Categoria: Generale

Report: Race 1 Misano

Posted on Novembre 2, 2024 by Keke Platzer - 5, Generale

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.

Pictures: Angelo Poletto

Prima del finale del BOSS GP di Misano ci sono 50-50 per la vittoria.

Posted on Ottobre 25, 2024 by Stieger - Generale, Generale

Due vittorie complessive sono già assicurate, ma due titoli sono ancora in palio nella finale del BOSS GP a Misano. Nella categoria più forte del BOSS GP, il tedesco Ulf Ehninger dell’ESBA-Racing è stato incoronato campione della classe F1 per la seconda volta dopo il 2022 con la sua Benetton B197 F1. All’inizio della stagione, Ehninger ha beneficiato dei guasti tecnici di Ingo Gerstl (AUT), Team Top-Speed, sulla Toro Rosso STR 1. Non ha preso parte alla gara del Red Bull Ring con la Benetton F1 perché gli mancava suo figlio quel fine settimana durante la gara di kart. Ma in seguito, come due anni fa, la raccolta punti regolare si è rivelata un successo.

Buon divertimento con la seconda vittoria assoluta nella classe F1: Ulf Ehninger e l’ESBA Racing Team.

Anche l’ex pilota di Formula 1 Antonio Pizzonia della HS-Engineering ha avuto successo per la seconda volta. Proprio come nel 2023, il simpatico brasiliano ha dominato la classe open del BOSS GP con la forte Dallara World Series V8 T12 4.5. Ad eccezione di Assen, dove HS Engineering non è stata coinvolta, Pizzonia ha ottenuto il massimo dei punti in ogni gara. Ha ottenuto nuovamente la vittoria assoluta nella BOSS GP Open Class prima di Misano.

Il capo del team HS-Engineering Michael Hascic con il suo due volte campione della Open Class Antonio Pizzonia.

Le altre due classi sono ancora aperte, anche se non sono ancora state determinate la vittoria assoluta e numerosi altri piazzamenti, soprattutto nella altamente competitiva Formula Class.

Supponendo che Simone Colombo (ITA), MM International Motorsport, attualmente al secondo posto nella Formula Class, vinca nuovamente entrambe le gare con la Dallara GP2, come ha fatto l’ultima volta, a Misano, poi Marco Ghiotto (ITA), Scuderia Palladio, l’attuale leader, basteranno almeno un terzo e un quarto posto per imporsi ancora una volta campioni della BOSS GP Formula Class con mezzo punto di vantaggio. Dietro questo Dou italiano si nasconde il compagno di squadra di Colombo e il giovane amazzone giapponese Juju Noda. La figlia dell’ex pilota di Formula 1 Hideki Noda quest’anno porterà avanti un doppio programma con BOSS GP e la serie Super Formula giapponese. Il tuo terzo posto nella Formula Class non è affatto assicurato. Il debuttante Michael Fischer (AUT) del Red Rose Racing by LRT, che ha ottenuto ottimi risultati nel suo anno d’ingresso nel BOSS GP, teoricamente ha ancora l’opportunità di conquistare il terzo posto assoluto nella Formula Class. La finale di Misano può dare una scossa anche alla classifica generale nelle posizioni alle loro spalle.

Nella Super Lights, anche il campione dello scorso anno Henry Clausnitzer (GER), WF-Racing, con la sua Tatuus Formula Renault V6 ha solo la possibilità teorica di ripetere il suo successo dal 2023, perché lo svizzero Stephan Glaser, Jo Zeller Racing, Dallara World Series V6, ha dominato la classe piccola quest’anno, nella sua prima stagione BOSS GP. Fatta eccezione per la gara del Nürburgring, dove Glaser è arrivato solo secondo e quinto, il pilota svizzero ha vinto le Super Lights della BOSS GP Racing Series in tutte le altre gare.

1°-3° Novembre 2024:
Grande Finale BOSS GP Racing Series 2024 – Misano World Circuit / Italia

Probabilmente una delle auto più belle nel campo BOSS GP: Stefan Eisinger-Sewald, Red Roses Racing, Ralt F3000 RT23.

Classifiche BOSS GP Racing Series – tutte le classi

Rapporto: Black/SMW MEDIA
Foto: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Ottimo inizio d’autunno nel Mugello

Posted on Ottobre 23, 2024 by Stieger - Generale

Dopo la gara di Assen/Paesi Bassi e la successiva pausa estiva, all’inizio di ottobre i team della BOSS GP Racing Series si sono diretti verso sud. Già alla chiusura delle iscrizioni era chiaro che in Toscana ci sarebbe stato ancora una volta un campo di partenza molto ampio con 24 vetture. L’austriaca HS-Engineering si era presa una pausa ad Assen, ma entrambe le Dallara World Series V8 T12 erano nuovamente iscritte al Mugello. L’ex pilota brasiliano di Formula 1 Antonio Pizzonia con il più potente motore Gibson da 4,5 litri nella classe Open e l’irlandese Paul O’Connell con il V8 da 3,5 litri. Il team francese ZIG-ZAG ha portato ancora una volta al via nella Formula Class due noti piloti dell’Auto GP: il monegasco Nicolas Matile e il francese Jean-Christope Peyre.

Jean-Christope Peyre (FRA), ZIG-ZAG Motorsport, Lola Auto-GP.

C’è stato anche un incontro con Giancarlo Pedetti (ITA), che questa volta guidava una Scuderia Palladio GP 2. Il ceco Vladimir Netušil prenderà parte per la prima volta a questa Formula Class. Ha osato passare dalla Formula 3 alla GP2 per il team italiano MM International Motorsport. Al nutrito gruppo di partenti si è aggiunto anche il campione 2022 BOSS GP Super Lights, l’austriaco Andreas Hasler, che ha portato nuovamente la sua Dallara World Series V6 T08 in Toscana dopo una lunga assenza per motivi tecnici.

Nelle due sessioni di prove libere, che si sono svolte in condizioni mutevoli, Ingo Gerstl (AUT) del Team Top-Speed sulla Toro Rosso STR1 F1 e Antonio Pizzonia hanno duellato. Gerstl ha fatto segnare il miglior tempo nelle FP1 con 1:30.422, Pizzonia ha risposto come il più veloce nelle FP2, ma non è riuscito ad avvicinarsi al tempo dell’austriaco con 1:31.513. Dietro di loro c’è un trio del GP 2 d’Italia con Simone Colombo, Massimiliano Cuccarese (entrambi MM International Motorsport) e Marco Ghiotto (Scuderia Palladio). Sorprendentemente forte il nuovo arrivato Vladimir Netušil, che ha fatto sentire la sua presenza dopo le due sessioni di prove libere dietro questo trio e quindi in prima linea nella Formula Class. C’era da aspettarsi una qualifica entusiasmante ed è quello che è successo, anche se con notevole ritardo, perché la nebbia mattutina persisteva ed era così fitta che non è stato possibile un avvio tempestivo per nessuna delle classi presenti al Mugello questo fine settimana. Fu solo due ore dopo il previsto che i primi piloti scesero in pista con l’Alfa Romeo Revival Cup.

I ritardi sul programma causati dalla fitta nebbia non hanno in alcun modo smorzato l’umore dei partecipanti alla Boss GP Racing Series (nella foto da sinistra: Paul O’Connell / HS-Engineering, Ingo Gerst / Top-Speed e Andreas Hasler /Hasler Motorsport).

La nebbia si è poi rapidamente diradata e la situazione meteorologica è migliorata. Ciò significava che nelle qualifiche per il BOSS GP erano possibili tempi sul giro significativamente migliori. A causa dell’ampio campo di partenza, questa volta i 30 minuti. Qualificazioni ancora divise in due gironi. Primi 10 minuti per i più veloci fin dalle prove libere e dopo una fase di cambio poi 18 minuti per il resto del gruppo.

I migliori di ogni classe in qualifica:

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

A dominare quest’anno nella classe BOSS GP Super Lights: Stephan Glaser (SUI), Jo Zeller Racing, Dallara WS V6 T8.

A causa dei ritardi dovuti alla nebbia, PNK in qualità di organizzatore ha dovuto restringere enormemente il programma in consultazione con la direzione della gara e l’organizzazione BOSS GP. Tutti gli organizzatori della serie sono stati molto impegnati ad aiutare a portare a termine tutte le gare previste. Per Gara 1 del BOSS GP, iniziata con quasi un’ora di ritardo, la durata della gara ha dovuto essere ridotta di due minuti.

Risultati di classe BOSS GP Gara 1:

Gara 2 di domenica si è svolta come inizialmente previsto. Nel giro di formazione sono davanti i due piloti di Formula 1 con Ingo Gerstl e Ulf Ehninger (GER), ESBA Racing, Benetton B197 F1. Dietro la seconda vettura di testa il resto del gruppo, guidato da Antonip Pizzonia e seguito da un’armata di piloti della GP2 Formula Class. Poiché nelle singole classi si potevano prendere alcune decisioni preliminari per quanto riguarda la vittoria assoluta, c’erano da aspettarsi avvincenti duelli e lotte interessanti per i singoli piazzamenti a punti. Ed è così che è successo. Le posizioni sono state cambiate durante i giri.

Con due vittorie in gara al Mugello, Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International Motorsport, Dallara GP2, nella foto davanti), si avvicina sempre di più nella classifica a punti al precedente leader della BOSS GP Formula Class, Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio, Dallara GP2). La decisione sulla vittoria assoluta in questa classe verrà presa probabilmente nel fine settimana di Misano all’inizio di novembre.

Risultati di classe BOSS GP Gara 2:

Poiché la Classe F1 del BOSS GP non prenderà parte alla finale di Misano all’inizio di novembre, Ulf Ehninger è il vincitore assoluto della Classe F1 per la seconda volta. Così come Antonio Pizzonia nella Classe Open del BOSS GP. Non vi è alcuna decisione sul titolo nelle restanti due classi del BOSS GP. Sia la vittoria assoluta che la classifica alle spalle sono ancora aperte. Un emozionante finale del BOSS GP è previsto a Misano dal 1 al 3 novembre.

Vincitore assoluto della classe BOSS GP F1 per la seconda volta dopo il 2022: Ulf Ehninger (GER), ESBA Racing, Benetton B197 F1.

È stato in grado di ripetere la sua vittoria assoluta nel BOSS GP nella classe Open dello scorso anno: l’ex pilota di Formula 1 Antonio Pizzonia (BRA), HS-Engineering, Dallara World Series V8 T12 4.5.

Classifiche BOSS GP Racing Series – tutte le classi
Galleria PNK Racing Weekend Mugello

Rapporto: Black/SMW MEDIA
Foto: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Idoli di casa: Max Cuccarese

Posted on Ottobre 1, 2024 by Keke Platzer - Generale

Shootingstar Massimiliano Cuccarese (liceale di Pignola in Basilicata) ha fatto un fantastico debutto in BOSS GP durante il weekend ad Assen. Prima della sua gara di casa al Mugello il pilota della squadra MM International ci spiega il fascino della BOSS GP Racing Series.

Quando hai cominciato col motor sport?

MAX CUCCARESE: „Ho seguito la MotoGP in TV. Così cominciavo a entusiasmarmi del motor sport. Con gli anni però ho preferito le auto da corsa, soprattutto le monoposto.”

*Assen, agosto 2024: Max Cuccarese al debutto in GP2*

Raccontaci il tuo percorso dal Kart alla BOSS GP Racing Series

CUCCARESE: „Nel 2020 (all’età di 13 anni, ndr) ho cominciato a correre nel campionato regionale della Campagna nella categoria Junior IMAE X30 a causa della pandemia COVID il mio debutto nel mondo delle corse è arrivato con un anno di ritardo e ho finito il campionato in terza posizione nonostante il fatto ero costretto a rinunciare a una gara per motivi familiari. Nel 2021 ho partecipato al Campionato Italiano per la prima volta e anche nel WSK-Euroserie a Sarno nella categoria OK Senior. L’anno seguente ho fatto il passo in monoposto con alcune sessioni di test in Formula 4 su varie piste italiane. Nel 2023 ho provato una Dallara F317 e inizio 2024 ho fatto un test con una Dallara F320 prima di fare il prossimo salto con la GP2 della MM International Motorsport in giugno.”

Potresti descriverci le tue sensazioni durante il primo weekend di gara nella BOSS GP Racing Series?

CUCCARESE: CUCCARESE: „Onestamente non sapevo cosa mi dovessi aspettare di questa prima gara con una nuova macchina senza conoscere il circuito e dopo un periodo senza gare. Tuttavia dopo i primi giri nelle prove libere avevo una sensazione positiva e grazie al duro lavoro di tutto i membri del team ero convinto che saremo pronti a lottare per le posizioni da podio in gara. Quando ho visto la bandiera a scacchi in seconda posizione in gara 1, mi sono emozionato e ero molto contento per l’intero team.”

*Prima gara, primo podio: Max (sin.) giunge secondo a Assen, dietro a Simone Colombo e davanti a Marco Ghiotto*

Come ti piace l’ambiente in Boss GP?

CUCCARESE: „E‘ un ambiente molto piacevole, c‘è tanto di rispetto tra tutti i piloti e team, sia in pista sia nel paddock. Gli appassionati sono fantastici con una passione unica e un grande appoggio. Vorrei ringraziare la MM International Motorsport per la fiducia e per il lavoro svolto con immensa passione.”

Qual è il tuo obiettivo? A che cosa aspiri nel motorsport?

CUCCARESE: „Il mio obiettivo è prendere il volante delle più veloci auto di Formula come le F2, Super Formula, IndyCar e magari persino una Formula 1.”

Foto: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Review: Assen 2024

Posted on Agosto 26, 2024 by Keke Platzer - 5, Generale

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*

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 *twice* *in 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.

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.

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.

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.

Pictures: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Variante di pneumatico aggiuntiva da Assen

Posted on Luglio 15, 2024 by Keke Platzer - Generale

A partire dalla prossima gara di Assen (2–4 agosto 2024), BOSS GP e il fornitore di pneumatici Pirelli offriranno nuovamente uno pneumatico medio da asciutto in aggiunta alla mescola morbida.

Oltre alla mescola morbida precedentemente prescritta (riconoscibile dal colore rosso), BOSS GP offrirà nuovamente a team e piloti la mescola “medium” (gialla) con effetto immediato.

Questa scelta di pneumatici da asciutto P-Zero amplia le opzioni strategiche dei team per i restanti weekend di gara della stagione 2024 ad Assen, Mugello e Misano. I pneumatici medi dovrebbero avere prestazioni migliori, soprattutto alle alte temperature, e una maggiore durata grazie alla loro mescola di gomma più dura.

Tutti i piloti iscritti alle gare riceveranno a breve un nuovo modulo d’ordine e potranno effettuare gli ordini presso il servizio pneumatici BOSS GP Reifen Hollerweger con effetto immediato.

Foto: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Review: Red Bull Ring 2024

Posted on Luglio 2, 2024 by Keke Platzer - 5, Generale

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.

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).

Photos: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Review: Nürburgring 2024

Posted on Giugno 4, 2024 by Keke Platzer - 5, Generale

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.

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.

Photos: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Local heroes: Henry Clausnitzer

Posted on Maggio 21, 2024 by Keke Platzer - 5, Allgemein, Generale

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

BOSS GP continues partnership with Pirelli

Posted on Aprile 30, 2024 by Keke Platzer - Generale

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.

Photo: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP