Harald Schlegelmilch wins the first race after his comeback, a maiden victory for Vladimir Netusil in the FORMULA class and Stephan Glaser takes the SUPER LIGHTS title.
At the rolling start, all eyes were on pole setter Antonio Pizzonia (HS Engineering) in the World Series V8 4.5, as the Brazilian initially failed to get going. The cars directly behind were only just able to find a way past the former Formula 1 driver’s slow car. The best start belonged to Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio), who moved to the front of the field from third on the grid. But it was Harald Schlegelmilch who took the lead a short time later in the much faster World Series V8 4.5 and set the pace in the early stages.
While Pizzonia was once again making his way to the front after the botched start, a duel between the two championship leaders Marco Ghiotto and Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International) developed behind him. In Turn 2 the two then had a dramatic collision in, which ultimately led to Colombo retiring and a drive-through penalty for Ghiotto. Pizzonia used the following safety car period to catch up with team-mate Schlegelmilch again. Despite the Brazilian’s fastest race lap (1:20.837), the Latvian was unbeatable on his race debut in the BOSS GP Racing Series. After 22 minutes of racing, Schlegelmilch won the OPEN category ahead of Pizzonia.
Behind them, there was a duel between the two youngest drivers on the grid. The two 18-year-old MM International drivers Max Cuccarese (ITA) and Juju Noda (JPN) were together for almost the entire race before things came to a head on the very last lap. Juju tried to get alongside Cuccarese one last time, but the Japanese driver failed in her attempt and made contact with Cuccarese’s Dallara GP2. Both spun out and ended their race in the battle for the FORMULA win shortly before the end. Suddenly it was Paul O’Connell (IRE) in the World Series 3.5 car who was in the lead. He had been engaged in a tough duel with Vladimir Netusil (CZE, MM International), who suddenly smelled a chance of victory on the final lap and managed to overtake O’Connell in a photo finish on the home straight: only fractions of a second separated the two at the chequered flag.
Max Cuccarese was not celebrating third place after the collision, while Juju Noda finished fourth. Marco Ghiotto scored further points in fifth place and can secure the title tomorrow. Jean-Christophe Peyre (FRA) was delighted to have won the team duel against Nicolas Matile (MCO) in the ZIGZAG-Auto GP.
Stephan Glaser (SUI, Jo Zeller Racing) claimed victory in the SUPER LIGHTS. The BOSS GP rookie deservedly secured the title with his eighth win of the season. Walter Colacino (ITA) took a great second place in this category, while Andreas Hasler (AUT, Hasler Motorsport) in third place was happy to have fixed the technical problems on the car from the previous day and to be able to attack again on Sunday.
Race 2 starts on Sunday at 12:25 pm and again covers a distance of 22 minutes.
Deux victoires au classement général sont déjà assurées, mais deux titres sont encore en jeu lors de la finale du BOSS GP à Misano. Dans la catégorie la plus forte du BOSS GP, l’Allemand Ulf Ehninger d’ESBA-Racing a été sacré champion de la classe F1 pour la deuxième fois après 2022 avec son Benetton B197 F1. En début de saison, Ehninger a bénéficié des pannes techniques d’Ingo Gerstl (AUT), Team Top-Speed, sur la Toro Rosso STR 1. Il n’a pas participé à la course au Red Bull Ring sur la Benetton F1 car son fils lui manquait ce week-end-là lors de la course de karting. Mais par la suite, comme c’était le cas il y a deux ans, la collecte de points s’est régulièrement révélée fructueuse.
Amusez-vous avec la deuxième victoire au classement général de la catégorie F1 : Ulf Ehninger et l’ESBA Racing Team.
L’ancien pilote de Formule 1 Antonio Pizzonia de HS-Engineering a également réussi pour la deuxième fois. Tout comme en 2023, le sympathique Brésilien a dominé la classe ouverte du BOSS GP avec la puissante Dallara World Series V8 T12 4.5. À l’exception d’Assen, où HS Engineering n’a pas participé, c’est Pizzonia qui a marqué le maximum de points dans chaque course. Il a de nouveau remporté la victoire au classement général de la BOSS GP Open Class avant Misano.
Le chef de l’équipe HS-Engineering, Michael Hascic, avec son double champion de la classe Open, Antonio Pizzonia.
Les deux autres catégories sont encore ouvertes, même si la victoire au général et de nombreux autres classements n’ont pas encore été déterminés, notamment dans la très compétitive Formula Class.
