Tag: Germany

Report: Race 2 Hockenheim

Posted on May 7, 2023 by - General

The Hockenheim Historic once again offered a lot to the spectators on Sunday. Double wins for Gerstl, Pizzonia, Colombo and Clausnitzer.

Antonio Pizzonia (BRA, HS Engineering) was clearly enjoying himself as he held the lead for a while with the World Series V8 ahead of the Formula 1 of Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed). For several laps the two swapped the lead in the race until Gerstl finally picked up the pace and saw the black and white chequered flag for the BOSS GP F1 Class first. The race for the premier class ended after just 15 minutes to reduce the running time of the valuable cars. For Pizzonia, it continued for another ten minutes, which he filled with more lap times just short of the 1:30 barrier. Pizzonia, who drove to class victory yesterday with a failed traction control system, also secured full points in OPEN class today. Climbing onto the class podium with him was team-mate Paul O’Connell (IRE) in a Dallara World Series car that had also been modified.

Duel in SUPER-LIGHTS category: Jody Stadelmann (le.) and Henry Clausnitzer (ri.)

Once again Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International) and Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) met on the track. The “eternal duel” in FORMULA class continued, at least in the early stages, until Colombo was able to shake off his rival with strong lap times after a safety car interruption. With his third victory in four races this season, Colombo was already able to build up a cushion on his fiercest rivals. Behind Ghiotto, Alexander Seibold (GER, Seibold Auto + Sport) held third place until shortly before the end. Marc Faggionato (ITA, MM International) stopped at the pre-start and then rushed after the field. Shortly before the end of the race he caught up with Seibold and tried to overtake the German several times. Seibold held his ground for a long time, but then had to give way in front of the Mercedes grandstand. However, with 4th place Seibold got his best BOSS GP placing so far. As the best German he also stayed ahead of Andreas Fiedler (GER, Fiedler Racing), who had started with used tyres and therefore could not start any more attacks to the front. A collision between Florian Schnitzenbaumer (GER, Top Speed) and “Checco” Malavasi (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) ended their race. Thomas Jackermeier (GER, Top Speed) also spun off the track in a promising position at the exit of the Bernie Ecclestone bend.

In the SUPER LIGHTS class, “to finish first, you first have to finish” was the key this time. Stefan Eisinger-Sewald (AUT, Red Rose Racing) went home to the workshop already on Saturday evening after a gearbox failure, but Jody Stadelmann (SUI) in the Formula Nippon was able to take part in today’s race after a steering failure yesterday. The victory, however, went to Henry Clausnitzer (GER, WF Racing), who has become a series winner with his fourth victory in the fourth race.

f. le.: Stadelmann, Ghiotto, O’Connell, Ehninger, Pizzonia, Colombo, Clausnitzer, Gerstl, Faggionato

It is now five weeks until the third event of the season. For the first time, BOSS GP will be part of the Red Bull Ring Classics programme from 9 to 11 June.

Pictures: Angelo Poletto

Report: Race 1 Hockenheim

Posted on May 6, 2023 by - General

In front of a record crowd at the Bosch Hockenheim Historic, the BOSS GP Racing Series brought Formula 1, Formula 2 and co. back to the Hockenheimring. Podium finishes for the Germans Henry Clausnitzer, Ulf Ehninger and Andreas Fiedler.

Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) dominated the BOSS GP F1 Class in the Toro Rosso STR1 and controlled the pace ahead of Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing) in the nine-year older Benetton B197. For Gerstl it was the third victory, for Ehninger the third podium of the new season.

Once again, Antonio Pizzonia (BRA, HS Engineering) focused on the hunt for the fastest lap. With a time of 1:29.007 min, he succeeded in doing just that in the World Series Dallara-Gibson. Paul O’Connell, who had travelled from Ireland and was also serviced by HS Engineering, was moved to the OPEN class after qualifying. His car is a 2002 World Series Dallara with a 3.3 litre Nicholson McLaren tuned Cosworth V8 giving it significantly more power than originally. O’Connell classified in the front group among the Formula 2 and in second place in the OPEN class behind Pizzonia.

