Tag: Brno

Debut for BOSS GP Show Run

At the Masaryk Racing Days in Brno on September 9 and 10, the BOSS GP Racing Series will showcase some of its most valuable racing cars.

For the first time, a BOSS GP event will not be contested for championship points. Instead, the focus in the Czech Republic is on the show. Formula 1 cars and F1-related Formula 1 single-seaters will be on track on Saturday and Sunday in six 15-minute sessions at the Automotodrom Brno.

The Wolf F1 WR7 by Rudolf Raml, which James Hunt, Keke Rosberg and Emerson Fittipaldi drove in 1979, will be on display. From the year 2001 is the Arrows A22, which was driven by Enrique Bernoldi and Jos Verstappen. Examples of modern cars are the green and yellow Lotus T127 (2010) driven by Thomas Jakoubek and the Toro Rosso STR1 (2006) driven by Ingo Gerstl.

These and other cars are also exhibited in the pits and can be seen during the pitwalk on Sunday at midday (12:15-12:45 p.m. CEST). The exhibits also include Michael Schumacher’s 1997 Ferrari and the Toro Rosso STR3 in which Sebastian Vettel celebrated his first victory.

Discover more on the event on www.automotodrombrno.cz/en/masaryk-racing-days-2023

Photo: Christian Sandler

Report: Brno Race 2

Jackermeier celebrates double victory in the BOSS GP F1 class, Ghiotto triumphs in the hotly contested FORMULA class, Geier in SUPER LIGHTS also in a class of his own on Sunday.

After the weather gods made it rain on Saturday, the race on Sunday remained dry despite dark clouds. In ideal conditions, there were plenty of wheel-to-wheel duels for the fans to marvel at during the Masaryk Racing Days. 

BOSS GP F1 Class

After his premiere victory on Saturday, Thomas Jackermeier (GER/Top Speed) followed up with another win on Sunday. Right from the start, the German pulled away unstoppable in his Toro Rosso STR3 and did not let anyone take the lead from him. With a high and constant pace, Jackermeier controlled the lead. His pursuers were no match for the German. In the championship, Jackermeier continues to make up ground on series dominator Ingo Gerstl (AUT/Top Speed). Gerstl did not start in the second race. The championship battle is thus picking up speed again with two race weekends to go.

BOSS GP FORMULA Class

The duel of the race was between Saturday’s winner Simone Colombo (ITA/MM International) and Marco Ghiotto (ITA/Scuderia Palladio). The two FORMULA class rivals fought a wheel-to-wheel duel for several laps. Ghiotto followed Colombo like a shadow, as he had done in Spielberg and Le Castellet. The fans were more than thrilled by the tough but fair duel. With just under ten minutes to go in the race, Ghiotto made the decisive manoeuvre at the entrance of the last corner and took the lead. With a clear track, Ghiotto was able to put a gap between himself and Colombo. Colombo tried to counterattack again towards the end of the race, but was unable to counter Ghiotto’s fast pace today. A few minutes before the end, Colombo had to let Ghiotto’s team mate Francesco Malavasi (ITA/Scuderia Palladio) pass. Malavasi thus secured his second podium this weekend after third place on Saturday. Malavasi, however, did not make a final attack on the victory. Salvatore de Plano (ITA/MM International) came close to Colombo towards the end of the race in fourth place, but was unable to catch his compatriot. Luca Martucci (ITA/MM International) rounded off a perfect Italian day. With his victory yesterday and his second place today, Colombo also takes over the overall lead from Zdenek Chovanec Lopez in the FORMULA class before the final two race weekends in Mugello and Misano.

BOSS GP SUPER LIGHTS Class

Andreas Hasler (AUT/Hasler Motorsport) was ahead on the grid, but after only a few metres rookie Alexander Geier (AUT/Geier Racing) took the lead from Hasler. Hasler could not follow Geier’s fast pace. Geier then controlled the action in the SUPER LIGHTS and thus made himself a double winner at the race weekend in Brno. The driver from Salzburg is also making up ground in the championship. Hasler tried to bring his second place in the SUPER LIGHTS class safely to the finish line, which he succeeded in doing.

The BOSS GP will take a short break and continue its season in Mugello in mid-October (14–16).

Photos: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Report: Brno Race 1

Jackermeier celebrates his premiere victory in tricky conditions, Colombo turns “pole” into victory in FORMULA class, SUPER LIGHTS triumph for Geier.

The weather gods had no mercy on the drivers of the BOSS GP Racing Series. A few minutes before the start of the first race, the heavens opened their floodgates. The race on the partly wet track thus became a challenge for the pilots in their Big Open Single Seaters.

BOSS GP F1 Class

Pole setter Thomas Jackermeier (GER, Top Speed), like his team mate Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed), was faced with a difficult decision in the Formula 1 car class due to the rain shower before the start of the race: keep dry tyres on or put on the Pirelli Cinturato wet weather tyres? Parts of the track were damp, others dry. Jackermeier and Gerstl both opted for the dry tyres on their cars. Jackermeier with his Toro Rosso STR3 with Ferrari V8 made ideal use of the pole position and started furiously into the race. Ingo Gerstl came into the pits after the warm-up lap and had to stop his Toro Rosso STR1 temporarily. A few minutes before the end of the race Gerstl drove back onto the track but promptly returned to the pits. Jackermeier managed the lead ideally, made no mistakes in the treacherous conditions and celebrated his first victory in the BOSS GP. 

2nd place for Ingo Gerstl (le.) behind debut winner Thomas Jackermeier (ri.)

BOSS GP FORMULA Class

All drivers in the FORMULA Class opted for the Pirelli P Zero dry tyres at the start of the race. The driving skills of the steering wheel acrobats were thus put to the test even more. Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International) made ideal use of his first starting position and was able to pull away first in the drying conditions. Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) held back in the initially damp conditions. However, the experienced Italian put rival after rival to the sword and worked his way up to second place. In the final minutes there was a thrilling duel between Colombo and Ghiotto for the win, but Colombo managed to save the victory over the finish line. Francesco Malavasi (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) drove in second place for a long time, but after a hard fight on the start-finish straight he had to let his team boss and colleague Ghiotto pass. Salvatore de Plano (ITA, MM International) and Walter Steding (GER, Scuderia Palladio) rounded off the top-5 of this spectacular race in FORMULA class. Andreas Fiedler (GER, Fiedler Racing), who was classified in the front of the field in qualifying, came into the pits just before the end of the race and had to park his GP2 car early.

Close finish between Colombo (f.) and Ghiotto behind

BOSS GP SUPER LIGHTS Class

In the SUPER LIGHTS category of the six-cylinder cars, Alexander Geier (AUT, Geier Racing) secured the next victory ahead of Andreas Hasler (AUT, Hasler Motorsport). Geier, who started the race on slicks, took the lead from Hasler shortly after the start and eventually controlled the pace at the front. In the final sprint Hasler tried to close the gap to Geier once more. Ultimately in vain, Hasler drove home a safe second place in drying conditions.

Good race by young Austrian Geier in difficult track conditions

After the spectacle today, the fans can look forward to part 2 of the racing action on Sunday. The second and final race of the BOSS GP in Brno will take place tomorrow from 12:50 local time (livestream).

Photos: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Preview: Brno

Next weekend (September 9–11) Europe’s fastest racing series, the BOSS GP Racing Series, returns from its summer break. Hosted by the Masaryk Racing Days at the Automotodrom in Brno.

The weekend of 9–11 September marks the start of the second half of the season for the BOSS GP Racing Series. After six races in Hockenheim, Spielberg and Le Castellet, six more races are scheduled in the next nine weeks in Brno, Mugello and Misano. Before the season ends in Italy, the unique mix of Big Open single-seaters in the Formula 1, Formula 2, World Series & Co. categories will head to Brno.