En supposant que Simone Colombo (ITA), MM International Motorsport, actuellement deuxième en Formule Formule, remporte à nouveau les deux courses avec la Dallara GP2, comme il l’a fait la dernière fois, à Misano, puis Marco Ghiotto (ITA), Scuderia Palladio, l’actuel leader, il suffira d’au moins une troisième et une quatrième place pour s’affirmer à nouveau comme champions de la BOSS GP Formula Class avec un demi-point d’avance. Derrière ce Dou italien se trouve son coéquipier de Colombo et le jeune Japonais Amazon Juju Noda. La fille de l’ancien pilote de Formule 1 Hideki Noda pilote cette année un double programme avec BOSS GP et la série japonaise Super Formula. Votre troisième place dans la Formula Class n’est en aucun cas assurée. Le rookie Michael Fischer (AUT) de Red Rose Racing by LRT, qui a obtenu d’excellents résultats lors de sa première année dans le BOSS GP, a théoriquement encore la possibilité de prendre la troisième place du classement général de la classe Formula. La finale de Misano peut aussi bousculer le classement général dans les places derrière eux.
En Super Lights, le champion de l’année dernière Henry Clausnitzer (GER), WF-Racing, avec son Tatuus Formula Renault V6 n’a également que la chance théorique de répéter son succès de 2023, car les Suisses Stephan Glaser, Jo Zeller Racing, Dallara World Series V6, a dominé la petite catégorie cette année, lors de sa première saison en BOSS GP. À l’exception de la course du Nürburgring, où Glaser n’a terminé que deuxième et cinquième, le pilote suisse a remporté les Super Lights de la BOSS GP Racing Series dans toutes les autres courses.
Après la course à Assen/Pays-Bas et les vacances d’été qui ont suivi, les équipes de la BOSS GP Racing Series se sont dirigées vers le sud début octobre. Dès la clôture des inscriptions, il était clair qu’il y aurait à nouveau un très grand peloton de départ en Toscane avec 24 voitures. HS-Engineering d’Autriche avait fait une pause à Assen, mais les deux Dallara World Series V8 T12 étaient de nouveau engagées pour le Mugello. L’ancien pilote brésilien de Formule 1 Antonio Pizzonia avec le moteur Gibson de 4,5 litres plus puissant en classe Open et l’Irlandais Paul O’Connell avec le V8 de 3,5 litres. L’équipe française ZIG-ZAG a une nouvelle fois amené deux pilotes de renom de l’Auto GP au départ de la Classe Formule : le Monégasque Nicolas Matile et le Français Jean-Christope Peyre.
Il y a également eu des retrouvailles avec Giancarlo Pedetti (ITA), qui pilotait cette fois une Scuderia Palladio GP 2. Le Tchèque Vladimir Netušil participera pour la première fois à cette Formula Class. Il a osé passer de la Formule 3 au GP2 pour l’écurie italienne MM International Motorsport. Le grand peloton de départ a également été rejoint par le champion BOSS GP Super Lights 2022, l’Autrichien Andreas Hasler, qui a de nouveau amené sa Dallara World Series V6 T08 en Toscane après une longue absence technique.
Lors des deux séances d’entraînement libres, qui se sont déroulées dans des conditions changeantes, Ingo Gerstl (AUT) du Team Top-Speed sur la Toro Rosso STR1 F1 et Antonio Pizzonia se sont affrontés. Gerstl a réalisé le meilleur temps de la FP1 avec 1:30.422, Pizzonia a répliqué comme le plus rapide de la FP2, mais n’a pas pu se rapprocher du temps de l’Autrichien avec 1:31.513. Derrière eux se trouve un trio italien du GP 2 avec Simone Colombo, Massimiliano Cuccarese (tous deux MM International Motorsport) et Marco Ghiotto (Scuderia Palladio). Le nouveau venu étonnamment fort Vladimir Netušil, qui s’est fait sentir après les deux séances d’essais libres derrière ce trio et donc dans le peloton de tête de la Classe Formule. Il fallait s’attendre à des qualifications passionnantes – et c’est ce qui s’est produit, bien qu’avec un retard considérable, car le brouillard matinal persistait et était si épais qu’un départ à temps n’était possible pour aucune des catégories de courses présentes au Mugello ce week-end. Ce n’est que deux heures plus tard que prévu que les premiers pilotes ont pris la piste au volant de l’Alfa Romeo Revival Cup.
Les retards dans le calendrier causés par l’épais brouillard n’ont en rien gâché l’humeur des participants à la Boss GP Racing Series (photo de gauche : Paul O’Connell / HS-Engineering, Ingo Gerst / Top-Speed et Andreas Hasler / Hasler Motorsport).
Le brouillard s’est ensuite rapidement dissipé et la situation météorologique s’est améliorée. Cela signifiait que des temps au tour nettement meilleurs étaient possibles lors des qualifications pour le BOSS GP. En raison du grand peloton de départ, cette fois les 30 minutes. Qualifications à nouveau divisées en deux groupes. D’abord 10 minutes pour les plus rapides issus des séances d’essais libres et après une phase de changement puis 18 minutes pour le reste du peloton.
Les meilleurs de chaque classe en qualifications :
F1 Class:
Ingo Gerstl (AUT), Team Top-Speed, Toro Rosso STR 1 F1
Open Class
Antonio Pizzonia (BRA), HS-Engineering, Dallara WS V8 T12 4,5
Formula Class:
Simone Colombo (ITA), MM International Motorsport, Dallara GP2
Super Lights Class:
Stephan Glaser (SUI), Jo Zeller Racing, Dallara WS V6 T08
Dominants cette année dans la catégorie BOSS GP Super Lights : Stephan Glaser (SUI), Jo Zeller Racing, Dallara WS V6 T8.
En raison des retards liés au brouillard, PNK, en tant qu’organisateur, a dû considérablement resserrer le calendrier en concertation avec la direction de course et l’organisation de BOSS GP. Tous les organisateurs de la série étaient très déterminés à contribuer à la réalisation de toutes les courses prévues. Pour la Course 1 du BOSS GP, qui a débuté avec près d’une heure de retard, la durée de la course a dû être raccourcie de deux minutes.
Résultats de classe BOSS GP Course 1:
La course 2 de dimanche s’est déroulée comme initialement prévu. Dans le tour de formation, les deux pilotes de Formule 1 avec Ingo Gerstl et Ulf Ehninger (GER), ESBA Racing, Benetton B197 F1 sont en tête. Derrière la deuxième voiture de tête se trouve le reste du peloton, mené par Antonip Pizzonia et suivi par une armada de pilotes GP2 Formula Class. Étant donné que certaines décisions préliminaires pouvaient être prises dans les classes individuelles en ce qui concerne la victoire globale, il fallait s’attendre à des duels passionnants et à des combats intéressants pour les classements individuels dans les points. Et c’est comme ça que ça s’est passé. Les positions ont changé au fil des tours.
Avec deux victoires au Mugello, Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International Motorsport, Dallara GP2, photo de face), se rapproche de plus en plus au classement par points de l’ancien leader de la BOSS GP Formula Class, Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio, Dallara GP2). La décision concernant la victoire au classement général dans cette catégorie sera probablement prise lors du week-end de Misano, début novembre.
Résultats de classe BOSS GP Course 2:
Comme la classe F1 du BOSS GP ne participera pas à la finale à Misano début novembre, Ulf Ehninger est pour la deuxième fois vainqueur au classement général de la classe F1. De même Antonio Pizzonia dans la classe Open du BOSS GP. Il n’y a pas de décision de titre dans les deux classes restantes du BOSS GP. La victoire au classement général et le classement derrière sont encore ouverts. Une finale passionnante du BOSS GP peut être attendue à Misano du 1er au 3 novembre.
Vainqueur général de la classe BOSS GP F1 pour la 2ème fois après 2022 : Ulf Ehninger (GER), ESBA Racing, Benetton B197 F1.
A pu réitérer sa victoire au classement général BOSS GP dans la classe Open de l’année dernière : ancien pilote de Formule 1 Antonio Pizzonia (BRA), HS-Engineering, Dallara World Series V8 T12 4.5.
Rising star Massimiliano Cuccarese (high school student from Pignola in South Italy) made a fantastic debut in BOSS GP last time at Assen. Before his home race in Mugello the MM International driver explained why the BOSS GP Racing Series has captivated him.
When did your adventure with motorsport begin?
MAX CUCCARESE: “I became passionate about motorsport after watching MotoGP races on TV, but when I got older I rather preferred cars, especially single-seaters.”
Assen in August 2024: Max Cuccarese’s debut in a GP2 car
Tell us about your path from karting to BOSS GP
CUCCARESE: “I started in 2020 (when he was 13 years old, note) with karts in the IAME X30 junior category in the Campania regional championship. Due to the COVID pandemic participating in races was only possible one year later (i.e. in 2021). I finished the championship in 3rd place, unfortunately after missing a race for family reasons. In 2021 I took part in my first Italian Championship and WSK Euro Series in Sarno in the OK Senior category. The following year I switched to single seaters and did some tests with Formula 4 on Italian circuits. In 2023 I moved to Formula 3 and did a couple of tests with the Dallara F317. At the beginning of 2024 I did a test with the Dallara F320 before moving on to the fantastic GP2 of the MM International Motorsport team last June.”
Can you describe your emotions during your first race weekend in a super-fast single-seater last time with BOSS GP in Assen?
CUCCARESE: “It’s been a while since my last race and without knowing the track, I didn’t know what to expect, also because it was my first race in this car. But as soon as I got on the track during Free Practice I immediately got an excellent feeling and I realized that with the hard work of the all team members we had the speed to get on the podium in both races. As soon as I crossed the finish line of race 1 in place 2 I was really emotional and felt very happy for myself and the whole team.”
First race, first podium: Max (le.) finished second in Assen behind Simone Colombo (centre) and ahead of Marco Ghiotto (ri.)
How do you like the environment in BOSS GP?
CUCCARESE: “It’s a really pleasant environment, there is great respect between all the drivers and teams on and off the track. The fans are amazing, with a unique passion and support. I would also like to thank my team MM International Motorsport for the trust they have placed in me and for the work they do with real passion.”
What goal do you have? What are you aiming for in motorsports?
CUCCARESE: “My future goal is to race the fastest single seaters such as the F2 World Championship, Super Formula, IndyCar and maybe even F1.”
95,000 fans saw the City Showrun on Thursday as an appetiser in the centre of Assen and another three days of great racing on the TT Circuit. The championship remains wide open after round 4 in the Netherlands.
In addition to Formula 1 star David Coulthard, BOSS GP driver Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Team Top Speed) attracted a lot of attention when he accelerated his Toro Rosso STR1 next to the canal and then skilfully performed a few pirouettes. Gerstl’s team-mate Erich Zech attracted similar attention when he drove his roaring 1997 Ferrari Formula 1 around the 4.555-kilometre track during the demo runs.
The City Show Run in the centre of Assen was a blast
F1
It was also Gerstl who won both races in the F1 class and set the lap record on the legendary MotoGP circuit with a lap time of 1:16.791 in qualifying. Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing) finished second twice, which was enough to keep him at the top of the standings. The Benetton driver goes into the race in Mugello with a 44-point lead, which is also the last chance for the Formula 1 cars to score points this year. Due to the track licence, only the OPEN, FORMULA and SUPER LIGHTS classes are eligible to start at the grand finale in Misano.
Ulf Ehninger celebrates 2nd place twicein BOSS GP’s F1 category
FORMULA
After Juju Noda (MM International) not only secured her first pole position at the Red Bull Ring, but also won a BOSS GP race for the first time, the 17-year-old Japanese driver followed this up with another pole position in Assen. However, Noda found herself behind her team-mate on the way to turn 1. It was then a close call with Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio), who squeezed past Noda on the inside of turn 1. While Noda lost places at the start, Michael Fischer (AUT, Red Rosa Racing by LRT) made up positions at the back of the field. After a technical failure in qualifying, he made up 13 places in the race compared to the starting grid and ultimately finished fourth in the FORMULA classification.
Simone Colombo wins race 1
While Colombo controlled the pace at the front and took his fifth win of the season, newcomer Max Cuccarese (ITA, MM International) surprised everyone with a confident drive and second place in his very first race in a GP2 car. The youngest driver in the field confirmed this performance on Sunday with another podium finish (3rd). Marco Ghiotto scored the same number of points as Cuccarese with 3rd and 2nd place.
Two BOSS GP youngsters: race winner Juju Noda (18 years) with Max Cuccarese (17 yrs.)
Noda made a much better start in the second race, enabling her to defend her lead over Colombo. As the two MM drivers in their GP2 Dallara looked set for another duel this season, Colombo retired. As this happened in the first half of the race, the defending champion was only awarded half points instead of full points. The third retirement of the season was another setback for the fast Italian in the battle for the championship title. Marco Ghiotto remains in the lead. The 2019-2021 champion is scoring points with consistency and is now 22 points ahead of his compatriot Colombo.
Marco Ghiotto drives by the fans in the grandstand
Martin Kindler (SUI) also left Assen with a smile on his face. The Swiss returnee to the series not only qualified for Q1 (top five in free practice), but also delivered two strong results with 6th and 5th place. Andreas Fiedler (GER) was able to put the problems of the last races behind him and scored twice with 7th and 6th places, while Walter Steding (GER, Scuderia Palladio) was able to regain his old form in the races after a mixed training session and finished 8th twice in the fiercely contested FORMULA class. After an accident in the first race, Phil Stratford’s (Scuderia Palladio) team was able to repair the car for the second race and the American finished the second race in 7th place.
Stephan Glaser is the front-runner in this year’s SUPER LIGHTS championship
SUPER LIGHTS
Stephan Glaser (SUI, Jo Zeller Racing) was once again unbeatable for his rivals. With wins number 5 and 6 this season, the BOSS GP rookie extended his lead in the championship to 34 points. While race 1 in this class was a smooth affair, race 2 was particularly remarkable. Firstly, Glaser parked his car at the side of the track on the last lap. Second-placed Stefan Scho (GER) was unable to capitalise on this, however, as he also stopped with technical problems on the final lap. Henry Clausnitzer (GER, WF Racing) was already two laps down after going off track into the gravel on lap 1 and was also unable to capitalise on this. This meant that the order on the podium on Saturday and Sunday was Glaser ahead of Scho and Clausnitzer. In addition to Stephan Glaser and Henry Clausnitzer, a third driver, Stefan Eisinger-Sewald (AUT, Red Rose Racing), is still in contention for the championship title despite a challenging weekend for him.
Podium ceremony in the SUPER LIGHTS category: from left Scho, Glaser and Clausnitzer with the Jack’s Racing Day grid girls
Races 9 and 10 of the season will take place on 12 and 13 October 2024 in Mugello. All four classes of the BOSS GP Racing Series can be seen and heard for the last time all together this season as part of the PNK Racing Weekend.
Legendary Formula 1 cars, iconic cars from movie heritage and motorsport at its finest with the BOSS GP Racing Series attracted around 15,000 spectators to the Red Bull Ring in June.
Over 200 automotive jewels lined up at the start line on the Red Bull Ring in the Austrian Alps. The highlight for many was once again the BOSS GP Racing Series races. 18 vehicles were entered and divided into four classes to allow a fair competition. During the pit walk, thousands of spectators crowded the pit lane to get up close to the BOSS GP cars and collect autographs from the drivers.
Public Pit Walks
F1 and OPEN
Austrian Ingo Gerstl (Team Top Speed) gave everything he had at his home race to get his Toro Rosso STR1 running after all. Rare technical problems with the Formula 1 car made it impossible for him to take part in the first race on Saturday. The 2006 car then ran on Sunday and Gerstl scored full points in BOSS GP’s F1 Class. It was Gerstl’s first win of the season in the sixth race of the season.
Ingo Gerstl celebrates his first victory of the season in style
Antonio Pizzonia (BRA, HS Engineering) started the race together with Gerstl from row 1 and the pair put on a powerful show at the front of the field. Pizzonia, who competes for the Austrian team HS Engineering with a 4-litre World Series, had secured overall victory on Saturday. At the end of the race, both thanked the spectators for coming with smoking « donuts ». They responded with a roaring round of applause from the stands.
After the next victory in the OPEN class for Antonio Pizzonia, everything looks set for a successful title defence for the ex-Formula 1 driver. Benetton driver Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing) continues to lead the Formula 1 standings ahead of Ingo Gerstl.
Antonio Pizzonia leads the field on Saturday
FORMULA
Juju Noda (JPN, MM International) secured the first pole position of her still young BOSS GP career. However, the 18-year-old Japanese driver was penalised with a 30-second time penalty for an infringement during the start procedure in the first race. As a result, Noda, who also competes in the Japanese Super Formula, lost out on victory in Saturday’s race. Instead, team-mate Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International) celebrated 25 points and the winner’s trophy for the fourth time in a row. Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) followed behind after a good race. His team-mate Phil Stratford (USA) completed the podium on his race comeback in the BOSS GP Racing Series. Due to a late safety car period, the field remained close together, with Paul O’Connell (IRE, HS Engineering) in the World Series Dallara also finishing less than two seconds off the podium. Roland Rupprechter (AUT, R&B Research and Wealth Management) followed in a strong fifth place.
Amazing battle through turn 1: Noda (le.) and Colombo (ri.) in front, followed closely by Fischer (le.) and Ghiotto (ri.)
Satisfaction for Juju Noda in the second race: She initially lost the lead to Simone Colombo, who put in a strong opening lap. However, before this duel came to a head, defending champion Colombo retired with a mechanical failure on the start-finish straight. Noda then also survived the restart after the SC phase and retained the lead ahead of Marco Ghiotto. Ghiotto took over the lead of the standings with another trouble-free drive and his fifth podium finish in a row.
Meanwhile, Noda celebrated her first victory in the BOSS GP Racing Series loudly alongside her team. The young Japanese driver is also the first woman to win a class in the 30-year history of the series. Rookie Michael Fischer (AUT, Red Rose Racing by LRT) delivered another showcase of talent with third place, while O’Connell again narrowly missed out on the podium in fourth place. Alexander Seibold (GER, Seibold auto+sport) finished fifth after a collision had slowed him down on Saturday. Andreas Fiedler (GER, Fiedler Racing) finished sixth ahead of Marco Minelli (ITA, AM Sport System), who was on the grid for the first time this year.
SUPER LIGHTS
Podium ceremony on Sunday: f. le. Eisinger-Sewald, Pizzonia, Fischer, Ghiotto, Noda, Clausnitzer and Glaser
As in Hockenheim, BOSS GP rookie Stephan Glaser (SUI) scored the maximum number of points twice in Spielberg. The driver from Jo Zeller Racing extended his lead in the standings. It was particularly close in the second race, where Stefan Eisinger-Sewald (AUT, Red Rose Racing) in his Ralt F3000 approached Glaser’s World Series V6 at the end. Eisinger-Sewald crossed the finish line in second place in his class both times in his home races. Henry Clausnitzer (GER, WF Racing), who finished third twice, is currently tied with Eisinger-Sewald in second place in the overall standings.
The Swiss Stephan Glaser won twice ahead of the Austrian Stefan Eisinger-Sewald
The next race will take place at the beginning of August (2nd-4th) in the Netherlands: At Jack’s Racing Day, series from various motorsport disciplins will delight more than 50,000 spectators at the TT Circuit Assen. A show run in the centre of Assen will warm up the fans on Thursday evening (1st).
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.
Henry Clausnitzer (36) from Brandenburg in Germany won the championship title in the SUPER LIGHTS class in 2023. We take a look at his career path leading up to the BOSS GP Racing Series.
How did your motorsport career start?
HENRY CLAUSNITZER: « I actually had a typical motorsport career: I started out in karting and raced in the East German Karting Championship at the age of eight. I stayed in karting between 1996 and 2003 and eventually became the East German runner-up. In 2003, at the age of 15, I became the youngest participant in the Austrian Formula Ford. Between 2003 and 2007 I raced in the Formula Ford Zetec, became the Austrian champion in 2007 and drove at the Formula Ford Festival in Brands Hatch. In between, I also started in the Swiss Formula Lista in 2006.
A direct switch to Formula Renault 2000 or Formula 3 was not within the realms of possibility, although there were offers. I then endeavoured to get into the ADAC motorsport promotion, which was a lot easier via the touring car. So I enrolled in the Dacia Logan Cup in 2008 as preparation for the VW Polo Cup. In 2009, after a successful VW inspection, the opportunity arose to compete in the VW Polo Cup as part of the DTM. However, due to difficult economic times, my then main sponsor was affected. I was already 22 at the time, which meant that the sponsorship of young drivers came to an end. I was therefore forced to take a break from motorsport from 2009. In addition, my priority at that time was my studies. »
Clausnitzer drives a Formula Renault V6
What fascinates you about formula racing?
CLAUSNITZER: « After karting, formula racing was the goal, pure racing with a machine designed exclusively for motorsport. That fascinated me. When I was young, I used to watch the World Series by Renault and Nissan at the Lausitzring with my dad. The noises, the sound under the grandstand – that was an absolute dream, however it seemed unattainable back then.
I have always been particularly attached to Formula Ford. During a holiday in England, we also made a stop at Brands Hatch. There happened to be a Formula Ford racing there and I was immediately hooked again.
A short time later, we reactivated the Formula Ford and I’ve been back in a racing car since 2020. In 2022, I was runner-up in the German-Dutch Formula Ford series and won races again. I also took part in some races in the French championship and had a few podiums. »
How did the idea of eventually competing in the BOSS GP Racing Series come about?
CLAUSNITZER: » I have always followed the BOSS GP and the idea to move to a higher formula class came to me again in 2022 . It was at a race in Brno that inspired me to find out whether and how I could turn this dream into reality. In the winter of 2022, I sat down with my team and we took the plunge. We said to ourselves: it’s now or never, let’s go on an adventure! »
What were your first impressions?
CLAUSNITZER: « The first weekend in Le Castellet was simply overwhelming. The size of the track alone, the long straights – I really got to know the car here. For me, driving with 260 hp more meant quite a difference in performance . Also, the difference in braking with the left-hand brake again and paddle shift – of course, this has all been around for a long time in today’s motorsport world, but when you come from the now historic motorsport sector, it’s quite a difference. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire WF Racing team. Without the tireless efforts of everyone involved, this would not have been possible. It was all new territory for me with this formula racing car. My team was fully engaged, gave their all and in the end we won the title in 2023. »
What has made the biggest impression on you in your races in the BOSS GP so far?
CLAUSNITZER: « The events with all the spectators, the grid walks and meeting motorsport legends like Jean Alesi or René Arnoux and shaking their hands – I had to pinch myself to see if it was real. I also had a great duel with Stefan Eisinger-Sewald at the Red Bull Ring 2023. We had a real game of cat and mouse for four laps. It was a close battle, wheel-to-wheel in almost every corner – that’s racing, that’s fun! »
Will you stay in the BOSS GP in the future?
CLAUSNITZER: « Of course we’ll be racing in the BOSS GP again in 2024, we’ll be competing in the SUPER LIGHTS category again and our aim is to build on last year’s successes. I’m also always looking at the other categories within the BOSS GP, which could also appeal to me, but I have to remain realistic for now. It’s also always a question of money, which determines what and how much you can race. That’s why I’m looking forward to my second season and any sponsor support I can get. »
Anyone who wants to experience Henry and seven other Germans live can do so from 24 to 26 June 2024 at the Nürburgring Classic at the Nürburgring.
Pirelli will remain the exclusive tyre supplier of the BOSS GP in 2024.
The Italian tyre manufacturer offers a unique product for the participants of the BOSS GP: Formula 1 technology combined with easier handling when warming up the tyres. Together with the Hollerweger tyre service, this partnership guarantees a reliable supply of the « black gold » throughout the season.
The BOSS GP Racing Series remains unstoppable in 2024: 30 years after its foundation, twelve races across Europe are scheduled.
Whether Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3000, World Series or IndyCars from the USA and Formula Nippon from Japan – BOSS GP remains the platform for races with the best racing cars of the last three decades. For 30 years now, the FIA-certified BOSS GP Racing Series has been offering drivers and fans an unrivalled racing experience: open-wheel single-seater cars form the top of the motorsport pyramid. Divided into four classes, ladies, gentlemen and youngsters compete for trophies and championship points, without forgetting the immense emotional and financial value of these cars.
Priority for fans In the BOSS GP F1 Class, Formula 1 cars built from 1996 onwards can be seen and heard. Depending on the number of starters, they are given their own flying start ahead of the rest of the field. The OPEN class is open to IndyCars and cars such as the Rodin FZED or Lotus T125. Formula 2, World Series, A1 GP & Co. meet in the FORMULA class, while the SUPER LIGHTS category is reserved for six-cylinder cars such as the Formula 3000. All together, they offer action-packed, fast and vocal motorsport at its best, which is unrivalled in this form in the global motorsport universe. This is also reflected in the spectator numbers, with 200,000 fans attending the BOSS GP Racing Series events last year. With fair ticket prices, an open paddock, autograph sessions and grid walks, the events of the BOSS GP Racing Series inspire fans of all ages.
Important information for teams and drivers There is no season registration for the 2024 season. Registration is therefore very simple: an application must be submitted at least three weeks before the respective race weekend. The form can be downloaded at www.bossgp.com/forteams. Interested parties can contact office@bossgp.com for any help.
Photo: Angelo Poletto
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