The BOSS GP orchestra played big

There were numerous movements in the FORMULA class over the 20-minute race. Despite a safety car phase after a spin by Alexander Seibold (SUI, Seibold Auto + Sport), Andreas Fiedler still had enough time to advance into the top three. The German made his way from 8th on the grid and defended the last spot on the podium against “Checco” Malavasi, who had to settle for 4th. For Fiedler, it was his first podium since 2020 right on his debut in a 2008-generation GP2 Dallara.

At the front, it was another epic duel between Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International) and Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio), which kept coming to a climax all the way to the finish line. In the end, 0.085 seconds decided victory and second place. Colombo kept the upper hand, took his second win of the season and extended his lead in the standings.

Florian Schnitzenbaumer (GER) recovered from a spin in the early stages and still managed to finish 5th ahead of Top Speed team-mate Thomas Jakoubek (AUT). The duel between Thomas Jackermeier (8th) and his son Simon (10th) was won by Thomas. He will also be on display at the BOSS GP Hypercar Demonstration tomorrow Sunday at 9:35 am when he will pilot his over 1,000-hp Aston Martin Valkyrie around the 4.6-kilometre circuit.

Henry Clausnitzer (GER, WF Racing) could hardly believe it as he took victory in the SUPER LIGHTS for the third time in three races. Stefan Eisinger-Sewald (AUT, Red Rose Racing) was still able to take home the trophy for second place in the class. However, due to a clutch failure and subsequent damage to the gearbox, he had to retire from the race early. As this is irreparable on site, Eisinger-Sewald’s Ralt RT23 Formula 3000 will not be seen again until the next event at the Red Bull Ring.

A second race over the longer distance of 25 minutes will follow on Sunday. The race start is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. and can again be followed in the livestream.

Photos: Angelo Poletto

Preview: Hockenheim

Posted on May 4, 2023 by - General

From 5 to 7 May, one of the biggest international classic events of 2023 will take place at the Hockenheimring in Baden-Württemberg. The highlight for fans in the Motodrom: the BOSS GP Racing Series with Formula 1 drivers and cars from the 1990s and 2000s.

“Racing to see, hear, smell, taste and touch” – in short: “Enjoying Motorsport” is the motto of this year’s Bosch Hockenheim Historic. The event is held in honour of the Scottish Formula 1 World Champion Jim Clark, who died in a Formula 2 race at the Hockenheimring on 7 April 1968. Traditionally, the event always attracts around 500 starters and more than 20,000 fans in spring. This year, motorsport fans will be offered even more.

Entries

20 drivers have entered the second event of the BOSS GP Racing Series season after the season opener in Le Castellet in April. The world’s fastest racing cars will not only be presented to a large audience in Hockenheim, but there will also again be a battle for points in four classes. The BOSS GP Formula 1 class will feature Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) in the Toro Rosso STR1 and Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing), the 2021 champion from Tübingen. Ehninger will start in a former Hockenheim winner’s car, the Benetton B197. Thomas Jackermeier (GER, Top Speed), who last competed in a Toro Rosso STR3, could surprise the crowd. However, his start in another ten-cylinder car is still questionable.

A “must-see” for many is the entry of Antonio Pizzonia (BRA) in a World Series car from HS Engineering in the OPEN class. The Brazilian last competed at the – already rebuilt – Hockenheimring in 2004. At that time, he raced for BMW-Williams in Formula 1.

In the FORMULA class, the Italian regulars such as Simone Colombo (MM International), Marco Ghiotto and “Checco” Malavasi (both Scuderia Palladio) will be joined by several returnees to the series. Among others, the Germans Alexander Seibold (Seibold Auto + Sport) and Andreas Fiedler (GER, Fiedler Racing) will make their comeback with their GP2 cars. We can also look forward to the Hockenheim debut of Paul Ricard winner Marc Faggionato (ITA, MM International).

