salzburg set the superior fastest time in this season’s first qualifying session with 1:21.093 in his Toro Rosso STR1. BOSS GP rookie Zdenek Chovanec-Lopez (CZE, MM International) will start the race alongside him. The 17-year-old with Formula 3 experience was thus the fastest driver in the FORMULA classification. Behind him, his teammate Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International), last year’s FORMULA runner-up, will start the race. Fourth place was taken by Phil Stratford (USA, Penn Elcom) in the 1997 Formula 1 Benetton, who despite a small spin at the start of qualifying managed to finish well ahead.

Due to his high demands, three-time BOSS GP champion Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) in the original GP2 car of Charles Leclerc was somehow disappointed with his 5th place. The Italian already complained yesterday about not coping well with the medium-fast track. Behind him Michael Aberer (AUT, MA Motorsport) will start into race one. Despite two spins, he was able to keep improving until the end of the session and move up to sixth place.

Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing) and Paul O’Connell (IRE, HS Engineering) will start the race from row 4. Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International) will only start from grid position nine due to a penalty, Bianca Steiner (AUT, Steiner Motorsport) will start from 10th after little practice time on Friday.

Bianca Steiner in her GP2 car

The 17-strong grid will be chased this afternoon by Harald Schlegelmilch (LVA, HS Engineering). After very good practice times, former BOSS GP race winner will only start the race from second-last place on the grid. Already in the outlap the drive shaft broke on the modified World Series by Renault bolide. However, the Austrian team will be able to repair the car before the race start (3:30 p.m. CET). Hopefully, local hero Andreas Fiedler will also be able to do the same, as he and his team will try to fix the temperature problems on his bilious green GP2 car.

The first of two races this weekend will be over a distance of 20 laps. Please remind, that the OPEN class drivers will already see the checkered flag after 15 minutes. BOSS GP’s race 1, like the other races at the Jim Clark Revival at the Hockenheimring, can be followed via livestream from 3:20 p.m. CET today: www.hockenheim-historic.de/en/live

Pictures: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Preview: Hockenheim

Posted on May 4, 2022 by - General

Three years after its last appearance at Hockenheim, the BOSS GP Racing Series will be back at the start of the traditional event in honour of Jim Clark next weekend. We have summarised everything you need to know.

Tens of thousands of fans will return to the Motodrom from 6 to 8 May 2022 to honour the widely honoured Scottish racing driver Jim Clark, who tragically lost his life in a Formula 2 race at Hockenheim in 1968. They will all bring the past back to life this weekend through intense racing action.

However, the organisers of the Bosch Hockenheim Historic are not afraid of building a bridge to the modern age. And so the BOSS GP Racing Series has not only been a regular part of the Jim Clark Revival for years, but also a real crowd-puller. The Big Open Single Seater series was born out of a fundamental question: What should be done with the numerous old cars from classes such as Formula 1, IndyCar, GP2, Auto GP, A1 GP, Superleague Formula or even the World Series? Put them in a museum? Or bring them back to the race track? The answer was obvious. And so the BOSS GP 2022 enters its 28th season this coming weekend. Here are the entrants for the first of six season events in 2022:

No.NameNationTeamClassCarBuild inModel
1Ingo GerstlAUTTop SpeedF1Toro Rosso2006STR1
7Ulf EhningerDEUESBA RacingF1Benetton1997B197
8Phil StratfordGBRPenn Elcom RacingF1Benetton1997B197
10Harald SchlegelmilchLVAHS EngineeringOPENDallara2012World Series V8 by Renault
15Christian FerstlAUTTop SpeedFORMULADallara2011GP2
22Michael AbererAUTAM MotorsportFORMULADallara2005GP2
27Marco GhiottoITAScuderia PalladioFORMULADallara2011GP2
28Bruno JarachITAEesti MotorsportFORMULADallara2008GP2
31Paul O’ConnellIREHS EngineeringFORMULADallara2012World Series by Renault
32Simone ColomboITAMM InternationalFORMULADallara2017F2
37Luca MartucciITAMM InternationalFORMULADallara2011GP2
43Giancarlo PedettiITANannini RacingFORMULADallara2014GP2
44Thomas JakoubekAUTTop SpeedFORMULADallara2008GP2
46Alexander SeiboldDEUSeibold Auto + SportFORMULADallara2005GP2
47Walter StedingDEUScuderia PalladioFORMULADallara2011GP2
51Zdenek Chovanec LopezCZEMM InternationalFORMULADallara2011GP2
66Andreas FiedlerDEUFiedler RacingFORMULADallara2008GP2
110Bianca SteinerAUTSteiner MotorsportFORMULADallara2005GP2
111Alexander GeierAUTGeier RacingSUPER LIGHTSTatuus2003World Series by Renault
115Andreas HaslerAUTHasler MotorsportSUPER LIGHTSDallara2009World Series by Nissan

Support races:

In addition to the BOSS GP Racing Series, five other formula series will be part of the Bosch Hockenheim Historic: Formula 2, plus the Historic Race Car Association‘s racing cars represent the legendary junior Formula Ford, Vee, Super Vee and Formula 3. The Raceclub Germany is home to various single-seater categories up to Formula 1. The Lurani Trophy is a reminiscence of the legendary Formula Junior, which formed the springboard for a great career for countless top talents. And the Historic Formula Vee Europe is, as the name suggests, about one of the most successful and long-lived junior formulas in history. They all open up a glimpse into a past in which perhaps not everything was more beautiful, but in which legends were written and which is associated with numerous and varied memories, not only among older racing fans.

Fans of historic touring cars, GTs and prototypes will also get their money’s worth at the Bosch Hockenheim Historic. Five other racing series are dedicated to the automotive jewels with roofs, some of which date back to the 1950s, and which offer absolute highlights in the colourful programme of the traditional event, and not only in the form of the brute racers of the legendary Group C.

Timetable and livestream:

Friday, 6 May 2022
12:40–13:10     Free Practice 1
16:45–17:15     Free Practice 2

Saturday, 7 May 2022
09:40–10:10     Qualifying
15:30               Race 1 (20 minutes) LIVESTREAM

Sunday, 8 May 2022
11:05–11:15     Warm-up
15:55                Race 2 (25 minutes) LIVESTREAM

The programme on Saturday and Sunday, including the two races of the BOSS GP, can also be watched for free from home in the livestream with live commentary: www.hockenheim-historic.de/en/live

Side events at the Hockenheim Historic

An event like the Bosch Hockenheim Historic thrives above all on interaction with the fans. The paddock and pit area are open and visible to everyone. All the action on the race track will be broadcast on Saturday and Sunday via a large video screen in the Sachs Curve, so that the spectators in the inner grandstand will be well informed at all times about what is happening on the rest of the 4.5-kilometre Grand Prix circuit. In addition, a wide range of information is displayed on the big screen. And if you want to enjoy some quiet time before, during or after your visit to the paddock and grandstands, you can simply visit the Jim Clark exhibition in the congress pavilion.

Tickets:

The ticket prices reflect the family character of the event. Friday tickets start at 10 euros, day tickets for Saturday and Sunday are available from 30 euros, and those who want to experience the entire weekend up close and personal can get in for 45 euros. And for those who like it a bit more exclusive, VIP packages are available from 200 euros. Tickets are available via the online ticket shop or by calling the hotline at +49 6205 950 222.

Picture: Michael Kavena/BOSS GP