In the BOSS GP F1 Class, that is the classification for Formula 1 cars, four cars have been entered. Among them are three Toro Rossos, including the STR1 of championship leader Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed), who has won all races so far this season. In Sebastien Vettel’s premiere winning car, the Toro Rosso STR3 with a Ferrari engine, Thomas Jackermeier (GER, Top Speed) wants to break this streak in Brno. Racing fans can especially look forward to a rare piece of motorsport history in the form of the green and yellow Lotus T127. The Formula 1 car from 2010 is equipped with a Cosworth V8 engine and will be entered by Team Top Speed. The ex-car of Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen is driven by Austrian Thomas Jakoubek.

In the absence of championship leader Zdenek Chovanec Lopez (PRT), FORMULA title defender Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) is aiming for his first win of the season. In the battle for the championship, however, Ghiotto’s compatriot Simone Colombo (MM International) could put himself in the best starting position. After three events, he is only twelve points behind Chovanec-Lopez, but already 35 ahead of Marco Ghiotto. Salvatore de Plano (ITA, MM International), who has won races with a GP2 in the past, has also been named. After a longer break from racing, he also wants to have a say in the fight for the podium.

In the BOSS GP SUPER LIGHTS, Alexander Geier (Geier Racing) in an older 2003 Tatuus-Renault and Andreas Hasler (Hasler Motorsport) will continue their inner-Austrian duel in the six-cylinder car class.

Entry list:

NummerNameNationTeamKlasseMarkeBaujahrModellMotor
1Ingo GerstlAUTTeam Top SpeedF1Toro Rosso2006F1 – STR1Cosworth TJ
2Florian SchnitzenbaumerGERTeam Top SpeedF1Toro Rosso2006F1 – STR1Cosworth TJ
15Thomas JackermeierGERTeam Top SpeedF1Toro Rosso2008F1 – TR3Ferrari 056
19Thomas JakoubekAUTTeam Top SpeedF1Lotus2010F1 – T127Cosworth CA
22Michael AbererAUTAM MotorsportFORMULADallara2005GP2Mecachrome
27Marco GhiottoITAScuderia PalladioFORMULADallara2011GP2Mecachrome
28Bruno JarachITAEesti MotorsportFORMULADallara2008GP2Mecachrome
32Simone ColomboITAMM InternationalFORMULADallara2017F2Mecachrome
37Luca MartucciITAMM InternationalFORMULADallara2011GP2Mecachrome
43Giancarlo PedettiITANannini RacingFORMULADallara2014GP2Mecachrome
44Thomas JakoubekAUTTeam Top SpeedFORMULADallara2008GP2Mecachrome
46Alexander SeiboldGERSeibold Auto + SportFORMULADallara2005GP2Mecachrome
47Walter StedingGERScuderia PalladioFORMULADallara2011GP2Mecachrome
87Salvatore de PlanoITAMM InternationalFORMULADallara2011GP2Mecachrome
66Andreas FiedlerGERFiedler RacingFORMULADallara2008GP2Mecachrome
77Francesco MalavasiITAScuderia PalladioFORMULADallara2011GP2Mecachrome
111Alexander GeierAUTGeier RacingSUPER LIGHTSTattus2003WSbRenaultRenault
115Andreas HaslerAUTHasler MotorsportSUPER LIGHTSDallara2009WSbNissanAER

Race track:

With a track length of 5.403 kilometres, the former MotoGP circuit is also the second longest circuit of the year after Circuit Paul Ricard (5.8 km long). Fast and fluid corners alternate with a technically demanding section. Engine power is also a decisive factor because the Czech rollercoaster goes steeply uphill in the last third of the track. Here you not only see what the cars are capable of, but also which driver can control his vehicle best.

Timetable (CEST):

Friday, 9 September 2022
12:35–13:05     Free Practice 1
15:35–16:05     Free Practice 2

Saturday, 10 September 2022
09:50–10:20     Qualifying
14:00–14:30     Race 1 (20 minutes)

Sunday, 11 September 2022
09:50–10:00     Warm-up
12:50–13:30     Race 2 (25 minutes)

Supporting program:

In addition to the headliner BOSS GP, other racing series will round off the programme from Friday to Sunday, including Drexler Formula Cup, ESET V4 Cup with the TCR Eastern Europe and Renault Clio Cup Bohemia and historic racing classes (HAIGO).

Tickets:

Children under 12 are admitted free of charge, day tickets are available for 13 euros, weekend tickets cost 17 euros. Parking at the open grandstands is free of charge. All tickets can be purchased at the box office on site.

Pictures: Angelo Poletto & Michael Jurtin/BOSS GP, Dirk Hartung/Autosport.at

First look at 2022

Seven race events on the calendar for the BOSS GP Racing Series in 2022. Among them the return to France.

The 28th season of the only true Big Open single seater series will start at the beginning of May and not end until November 2022, which should ensure a largely trouble-free season even under the circumstances of the COVID pandemic. The provisional race calendar includes only Formula 1 and MotoGP level circuits. This guarantees a modern infrastructure and high safety standards.

The first two of 14 races in 2022 will take place at the Jim Clark Revival at the Hockenheimring on 6, 7 and 8 May. This is followed by the home race of the Austrian-registered racing series at the Red Bull Ring on 4 and 5 June. One of the season highlights is the return to “Paul Ricard” for the French Historic Grand Prix (17-19 June).

Start of race 2 at Paul Ricard 2017.
Memories: BOSS GP 2017 in Le Castellet

Another race is listed for July, but confirmation is still pending. This race is intended as a replacement for the 2021 event at the Nürburgring, which had been cancelled due to the flood disaster in the nearby Ahr Valley.

From 9 to 11 September, the BOSS GP Racing Series will once again run as the main act at the Masaryk Racing Days in Brno. The season ends with an Italian double: first at “Forza Fanatec” in Mugello from14-16 October, then at Misano (4-6 November) for the “Pirelli Grande Finale”.

More news about the 2022 season coming soon on www.bossgp.com and on our social media channels Facebook and Instagram.

Pictures: Michael Jurtin/BOSS GP, Michael Kavena/BOSS GP

Report Races Brno

Double wins for Ingo Gerstl and Harald Schlegelmilch at the Masaryk Racing Days.

The fourth event of the season brought the BOSS GP Racing Series to the Czech Republic’s largest racetrack in Brno on the first weekend of September. On the traditional date of the Masaryk Racing Days, the lively racing programme included some of the fastest race cars in the world, racing against each other.

OPEN class
Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) was once again unbeatable in the screaming Toro Rosso STR1 with a V10 Cosworth engine from 2006. The rivals are still missing, so Gerstl is driving towards the next title. It would be his sixth championship title in the OPEN class of Formula 1 and IndyCar cars. It would bring him up to par with his former rival and BOSS GP record holder Klaas Zwart (NLD). Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing) made his debut on the Brno circuit in the popular 1997 Benetton. Despite not having a chance against Gerstl’s much more modern car, Ehninger presented himself in the best possible way on the Czech rollercoaster with two second places – thus keeping the championship open for Ehninger.

FORMULA class
Harald Schlegelmilch (LVA, HS Engineering) showed early on this weekend that he is the favourite to win in class. After his successful performance at the Red Bull Ring earlier this year, the former Formula 3 professional once again showed the more established competition what he is capable of. Even though championship leader Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) put a lot of pressure on him in the first race, Schlegelmilch kept his nerve in the last generation World Series car and won race 1 by a narrow margin. The next day in the second race Ghiotto started better and took the lead right at the rolling start. But Schlegelmilch, who was a bit slower on the straights, was able to brake later into the corners and take the lead before the halfway point of the race.

Third place in both races was taken by Luca Martucci, who is now just one point behind his team-mate Simone Colombo (both ITA, MM International) in the overall standings. With two fourth places, rookie Colombo got the best out of a weekend that started with an accident in practice. Walter Steding (GER, Scuderia Palladio; 5th twice) and Bruno Jarach (EST, Eesti Motorsport; 6th and 7th) also scored solid points. Unlike Andreas Fiedler (GER) and Christian Ferstl (AUT), who were both affected by technical problems.

The next two races of the 2021 BOSS GP Racing Series are on the schedule at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza on 2 and 3 October.

Pictures: Angelo Poletto and Erwin Strassnig/BOSS GP

Preview Brno

The BOSS GP Racing Series is back on the starting grid at the Masaryk Racing Days in Brno.

Europe’s fastest racing series will return to the Automotodrom in Brno this weekend. From Friday to Sunday, 20 of the world’s fastest racing cars representing Formula 1, Formula 2, GP2, World Series by Renault and Formula 3000 will gather in the Czech Republic’s second-largest city for the fourth of five 2021 season events for an unforgettable experience. The public is admitted to the Masaryk Racing Days, and the paddock can also be visited. A weekend ticket costs 16 euros, a one-day ticket 12 euros – tickets are sold directly at the entrances.

With a length of 5.403 kilometres, the circuit on the western outskirts of the city is the second longest on the 2021 BOSS GP race calendar after Monza. Fast and flowing corners alternate with a technically demanding section. Engine power is also a decisive factor because the Czech rollercoaster is steeply uphill in the last third of the track. Ideal terrain, therefore, for Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing) in the Benetton B197 and Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) in the Toro Rosso STR1 to bring their V10 power to bear. In the FORMULA class, Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) will try to take his sixth win of the season. However, his fiercest opponents, Simone Colombo and Luca Martucci (both ITA, MM International), will have something against it. After a one race break, Red Bull Ring winner Harald Schlegelmilch (LVA, HS Engineering) is also back in the field. In the SUPER LIGHTS, Maurizio Copetti (ITA) is the favourite in his V6 World Series machine.

In addition to the headliner BOSS GP, other race series will take place from Friday to Sunday: Drexler Formula Cup, ESET V4 Cup with the TCR Eastern Europe and the Renault Clio Cup Bohemia, Suzuki Swift Cup Europe and historic racing classes (HAIGO).

Schedule BOSS GP Masaryk Racing Days Brno:

Friday, 3 September 2021
11:10–11:40     Free Practice 1
15:25–15:55     Free Practice 2

Saturday, 4 September 2021
09:30–10:00     Qualifying
15:25               Race 1 (20 minutes)

Sunday, 5 September 2021
09:05–09:15     Warm-up
12:15                Race 2 (25 minutes)

Photos: Angelo Poletto, Michael Jurtin/both BOSS GP

Report Race 2 Brno

Walter Steding (Dallara GP2)

Big surprise in the Sunday race: Double victory for Scuderia Palladio.

Although it was raining overnight, the track mostly dried up until the second BOSS GP race at the Masaryk Racing Days was started. As a result, all the drivers went onto the track on Pirelli P Zero dry tyres. Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) got a bad start from row 1, but he defended his class lead and followed Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) on the first meters. Right behind him Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International) managed to overtake Roman Hoffmann (AUT, Hoffmann Racing) right on lap 1, just like he did yesterday.

Hoffmann had to defend himself against Salvatore de Plano (ITA, Coloni) and Andreas Fiedler (DEU, Fiedler Racing) which were pushing from behind. On lap 3 De Plano and Fiedler collided in turn 1. While de Plano was able to continue his race almost undamaged, Fiedler’s GP2 Dallara was visibly damaged. De Plano finished the race in 5th place, Fiedler behind Christian Ferstl (AUT, Ferstl Racing) still in 7th place.

The situation came to a head at the front when the overall leader Gerstl steered his Toro Rosso Formula 1 into pit lane. An overheated engine forced the winner of all previous season races to make a stopover. Marco Ghiotto thus took the overall lead in the race, which he did not give up until the checkered flag.

In the meantime, Chris Höher (AUT, Top Speed) also mixed up the field. However, like yesterday he had to park his car in the pits early. Meanwhile, Ghiotto’s teammate Walter Steding (DEU) caused a sensation. During the middle of the race he passed Hoffmann for third place. The Austrian defended himself hard, but that was not enough. A few laps later Martucci was also overtaken by Steding in the penultimate corner. For Steding, second place in today’s race was the first podium since his most successful racing season in 2015. For Marco Ghiotto’s Scuderia Palladio it was also the first one-two victory in the team’s history in BOSS GP.

For defending champion Ghiotto the overall standings after 6 of 12 races look very promising. Rival Luca Martucci is already 30 points behind. Walter Steding, who is only one point ahead of Roman Hoffmann, now follows in third place.

You can watch BOSS GP in race action again at the Cuvee Sensorium Grand Prix in Assen in three weeks’ time.

Photo: Dirk Hartung

Report Race 1 Brno

Ghiotto (GP2) and Gerstl (Toro Rosso)

Ghiotto fights a duel with Gerstl and extends his lead in FORMULA.

For the first time this year, racing fans were able to experience the BOSS GP Racing Series live on site at the Masaryk Racing Days in Brno. The sound of V10 and V8 engines and the late summer temperatures of around 30 degrees Celsius attracted a few thousand spectators on Saturday.

Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) was the clear favourite for the overall victory. But Gerstl did not make use of the full potential of his Toro Rosso STR1 F1 car and so Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) suddenly caught up with him in the middle of the race. Twice the lead changed between the two of them, until Gerstl finally prevailed. Ghiotto took it easy and with the class win he was able to further extend his lead in the FORMULA standings.

The gap to his competitors Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International) and Roman Hoffmann (AUT, Hoffmann Racing) was much larger than initially expected. Martucci overtook Hoffmann right after the start and then settled for second place in the class. BOSS GP rookie Hoffmann remained third and was able to take home a trophy for the third time in a row despite gearbox problems.

Because Walter Steding (DEU, Scuderia Palladio) could not get away at the pre-start, a race to catch up followed with some overtaking manoeuvres worth seeing. In the end he only just missed the podium with 4th place in his class. Steding also overtook Salvatore de Plano (ITA, Coloni), who finished fifth in the FORMULA class.

Andreas Fiedler (DEU, Fiedler Racing) gained the most positions, moving up from 9th to 6th right in the starting phase. Bianca Steiner (AUT, Steiner Motorsport) remained in the race ahead of Christian Ferstl (AUT, Ferstl Racing) and Christopher Höher (AUT, Top Speed), who, however, made his way to the pits early.

Tomorrow’s warm-up starts at 9h05, before the second race gets underway at 12h20. As in race 1, the starting order will be according to the result of qualifying session. If the weather forecast is correct, the Pirelli Cinturato rain tyres could be in use tomorrow.

Photo: Dirk Hartung

Report Qualifying Brno

Ingo Gerstl, Toro Rosso STR1

Ingo Gerstl and Marco Ghiotto will start from row 1.

As expected, the qualifying in the FORMULA class turned into a three-way battle for pole position. Best in class was FORMULA points leader Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio), who beat Roman Hoffmann (AUT, Hoffmann Racing) by only two tenths of a second. Hoffmann achieved his best qualifying result so far and puts his Dallara GP2 on the second row of the grid for both races. Next to him Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International) will be on the hunt through the Automotodrom Brno.

Walter Steding (DEU, Scuderia Palladio) was able to repeat his performance from Friday in Q1. He will start from 5th position, Salvatore de Plano (ITA, Coloni) qualified behind him. De Plano in his A1GP car was the only driver to improve his time at the end of Q2. In the end, he was only missing Steding’s time by a hundredth of a second. Three Austrians follow in positions 7 to 9: Bianca Steiner (Steiner Motorsport), Christian Ferstl (Ferstl Racing) and Christopher Höher (Top Speed). Höher, who won the season opener in Imola, only drove a timed lap.

Fastest in the third qualifying session this year was again Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) in the Toro Rosso STR1. With 1:35.544 he was only slightly behind his own lap record. Green Flag for race 1 with a distance of 20 minutes will be this afternoon at 15h25.

Photo: Dirk Hartung