In the SUPER LIGHTS category, Henry Clausnitzer (GER, WF Racing), who won both races at Le Castellet in the Tatuus World Series car, will have new opponents at Hockenheim. With Joey Stadelmann (SUI, G-Force) in a Japanese Formula Nippon and the well-known Paul O’Connell (IRE, O’Connell Motorsport) and the Austrian Histo Cup winner Stefan Eisinger-Sewald (Red Rose Racing) in a Ralt Formula 3000, there are three new opponents for Clausnitzer this time.

Timetable

Friday, 5 May
13:30–14:00 Free Practice 1
17:05–17:35     Free Practice 2

Saturday, 6 May
09:35–10:05     Qualifying (two groups)
14:40–15:00     Race 1 (20 minutes)

Sunday, 7 May
14:05–14:30     Race 2 (25 minutes)

all times CEST

Tickets and live stream

Friday tickets start at 15 euros, day tickets for Saturday and Sunday cost 35 euros and 30 euros respectively. If you want to experience the entire weekend, tickets start at 49 euros. Tickets can be purchased via the online ticket shop, at the open box offices on site or by calling the hotline at +49(0)6205 950-222. The races of the BOSS GP Racing Series as well as a large part of the other programme on Saturday and Sunday can also be followed from home: The link to the live stream is www.hockenheim-historic.de/en/live

Support events

As part of the race programme, BOSS GP driver Thomas Jackermeier (GER, Top Speed) will contest a few demo laps in the brand-new Aston Martin Valkyrie on Sunday. Visitors to the Bosch Hockenheim Historic can watch the hypercar premiere from 9:35 am.

Around 500 participants from all over the world will captivate the many expected fans in their partly priceless historic racing cars in eleven different series. They will be able to admire the “Touring Cars of the Golden Era”, the four categories of FIA Masters Historic Racing represented at Bosch Hockenheim, the Group C Supercup, Raceclub Germany, the Historic Racecar Association, the Lurani Trophy for Formula Junior racers and the Historic Formula 2.

Photos: Angelo Poletto

Report: Hockenheim Race 2

Posted on May 8, 2022 by - General

In the fight for victory in the FORMULA classification, the action came to a head on the last lap. Class wins for Gerstl, Schlegelmilch, Colombo and Hasler.

BOSS GP rookie Zdenek Chovanec-Lopez (CZE, MM International) set an incredible pace for almost twenty minutes and already looked like the secure winner when his tyres started to degrade badly. Chovanec-Lopez’s GP2 car clearly started to drift more and more. In a powerslide he still tried to keep the fast-approaching Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International) behind him, but the effort was in vain. Colombo managed his Pirelli P-Zero slicks better and thus took the FORMULA victory in Sunday’s 25-minute race.

Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) was again able to collect a trophy at the podium ceremony, he finished third. Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International) crossed the finish line in an unthankful fourth place. The experienced Italian defeated Michael Aberer (AUT, MA Motorsport), who kept Martucci busy at the beginning of the race. Today, Aberer was able to score a good result after his retirement yesterday.

Paul O’Connell (IRE, HS Engineering) finished sixth in class, ahead of Giancarlo Pedetti, who put in a clean performance as he did yesterday in his BOSS GP debut race. The best German was Walter Steding (Scuderia Palladio) in eighth place. Despite a collision at the start of the race, Alexander Seibold (GER, Scuderia Palladio) was also able to finish the race. Much to the delight of many fans, because Seibold started with a special helmet design as a tribute to the unforgotten Swiss Formula 1 and sports car racer Jo Siffert.

Well-attended grandstands in best early summer weather at the Jim Clark Revival in Hockenheim

The other classes:

The OPEN category of the Formula 1 cars was again a straightforward affair for Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) in the first car of Scuderia Toro Rosso (now Alpha Tauri). Despite an early technical knockout, Phil Stratford (USA, Penn Elcom Racing) and Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing) were able to score second and third respectively.

Harald Schlegelmilch (LVA, HS Engineering) in the yellow-and-black World Series V8 machine performed as he did in Race 1 and, starting from last place on the grid, managed to overtake most of the field in the opening laps. The Latvian left all FORMULA cars behind and won the new classification of the modified BOSS GP cars.

After Andreas Hasler (AUT, Hasler Motorsport) could not take part in the race yesterday, the Austrian was eager to get through today. He succeeded and even more: Hasler claimed victory in the SUPER LIGHTS six-cylinder classification.

The two races in the Bosch Hockenheim Historic can be watched in replay at www.hockenheim-historic.de/en/live

The next two races of the BOSS GP Racing Series will follow in four weeks’ time (3-5 June 2022) as part of the Rundstreckentrophy at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg.

Note: The overall standings are currently still unofficial, as the modified FORMULA car class is only just being added to the regulations.

Pictures: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Report: Hockenheim Race 1

Posted on May 7, 2022 by - General

Tens of thousands of fans listened intently as the BOSS GP made its comeback at the Hockenheimring.

In the first race of the 2022 season, Latvian Harald Schlegelmilch (HS Engineering) achieved the rare feat of taking FORMULA class victory from the last grid position. After a couple of laps, the former German Formula 3 trophy winner was already in the top three of the class, and on the sixth lap he finally overtook the FORMULA leader Zdenek Chovanec-Lopez (CZE, MM International). Schlegelmilch thus won for the fourth time in the BOSS GP Racing Series after Spielberg and Brno 2021. Chovanec-Lopez was also delighted with second place in his BOSS GP debut race.

Behind them, a three-way battle between the Italians Marco Ghiotto (Scuderia Palladio), Simone Colombo and Luca Martucci (both MM International) was going on for a while – including tyre lockups and a couple of overtake attempts. On the penultimate lap, Colombo managed the decisive braking manoeuvre against Ghiotto in the hairpin. Colombo thus jumped onto the podium “last minute”.

With a light gap, the Irishman Paul O’Connell (“I’m living my dream”) from HS Engineering finished in sixth place. 7th place in class was still being fought for all the way to the finish line: Bianca Steiner (AUT, Steiner Motorsport), who had already passed Walter Steding (GER, Scuderia Palladio) in the meantime, complained about a sudden loss of power. In the end, it was just not enough to challenge Steding for seventh place. Giancarlo Pedetti (ITA, Nannini Racing) also finished his debut race in the BOSS GP Racing Series in the top ten with a ninth place.

OPEN race winner Ingo Gerstl from Team Top Speed

The OPEN class was once again safe for Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) in the Toro Rosso F1. Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing) from Tübingen in a Benetton F1 kept out of all the FORMULA class fights and secured second place. His Benetton twin Phil Stratford (USA, Penn Elcom) was only seen for a short time, he had to retire from the race early on due to technical problems.

Michael Aberer (MA Motorsport) was among those beaten in race 1: The Austrian did it like Sebastien Vettel once did and sunk his chances for a top position in the gravel bed of the Sachs curve – but the damage to his GP2 car should be repaired by the second race. Start time for race 2 is tomorrow Sunday at 3:55 p.m. (CEST), before that the warm-up runs at 11:05. You can follow all the action via livestream on www.hockenheim-historic.de/en/live

Pictures: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Report: Hockenheim Qualifying

Posted on May 7, 2022 by - General

Already on Saturday morning, the grandstands in the Motodrom were well attended and the open paddock at the Bosch Hockenheim Historic was crowded. Early birds were rewarded with V10 and V8 sounds from the BOSS GP.

Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed), the BOSS GP champion from 2008, 2016 to 2020, took the first pole position of the year. Unsurprisingly, the man from Salzburg set the superior fastest time in this season’s first qualifying session with 1:21.093 in his Toro Rosso STR1. BOSS GP rookie Zdenek Chovanec-Lopez (CZE, MM International) will start the race alongside him. The 17-year-old with Formula 3 experience was thus the fastest driver in the FORMULA classification. Behind him, his teammate Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International), last year’s FORMULA runner-up, will start the race. Fourth place was taken by Phil Stratford (USA, Penn Elcom) in the 1997 Formula 1 Benetton, who despite a small spin at the start of qualifying managed to finish well ahead.

Due to his high demands, three-time BOSS GP champion Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) in the original GP2 car of Charles Leclerc was somehow disappointed with his 5th place. The Italian already complained yesterday about not coping well with the medium-fast track. Behind him Michael Aberer (AUT, MA Motorsport) will start into race one. Despite two spins, he was able to keep improving until the end of the session and move up to sixth place.

Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing) and Paul O’Connell (IRE, HS Engineering) will start the race from row 4. Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International) will only start from grid position nine due to a penalty, Bianca Steiner (AUT, Steiner Motorsport) will start from 10th after little practice time on Friday.

Bianca Steiner in her GP2 car

The 17-strong grid will be chased this afternoon by Harald Schlegelmilch (LVA, HS Engineering). After very good practice times, former BOSS GP race winner will only start the race from second-last place on the grid. Already in the outlap the drive shaft broke on the modified World Series by Renault bolide. However, the Austrian team will be able to repair the car before the race start (3:30 p.m. CET). Hopefully, local hero Andreas Fiedler will also be able to do the same, as he and his team will try to fix the temperature problems on his bilious green GP2 car.

The first of two races this weekend will be over a distance of 20 laps. Please remind, that the OPEN class drivers will already see the checkered flag after 15 minutes. BOSS GP’s race 1, like the other races at the Jim Clark Revival at the Hockenheimring, can be followed via livestream from 3:20 p.m. CET today: www.hockenheim-historic.de/en/live

Pictures: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Preview: Hockenheim

Posted on May 4, 2022 by - General

Three years after its last appearance at Hockenheim, the BOSS GP Racing Series will be back at the start of the traditional event in honour of Jim Clark next weekend. We have summarised everything you need to know.

Tens of thousands of fans will return to the Motodrom from 6 to 8 May 2022 to honour the widely honoured Scottish racing driver Jim Clark, who tragically lost his life in a Formula 2 race at Hockenheim in 1968. They will all bring the past back to life this weekend through intense racing action.

However, the organisers of the Bosch Hockenheim Historic are not afraid of building a bridge to the modern age. And so the BOSS GP Racing Series has not only been a regular part of the Jim Clark Revival for years, but also a real crowd-puller. The Big Open Single Seater series was born out of a fundamental question: What should be done with the numerous old cars from classes such as Formula 1, IndyCar, GP2, Auto GP, A1 GP, Superleague Formula or even the World Series? Put them in a museum? Or bring them back to the race track? The answer was obvious. And so the BOSS GP 2022 enters its 28th season this coming weekend. Here are the entrants for the first of six season events in 2022:

No.NameNationTeamClassCarBuild inModel
1Ingo GerstlAUTTop SpeedF1Toro Rosso2006STR1
7Ulf EhningerDEUESBA RacingF1Benetton1997B197
8Phil StratfordGBRPenn Elcom RacingF1Benetton1997B197
10Harald SchlegelmilchLVAHS EngineeringOPENDallara2012World Series V8 by Renault
15Christian FerstlAUTTop SpeedFORMULADallara2011GP2
22Michael AbererAUTAM MotorsportFORMULADallara2005GP2
27Marco GhiottoITAScuderia PalladioFORMULADallara2011GP2
28Bruno JarachITAEesti MotorsportFORMULADallara2008GP2
31Paul O’ConnellIREHS EngineeringFORMULADallara2012World Series by Renault
32Simone ColomboITAMM InternationalFORMULADallara2017F2
37Luca MartucciITAMM InternationalFORMULADallara2011GP2
43Giancarlo PedettiITANannini RacingFORMULADallara2014GP2
44Thomas JakoubekAUTTop SpeedFORMULADallara2008GP2
46Alexander SeiboldDEUSeibold Auto + SportFORMULADallara2005GP2
47Walter StedingDEUScuderia PalladioFORMULADallara2011GP2
51Zdenek Chovanec LopezCZEMM InternationalFORMULADallara2011GP2
66Andreas FiedlerDEUFiedler RacingFORMULADallara2008GP2
110Bianca SteinerAUTSteiner MotorsportFORMULADallara2005GP2
111Alexander GeierAUTGeier RacingSUPER LIGHTSTatuus2003World Series by Renault
115Andreas HaslerAUTHasler MotorsportSUPER LIGHTSDallara2009World Series by Nissan

Support races:

In addition to the BOSS GP Racing Series, five other formula series will be part of the Bosch Hockenheim Historic: Formula 2, plus the Historic Race Car Association‘s racing cars represent the legendary junior Formula Ford, Vee, Super Vee and Formula 3. The Raceclub Germany is home to various single-seater categories up to Formula 1. The Lurani Trophy is a reminiscence of the legendary Formula Junior, which formed the springboard for a great career for countless top talents. And the Historic Formula Vee Europe is, as the name suggests, about one of the most successful and long-lived junior formulas in history. They all open up a glimpse into a past in which perhaps not everything was more beautiful, but in which legends were written and which is associated with numerous and varied memories, not only among older racing fans.

Fans of historic touring cars, GTs and prototypes will also get their money’s worth at the Bosch Hockenheim Historic. Five other racing series are dedicated to the automotive jewels with roofs, some of which date back to the 1950s, and which offer absolute highlights in the colourful programme of the traditional event, and not only in the form of the brute racers of the legendary Group C.

Timetable and livestream:

Friday, 6 May 2022
12:40–13:10     Free Practice 1
16:45–17:15     Free Practice 2

Saturday, 7 May 2022
09:40–10:10     Qualifying
15:30               Race 1 (20 minutes) LIVESTREAM

Sunday, 8 May 2022
11:05–11:15     Warm-up
15:55                Race 2 (25 minutes) LIVESTREAM

The programme on Saturday and Sunday, including the two races of the BOSS GP, can also be watched for free from home in the livestream with live commentary: www.hockenheim-historic.de/en/live

Side events at the Hockenheim Historic

An event like the Bosch Hockenheim Historic thrives above all on interaction with the fans. The paddock and pit area are open and visible to everyone. All the action on the race track will be broadcast on Saturday and Sunday via a large video screen in the Sachs Curve, so that the spectators in the inner grandstand will be well informed at all times about what is happening on the rest of the 4.5-kilometre Grand Prix circuit. In addition, a wide range of information is displayed on the big screen. And if you want to enjoy some quiet time before, during or after your visit to the paddock and grandstands, you can simply visit the Jim Clark exhibition in the congress pavilion.

Tickets:

The ticket prices reflect the family character of the event. Friday tickets start at 10 euros, day tickets for Saturday and Sunday are available from 30 euros, and those who want to experience the entire weekend up close and personal can get in for 45 euros. And for those who like it a bit more exclusive, VIP packages are available from 200 euros. Tickets are available via the online ticket shop or by calling the hotline at +49 6205 950 222.

Picture: Michael Kavena/BOSS GP

Formula 1 ”just for fun”

Posted on March 11, 2022 by - 5, General

Ulf Ehninger from Tübingen in Germany surprisingly won the BOSS GP OPEN class title in 2021. We spoke to the defending champion ahead of the season opener in Hockenheim (6-8 May 2022) to discuss the speciality of running a classic Formula 1 car.

Let’s look back to 2021: What are the strongest memories of your masterpiece?

ULF EHNINGER: “Probably that we made it at all! We didn’t even realise it until Monza. It was only when Thomas Hummer from Pirelli told me at the podium ceremony that we had a chance that we started thinking about it. Before that, we wanted to be completely relaxed about it – it was just for fun. I learned that if I take the pressure off, it works better. Ingo Gerstl helped me to understand the set-up of the car. I didn’t feel comfortable in the car for a long time, now I feel the car and its limits much better.”

Was verbindet dich mit dem Benetton B197?

EHNINGER: “The car is great, I often stand languishing in front of it. Actually, the car is much too beautiful to drive. You should know, that it’s probably also the Formula 1 car with the most kilometres worldwide!”

What do you need to be able to do to drive a car like that?

EHNINGER: “James Hunt once said, ‘big balls’. Before I get into a car like this, I have quite a mental dilemma When you sit in it, however, it’s gone. But it’s still a huge challenge to drive it. After the first free practice session I’m completely blown away – and confronted with a lot of impressions – that takes a lot of effort. Gerstl pulls the trigger, I have to feel my way. Engineer Dario Pergolini helped me a lot with his analysis tools. I can’t even describe the feeling of driving such a racing car. Acceleration is the quickest thing to get used to, but I’ll never get used to the cornering speeds.”

How did it come about in the first place? You don’t buy a Formula 1 car in a supermarket …

EHNINGER: “I drove endurance races for a long time. But my dream was always to drive a Formula 1 racing car, which I wanted to do for my 50th birthday. The fact that I now own and drive one myself and have already driven almost 3,000 kilometres in it – that’s a dream come true. I drove a sports car in the Jim Clark Revival at the Hockenheimring in 2018. We broke the drive shaft. After the repair, we walked through the paddock late at night. As we passed Phil Stratford’s pits, a sticker said ‘Sale’. Rather jokingly, we then called the number and ended up with Kevin Mansell and Phil Stratford, who informed us about the car the very next day. It then took some time, as the car was in the USA, until we could get started. But our goal has always been to run the car ourselves and not have another team look after it.”

That sounds good, but not easy.

EHNINGER: “I do most of the work myself and also drive the truck. The search for parts can be very tiring, it can take three months to find something. In winter, everything is checked – every sealing ring, the entire chassis for possible damage and so on. The spare parts have to be rebuilt. We are currently working on a solution to increase the short running times of the gearbox. After the race at the Red Bull Ring (3-5 June 2022, note), the engine will then come in for an overhaul.”

Why can’t you get enough of it anyway?

EHNINGER: “I think it’s nice to spend a race weekend together with others. I have been super well welcomed into the BOSS GP. It was always said that only the rich ‘snobs’ race there – but it wasn’t like that. So we enjoy spending a weekend like this as a community rather than attending track days somewhere anonymously. Last year the Italians invited us for dinner, and even though we didn’t know Italian and they didn’t know German, we had a delicious evening of conversation.”

Your team ESBA Racing originally comes from endurance racing, how are you set up?

EHNINGER: “As you rightly say, ESBA already existed before the Benetton, roughly since 2016. We had already bought a truck for it, which we still use today to spend the night at the race tracks. Jochen, with whom I’ve been friends for over 30 years, has been with me from the beginning. When I’m driving, he’s with me. When he rides, I’m with him. I met Jens through a friend. He has become a valuable team member and is now also involved with Glickenhaus. He’s passionate about Benetton, and without him it wouldn’t work at all. Then there is Dario, who has brought professionalism to the team.

Can you briefly summarise your racing career so far?

EHNINGER: “Career is perhaps a little overstated (laughs). More than 20 years ago, I really wanted to race on the Nordschleife. Together with friends we built a BMW E36 M3 – without much time or money. Later I also drove an Audi and a Porsche – even the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring twice. The Nordschleife is certainly the greatest track there is.

What I like about the BOSS GP Racing Series is the way the people tick, that you can have fun together and that politics is in the background. With Pirelli, we have a strong partner and are certainly on the right track. I wish, more being done for young talent.”

What are your plans for the new season?

EHNINGER: “In addition to a few races in the BOSS GP, I will also try to drive another historic race car a few times, namely a V8 Star bolide (German silhouette series from the early 2000s, note) – the original Hasseröder car from Harald Grohs.”

Photos: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP