Europe’s fastest racing series is part of the German Grand Prix weekend and for the first time support series of Formula 1.

The big stage
For the second time this season the Big Open Single Seater will come to Hockenheim. Like the season opener three months ago, the 20 players of the BOSS GP are bringing powerful sounds and high speed to the Motodrom. The 4.5-kilometer Grand Prix circuit will be the stage for a premiere: for the first time, the BOSS GP will drive as a support series for the Formula 1 World Championship.

The BOSS GP is for the second time this year in Hockenheim

The Protagonists

20 cars divided into two classes – that is the setting for the BOSS GP premiere at Hockenheim. In the OPEN class Formula 1 and IndyCars are allowed, the engines are unrestricted. Four brave starters of the highest class compete in the magic Motodrom: The triple BOSS GP Champion Ingo Gerstl (Top Speed) from Austria with the very first Toro Rosso Formula 1 car; the American Phil Stratford (Penn Elcom Racing) in 1997-Benetton by Jean Alesi (team mate Gerhard Berger won the 1997 German Grand Prix in the identical car); Hans Laub (Speed Center) in the Forti FG 03, a rare piece of racing history; Wolfgang Jaksch (F Xtreme Racing) in the white and red Super Aguri from 2006, with 10 cylinders and 800 hp Cosworth power.

Fast identes Material haben die 16 Akteure der FORMULA zur Verfügung: 14 der 16 Teilnehmer starten mit Dallara-GP2-Rennfahrzeugen, allerdings mit unterschiedlichen Aerodynamik-Ausbaustufen. Der Franzose „Piter“ und der deutsche BOSS GP-Dauerbrenner Karl-Heinz Becker starten in Boliden der World Series by Nissan bzw. Renault. Die heißesten Kandidaten auf die Siege am Wochenende sind Tabellenführer Florian Schnitzenbaumer (Top Speed) aus Deutschland und Armando Mangini (MM International) aus Italien, der das letzte Rennen in Monza gewinnen konnte. Nicht außer Acht lassen dürfen wir Bernd Herndlhofer (Top Speed), der Ex-Meister startet zum ersten Mal in diesem Jahr in der FORMULA. Nach einem Rennen Pause ist Bianca Steiner (Top Speed) zurück: Die junge Österreicherin holte zuletzt am Red Bull Ring ihr erstes Podest. Sie ist übrigens nicht die einzige Dame im Starterfeld, Veronica Cicha (H&A Racing) ist schon länger fester Bestandteil der BOSS GP.

German Wolfgang Jaksch (l.) comes as race winner to his home race

Season so far

Ingo Gerstl has dominated the OPEN class so far. Most recently in Monza, however, Phil Stratford in the Benetton F1 was the first to take Gerstl’s pace in the Toro Rosso F1, although Gerstl also clinched overall and class victory for the fifth time in six races up to now. In the second Monza race, both Gerstl and Stratford fell victim to a starting collision. The beneficiary of this unfortunate situation was Wolfgang Jaksch (Super Aguri F1). The German won in Monza for the first time this season, for the second time ever in the BOSS GP – right on time before his home race at Hockenheim. Hans Laub has only been on the track for testing purposes with his Forti F1 so far, and the German’s first race will take place this weekend.

The FORMULA is tighter and only slightly more silent. Four different winners in six races so far this season prove that this class is closer than ever before. In the overall standings after 6 of 14 races Schnitzenbaumer (120 points) leads ahead of Fiedler (101) and Mangini (87).

Timetable: BOSS GP at Grosser Preis von Deutschland

Friday, 20 July 2018
13:00–13:25: Free Practice 1
18:30–18:55: Free Practice 2

Saturday, 21 July 2018
10:40–11:10: Qualifying
18:00–18:25: Race 1

Sunday, 22. July 2018
11:10–11:40: Race 2

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