Mese: Maggio 2024

Local heroes: Henry Clausnitzer

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.

Photos: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Review SUPER LIGHTS: Hockenheimring 2024

In the increasingly competitive SUPER LIGHTS class, newcomer Stephan Glaser (SUI, Jo Zeller Racing) was able to climb to the top step of the podium in his very first race.

The driver of a World Series V6 car triumphed in the first race. Glaser then spun once in the second race, allowing last year’s champion Henry Clausnitzer (GER, WF Racing) to take the lead. However, in the light rain that set in on the last lap of the race, the latter gambled away the race victory and Glaser was once again the first to see the chequered flag. Behind the double winner and Clausnitzer, it was Stefan Eisinger-Sewald (AUT, Red Rose Racing) in the Ralt Formula 3000 with a hand-shift gearbox who finished third twice.

Podium in both races f. le. Eisinger-Sewald, Glaser and Clausnitzer

More of the BOSS GP championship can be seen at the Nürburgring from 24 to 26 May 2024.

Photos: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Review FORMULA: Hockenheimring 2024

Alexander Seibold and Simone Colombo win the races, but Felix Große-Aschhof leads the standings after the first race weekend.

There was a surprising result in the first race over a race distance of 22 minutes. An early collision between the two favoured team-mates Simone Colombo (ITA) and Juju Noda (JPN, both MM International) cleared the way for other drivers. At first, Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) was the one who was closest to the 25 points awarded for the race win. However, technical problems forced the 2019–2021 champion to retire.

Points leader Felix Große-Aschhoff in front of his dad Michael

Alexander Seibold (GER, Seibold auto + sport) then took over. The experienced German fought a thrilling duel with Martin Kindler (SUI, Jenzer Motorsport) from Switzerland to claim his first much-acclaimed class victory. Kindler was also delighted with second place and a big trophy on his return to the BOSS GP. Paul O’Connell (IRE) from the HS Engineering racing team delivered a sensational race. In the only World Series 3.5 in the FORMULA field, he stalled at the start for the warm-up lap, which is why he had to start the race from the pit lane and therefore last. 13 laps and numerous overtaking manoeuvres later, he crossed the finish line in third place in his class.

Podium Race 1 f. l. O’Connell, Seibold and Kindler

The second race got off to a turbulent start when it suddenly began to rain on the way to the starting grid. However, the rain quickly subsided and all the drivers were able to start on the P-Zero dry tyres from BOSS GP supplier Pirelli. A fair duel between Simone Colombo and Juju Noda kept everyone at the edge of their seats over the full 22-minute distance. Colombo, the reigning champion, ultimately prevailed over his new team-mate Juju Noda by just half a second. Marco Ghiotto finished the second race in third place. Andreas Fiedler (GER, Fiedler Racing) finished fourth in his home race.

Felix Große-Aschhoff (GER, Asche-Racing) left the Hockenheimring without a podium finish, but with the most points. With 4th and 5th place, the student was the big winner of the first race weekend. His father Michael Große-Aschhoff (GER, Asche-Racing) finished sixth twice, while garage neighbor Roland Rupprechter (AUT, R&B Research and Wealth Management) was also delighted with fifth place in the first race.

Juju Noda in her first appearance in a GP2 car

Photos: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Review F1 and OPEN: Hockenheimring 2024

More than 30,000 spectators attended the ADAC Hockenheim Historic 2024. The traditional event was also the season opener of the BOSS GP Racing Series.

The paddock was already filled to the brim on Friday morning, with a large number of spectators showing their interest in the valuable BOSS GP racing cars. Some visitors were lucky enough to get up close to the cars during guided tours. The signatures of the BOSS GP drivers were also extremely popular at the autograph sessions on the pit roof. The impressive number of 21 participants started into the 30th season of the BOSS GP Racing Series on Friday.

Thomas Jakoubek in the Lotus F1 car from the year 2010

F1 und OPEN

Thomas Jakoubek’s (AUT, Top Speed) Lotus T127 was seen in action for the first time in the BOSS GP F1 class. The Hockenheim Historic in honour of Lotus legend Jim Clark was a very appropriate venue for the premiere of this car from 2010. Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) suffered a rare technical defect in his Toro Rosso STR1. Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA-Racing) therefore left the first race weekend as championship leader in his beautiful Benetton B197.

As part of the BOSS GP event at the Hockenheimring, another historic Formula 1 car was on display on the track: The restored Ferrari 310B from 1997 ran for the very first time in more than 25 years. The Austrian Top Speed team breathed new life into Michael Schumacher’s ex-car. The original 12-cylinder Ferrari engine is still installed. The car was driven by the German Erich Zech.

OPEN winner Pizzonia and F1 winner Ehninger

The races were dominated by former Formula 1 driver Antonio Pizzonia (BRA, HS Engineering) from the OPEN class in the Dallara World Series 4.5, who thanked the spectators in the south bend with donuts on the final lap.

Photos: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

International line-up for the first round

22 drivers from three continents and seven different nations are registered for the first race weekend in Hockenheim this weekend.

Among them are the three Formula 1 cars of Ingo Gerstl (Toro Rosso, 2006), Ulf Ehninger (Benetton, 1997) and Thomas Jakoubek (Lotus, 2010). In the OPEN class, ex-Formula 1 driver Antonio Pizzonia will continue his pursuit of the lap record with the Dallara World Series 4.5. A total of 14 drivers will compete in the FORMULA class in GP2 cars of different generations and with World Series 3.5 cars, including former champions Simone Colombo, Marco Ghiotto and Florian Schnitzenbaumer. They will be joined by 18-year-old Japanese driver Juju Noda, an up-and-coming female driver who is complementing her involvement in Super Formula Japan. The most diverse category is SUPER LIGHTS, where Formula Renault V6 meets Formula 3000 and Formula Nippon.

All entries for the first round can be found at www.bossgp.com/driver

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.

Photo: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP