Catégorie : General

Preview & Guide Brno

Ingo Gerstl in his Toro Rosso STR1 on the grid before the BOSS Grand Prix in Brno 2018

The innovative and aspiring Moravian city of Brno will host the ninth and tenth BOSS Grand Prix 2019 from 5 to 8 September.

The second largest city in the Czech Republic will host another exciting round of the Big Open Single Seater anniversary season. After TT Circuit in Assen follows with the Automotodrom Brno another racetrack famous for motorcycle races. With a track length of 5.403 kilometres, the track on the western outskirts of the city is the longest in the 2019 BOSS GP racing calendar. Fast and smooth curves alternate with a technically demanding part. Engine power is also a decisive factor, as the Czech roller coaster climbs steeply in the last third of the track.

What will the Masaryk Racing Days offer?

The BOSS GP series has arrived in the middle of championship battle. Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) could already be crowned champion in the OPEN class in Brno with an extension of the winning streak that has already lasted three races. The FORMULA class is much closer: Alessandro Bracalente (ITA, Speed Center) and Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) have the best chances there. Philippe Haezebrouck (FRA, Speed Center) and Andreas Fiedler (DEU, Fiedler Racing) are still considered outsiders before the last four rounds in Brno and Imola. Marc Faggionato and Nicolas Matile will add an extra spice with their guest starts in Brno. Faggionato won both races last year.

In addition to the headliner BOSS GP, there will be much more racing from Thursday to Sunday: Sports Car and P9 Challenge, Drexler Formula Cup, ESET V4 Cup with TCR, Suzuki Swift Cup Europe and historic racing classes (HAIGO). The racing fans can look forward to a total of 19 races at the weekend.

BOSS GP schedule Brno

Thursday, 5 September 2019:
14:00–14:25 Test 1 (25 Minutes)
16:30–16:55 Test 2 (25 Minutes)

Friday, 6 September 2019:
12:20–12:50 Free Practice 1 (30 Minutes)
15:45–16:15 Free Practice 2 (30 Minutes)

Saturday, 7 September 2019:
10:00–10:30 Qualifying (Q1: 8 Minutes/Break: 2 Minutes/Q2: 20 Minutes)
14:50–15:25 Race 1 (20 Minutes)

Sunday, 8 September 2019:
09:05–09:15 Warm-up (10 Minutes)
12:20–13:00 Race 2 (25 Minutes)

How do I get tickets for the Masaryk Racing Days?

The weekend ticket for the ten- and eight-cylinder roaring costs 300 Czech crowns (=12 Euro) at the box office. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.automotodrombrno.cz/en/masaryk-racing-days-2019
Free choice of seats on all open grandstands and standing areas, access to the paddock is included in all tickets.

Where can I find the BOSS GP race cars and pilots?

The teams and drivers of the BOSS GP are in the pits with numbers 2 to 11. Some cars are parked in the paddock next to the BOSS GP hospitality.

How can I follow the BOSS GP from Brno online?

New sparkling partner

Cuvee Sensorium is from now on the Official Champagne Partner of BOSS GP.

The high-class ambience of the DTM was ideal for BOSS GP to present a new series partner in a gala event: « Champagne is part of motorsport. Our bottles are ideal accessories for special, we call them Sensorial Moments, as they often occur in motorsport », explains Janna Sonntag from Cuvee Sensorium the cooperation with BOSS GP.

Champagne showers

These champagne bottles, which have been available since last year, are unique: instead of glass, the bottles are made of porcelain. « High-quality packaging for high-quality content » is Sonntag’s description of the company’s idea. The champagne itself comes from a family-run house with 120 years of experience. « Cuvee Sensorium is currently sold directly on request via the website www.champagne-sensorium.com or shops in Monaco, France and the U.S.”

More details on the partnership of BOSS GP and Cuvee Sensorium Champagne will be published later this year.

Report: Race 2 Assen

After victory, Bracalente takes the lead in the FORMULA standings.

Yesterday a penalty dropped him back, today it was his day: Alessandro Bracalente (ITA, Speed Center) was able to win the 8th race of the season in the FORMULA class. At the start he defended his top position in contrast to yesterday. Marco Ghiotto (ITA, MM International) followed him throughout the race, but it was never enough to overtake him. The duel for the championship is getting tougher after this weekend: Bracalente is only nine points ahead of Ghiotto in four races to go.

Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International) came third in the FORMULA category. Yesterday a penalty was also his misfortune, today he landed deservedly on the podium. The top 3 in today’s race underline the current dominance of the Italians in this class. Best non-Italian was Philippe Haezebrouck (FRA, Speed Center) in fourth place. A podium finish for the sonnyboy with Le Mans experience is only a matter of time.

Gianluca Ripoli (ITA, MM International), winner of race 1, finished sixth today ahead of team-mate Armando Mangini. Andreas Fiedler started the race from the pit lane already lagging behind. As usual, he delivered a race to catch up, which brought him up to 8th place. Christian Eicke (SUI, Speed Center) and Walter Steding (DEU, Inter Europol) fought further interesting duels. Eicke used a lapping by another car to pass Steding and secure 8th place.

OPEN category: Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) dominated both races in Assen. Hans Laub (DEU, Speed Center) was happy to finally be in race mode again. Both he and his Forti Formula 1 kept going and were rewarded with 2nd place. Third place on the podium went to « Piter » (FRA, Ray-Ban), who is now behind Gerstl in second place of the championship.

After the summer break the BOSS GP continues in Brno (6–8 September). On the Czech roller coaster a preliminary decision could be made in the OPEN class, in the FORMULA the decision in terms of championship will be made quite certainly at the final event in Imola (11th–13th October).

Report: Race 1 Assen

Action-packed 7th season race of the BOSS GP 2019 at the TT Circuit.

Let’s start with the sensation of today’s race day: Gianluca Ripoli (ITA, MM International) surprisingly wins for the very first time a race in BOSS GP. Already in the qualifying a surprise was on the horizon, with class rank 4 he achieved his best qualifying result so far. In the race, unlike his immediate opponents, he remained free of mistakes and benefited from a 10-second penalty for Alessandro Bracalente (ITA, Speed Center), who had led most of the race.

After the first start was aborted (a driver spun in the warm-up lap) the field was forced to stop on the start-finish straight. At the restart, not all engines started in time, so the crews were working on it even after the 30-second signal – which is not allowed according to the regulations. Bracalents got – like some of the other drivers – a time penalty added to the result.

Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) took the lead in the FORMULA class after a good start of the race. Still in the first half pole setter Bracalente passed Ghiotto again. The subsequent duel between the two title favourites was a short one, however, as Ghiotto made a rare mistake and spun off the track. Ripoli finally won ahead of Bracalente and Armando Mangini (ITA, MM International). Mangini did it as so often, kept a cool head and crossed the finish line without any major troubles. This brings the veteran 3th place in the FORMULA ranking.

Philippe Haezebrouck (FRA, Speed Center) and Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International) dropped from the podium due to penalties after a strong race. Andreas Fiedler (DEU, Fiedler Racing) was within reach of the FORMULA podium for a long time, but in the final phase he suddenly lost a lot of speed and thus some positions (7th place).

OPEN podium in Race 1 at Assen: f.l. « Piter », Gerstl and Laub

In the OPEN class for Formula 1 cars Ingo Gerstl controlled the race from lap 1 onwards in his Toro Rosso STR1 and extended the overall lead with his fifth victory of the season. Hans Laub (DEU, Speed Center) finished second in the Forti FG03. The driver and mechanic in one person skipped qualifying in the morning and started a great race to catch up from the last grid position and overtook numerous FORMULA racers in the race. « Piter » (FRA, Ray-Ban) was happy about another trophy in his collection with 3rd place.

Tomorrow will be the 8th race of the season. At 9:45 a.m. the Big Open Single Seater line-up for a ten-minute warm-up session. The race itself starts at 11:50 a.m., directly before the DTM’s main race.

Report: Qualifying Assen

Assen trembles: BOSS GP on lap record chase in qualifying.

The pole position was secured for the third time in 2019 by Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed). A further improvement of his personal lap record from yesterday (1:18.246) was just not possible. The record champion will try to improve in race one with his Toro Rosso STR1 again.

The best-in-class FORMULA driver will also start from the front row of the grid: Alessandro Bracalente (ITA, Speed Center) grabbed pole with an advantage of over a second. It was also the Italian’s third FORMULA best time in the 2019 BOSS GP anniversary season.

Championship leader Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) didn’t miss a beat and follows in row 2, along with ever more consistent Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International). Gianluca Ripoli (ITA, MM International) completed the Italian quartet with 5th place, his best BOSS GP qualifying result so far.

Philippe Haezebrouck (FRA, Speed Center) confirmed the improving pace of the last races – he starts from 6th place. Salvatore de Plano (ITA, Top Speed) had technical problems yesterday and only managed three laps in the two practice sessions. Today he did 12 laps and qualified as overall seventh.

Andreas Fiedler (DEU, Fiedler Racing) stayed focused even with a TV onboard camera hanging away and finished eighth. In row 5 are Armando Mangini and Walter Steding. Christian Eicke starts behind from 11, « Piter » from 12.

The qualifying session was disappointing for Peter Göllner (SUI, Speed Center), who is well known for his strong performance in Assen. He had to park his GP2 Dallara at the side after only three laps. Together with rookie Ulf Ehninger (DEU, ESBA Racing) in the F1 Benetton B197, he will start the 20-minute race from row 7 this afternoon.

Hans Laub (DEU, Speed Center) in the 1996 Forti skipped the timed practice. The first race of the BOSS GP within the DTM in Assen starts today Saturday at 17:10 o’clock. According to the current weather forecast rain showers are to be expected. For sure the Pirelli Cinturato rain tyres are standing by in the pits.

Report Free Practice Assen

Here we go: Day 1 for BOSS GP in the Netherlands!

Two half-hour practice sessions were held on the first race day in the Netherlands. The driving time was used extensively by the 17 pilots, some of them completed over 35 laps. The BOSS GP pilots gathered experience for the remaining weekend, although according to the weather forecast it could rain tomorrow as opposed to today.

The fastest time was once again set by Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed), who even beat his own track record in the Toro Rosso STR1 with a time of 1:18.246. It was also the Austrian who, together with Alessandro Bracalente (ITA, Speed Center), represented the BOSS GP at yesterday’s show run in the city centre of Assen. On the « Coulthard Road », BOSS GP showed what 800 hp are capable of. Over 200 kph and « donuts » on public roads delighted the approximately 20,000 fans.

Back to the Friday practice sessions: Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) set the tone for the FORMULA cars. The leader of the standings underlined his favourite role for qualifying tomorrow morning (Saturday, 10:50 a.m.) with the best time in the class of FORMULA cars. Second fastest FORMULA driver today: Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International) ahead of Bracalente, who is obviously trying to recover from Monza’s messed up weekend. Today’s fourth best time brings him into the top 5 and thus into Q1.

The biggest surprises of today’s practice day were Philippe Haezebrouck (FRA, Speed Center) and Peter Göllner (SUI, Speed Center). Göllner finished fifth with 1:29.729 in the Free Practice 2, Haezebrouck sixth with 1:29.8. Also « Piter » (FRA, Ray-Ban) was able to impress and could play a bigger role in the midfield this time than in previous races.

For BOSS GP this race weekend will kick-off second half of the season. After Hockenheim, Red Bull Ring and Monza the races 7 (Saturday, 17:10) and 8 (Sunday, 11:50) will take place in Assen. Tickets are still available on site.

Preview & Guide Assen

Before Max Verstappen and Co. compete in a Dutch Grand Prix next year, BOSS GP will give Netherlands a taste of Formula 1 this weekend in Assen.

This year, the BOSS GP teamed up with the German Touring Car Masters to offer the 100,000 fans an incomparable racing line-up. While Assen is new for the DTM, the 4.5-kilometer TT Circuit is familiar territory for the BOSS GP. The fastest racing series in Europe was part of the GAMMA Racing Day in recent years.

What does the DTM event offer?

It all starts on Thursday in the city centre of Assen with its 68,000 inhabitants: From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. there will be a show run on the Vaart Zuidzijde, with free admission and demo rides of all racing series of the weekend. BOSS GP with the fastest racing cars in the world and the heroes who drive them can also be seen in action.

From Friday to Sunday there will be full day action on the TT Circuit with a total of six sessions of the BOSS GP. The Big Open Single Seater series makes possible, that formula cars of the highest categories can still be seen at their original purpose: Racing against each other. Also driving are DTM, Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux, Lotus Cup Europe and the Women’s Formula Series W Series. Of course, Assen can’t do without bikes on the traditional motorcycle track either: Moto2 demo laps fill the breaks between the races.

BOSS GP schedule Assen

Friday, 19 July 2019:
11:40–12:10 Free Practice 1 (30 Minutes)
14:45–15:10 Free Practice 2 (25 Minutes)

Saturday, 20 July 2019:
10:50–11:20 Qualifying (Q1: 8 Minutes/Break: 2 Minutes/Q2: 20 Minutes)
11:35–12:20 Pitwalk
12:00–12:20 Autograph session all drivers BOSS GP (Show Stage Paddock)
17:10–17:30 Race 1 (20 Minutes)
19:00 Live concert DJ Fedde Le Grand (Show Stage Paddock)

Sunday, 21 July 2019:
09:45–09:55 Warm-up (10 Minutes)
10:55–11:35 Pitwalk
11:50–12:10 Race 2 (20 Minutes)

Where can I find the BOSS GP cars, teams and drivers?

A part of the BOSS GP is located in the pits, the other teams in large tents behind pit lane. Fans can watch the BOSS GP teams at work closely, as admission to the paddock is included in all ticket categories. In addition, the pit lane will be opened twice a weekend for fans during the pit walk. Motorsport fans can’t get closer to Formula 1 anywhere else.

How do I get tickets for the event in Assen?

Weekend tickets from 49 Euro. Buy them online www.dtm.com/en/tickets/assen-2019 or or on site.

Where can I follow the BOSS GP from Assen online?

Live timing and detailed results on www.wige-livetiming.de/dtm.html
All results also on bossgp.com
Up to date with Instagram @bossgpofficial and Facebook @bossgpofficial
The latest pictures from race weekend in our gallery bossgp.com

Report: Race 2 Monza

Marco Ghiotto wins again in FORMULA and Ingo Gerstl strikes back in the OPEN category.

It was the counterattack of the record champion: After Phil Stratford (USA, Penn Elcom) had beaten Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) for the second time this year yesterday, Stratford had no chance today. Gerstl took his fourth victory of the season with a dominant performance in his Toro Rosso STR1 and thus extends the overall lead again.

Phil Stratford tried to follow Gerstl, but yesterday’s winner suddenly stopped in lap 9. A technical problem on the Benetton B197 forced Stratford to stop between the two Lesmo corners.

In the FORMULA class Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) repeated his victory of yesterday. Only a safety car shortly before the end made him sweat, otherwise the uncle of Formula 2 driver Luca Ghiotto had everything under control. Ghiotto is now the championship leader in the BOSS GP FORMULA category for the first time after his double victory this race weekend.

Marco Ghiotto: « Today it was easy. For the set-up I played it safe and didn’t adjust the rear wing as flat as yesterday. To win again at the home race here in Monza is a sensational experience for the team and for me as an Italian ».

Sunday’s podium: f.l. Bracalente, M. Ghiotto, OPEN winner Gerstl, Fiedler

Alessandro Bracalente (ITA, Speed Center) had a day to forget yesterday. Without points and very mad he went to bed yesterday. In today’s second race he managed to return to the podium with second place in his class. He also had to thank his German team Speed Center, who screwed several cars at the same time late at night. Although Bracalente has lost the lead in the points standings to Marco Ghiotto, with second place in today’s Sunday race he remains within striking distance for the coming races.

Andreas Fiedler (DEU, Fiedler Racing) showed, as he did yesterday, a race to catch up at its best. Started from last place, he overtook one competitor after the other lap after lap. After overtaking Walter Steding (DEU, Inter Europol) and Gianluca Ripoli (ITA, MM International) he was already fifth in class in lap 4. In lap 6 he overtook Philippe Haezebrouck (FRA, Speed Center) and Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International). Having reached class rank 3, the distance to Marco Ghiotto and Bracalente was too big to start another attack.

Martucci finally finished fourth in his class and was the best of the Italian MM International team. Teammate Ripoli finished 5th, ahead of Salvatore de Plano (ITA, Top Speed).

Phillipe Haezebrouck had a much harder time today. After a strong fourth place yesterday, he was handed back in the race today and finished seventh in FORMULA.

Armando Mangini (ITA, MM International) was also a long time in the lead, a technical defect led to his early retirement.

The next BOSS GP will take place in five weeks. In Assen the Big Open Single Seater will start in the program of the famous and very popular touring cars of DTM. Tickets for the weekend are available from 49 Euro on www.dtm.com/en/tickets/assen-2019

Report: Race 1 Monza

Stratford defeats Gerstl for the second time in 2019. Marco Ghiotto triumphs in the FORMULA.

Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) is beaten again: Phil Stratford (USA, Penn Elcom) wins for the second time after Spielberg and continues his race to catch up in the OPEN championship. At the restart after the first Full Course Yellow, Stratford reacted faster than Gerstl to the clearance and surprised the serial winner. Although Gerstl tried again and again to get by on the straights, but Startford remained calm and mistake-free. It was Stratford’s fourth career success in the BOSS GP.

« I did that for my team. They were working on the gearbox almost the whole night, just that I could drive today. With the victory I can give Mansell Motorsport and the Judd crew something back. »

Third in the OPEN class was « Piter » (FRA, Ray-Ban) as at Hockenheim. He celebrated his third podium finish.

OPEN podium: f.l. Gerstl, Stratford, « Piter »

The pilots of the FORMULA category delivered once again a sensational race. Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) defended his lead from start to finish, but two Full Course Yellows let his lead melt away again and again. But Ghiotto withstood the pressure and won like last year at the Eni Circuit Monza. For him and his team, Scuderia Palladio, success at homeland is definitely something very special.

Andreas Fiedler (DEU, Fiedler Racing) experienced the spirit of the BOSS GP: Yesterday he noticed damage to his rear wing after free practice. Understandably, he didn’t want to take the risk of a failure on the high-speed track in Monza, so a change was the only solution. But Fiedler didn’t have a spare wing, so Scuderia Palladio gave him a rear wing and made it possible for Fiedler to start.

It was even nicer that Fiedler, who started from last place, was able to stand next to Ghiotto on the podium. Fiedler beats Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International) and Philippe Haezebrouck (FRA, Speed Center) in a fight that lasted several laps.

FORMULA podium: f.l. Fiedler, M. Ghiotto, Martucci

Martucci had a fantastic start from the fifth row and was also able to run the lap times of the top group in the race. 3rd place is his best result this year. Also, Le Mans starter Haezebrouck was on a podium spot for a long time, in the end he had to cope with position 4 in class in his first race for Speed Center.

Like Martucci and Haezebrouck, Walter Steding was one of the winners of the starting phase. Behind Gianluca Ripoli (ITA, MM International) he finished sixth in his class, just ahead of permanent competitor Thomas Jakoubek (AUT, Top Speed).

Sergio Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) was ranked tenth. At the pre-start his car stopped, so he had to tackle the race in last position. After a phenomenal race to catch up he was in the middle of the fight for the podium in the final phase. But a spin in the duel with Fiedler unfortunately ruined his race one lap before the end.

Salvatore de Plano (ITA, Top Speed) and Alessandro Bracalente (ITA, Speed Center) have fewer good memories of the opening stage of the race. De Plano caught Bracalente in the braking zone to curve 1 and turns him around. For de Plano the race was over, Bracalente was able to continue. Later in the race he retired just like his teammates Peter Göllner (SUI) and Christian Eicke (SUI).

Warm-up start tomorrow at 10:35, BOSS GP race 2 at 14:35.

Report: Qualifying Monza

The fastest BOSS GP qualifying of the year in review.

Third pole position in the third BOSS GP event 2019 for Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed). In the V10 Toro Rosso STR1 Gerstl was again the fastest pilot in qualifying. This means he sets the pace for the start of the first of two races at 4 p.m. this afternoon.

Phil Stratford (USA, Penn Elcom) will line up next to him once again. In the Benetton B197 he was able to improve by two seconds compared to qualifying 2018 – this opens the chase for permanent rival Gerstl.

Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) confirmed his performance of Friday: With 1:36.169 he drove the fastest lap time of all Formula 2 drivers. Teammate and cousin Sergio Ghiotto starts the race from 5th place as third best FORMULA driver.

In between will be Alessandro Bracalente (ITA, Speed Center), who was the only one in the turbulent Qualifying 2 to make it into the top 5. Later in qualifying the FORMULA leader had an accident. At the end of the second chicane he spun to the inside and into the barriers. For the race driver and car should be made ready again.

The Italian dominance at their home race in the FORMULA class is underlined by Armando Mangini (grid position 6), Salvatore de Plano (grid position 7) and Gianluca Ripoli (grid position 8). First non-Italian in the FORMULA category is Philippe Haezebrouck (FRA, Speed Center). The Frenchman continues the good pace of Hockenheim and Spielberg in his first race with the new team.

Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International) starts in tenth. Walter Steding qualified as eleventh despite a spin into the gravel bed. Christian Eicke (SUI, Speed Center) was able to participate today after his accident in the first free practice and thanked his team with rank 12. Thomas Jakoubek (AUT, Top Speed) will start from 13, OPEN driver « Piter » (FRA, Ray-Ban) in the only World Series car from 14.

Andreas Fiedler (DEU, Fiedler Racing) had to miss qualifying, because his rear wing broke yesterday. He hopes to find a spare wing before today’s first race, otherwise he must skip another race.

Race 1 starts today at 4 p.m. – with best weather and free entry.