Tag: Gerstl

Great start to autumn in Mugello

Posted on October 23, 2024 by Stieger - General

After the race in Assen / Netherlands and the subsequent summer break, the teams of the BOSS GP Racing series headed south at the beginning of October. When entries closed, it was already clear that there would be a very large starting field in Tuscany with 24 cars. HS-Engineering from Austria had taken a break in Assen, but both Dallara World Series V8 T12s were entered for Mugello. The Brazilian ex-Formula 1 driver Antonio Pizzonia with the more powerful 4.5 liter Gibson engine in the Open Class and the Irishman Paul O’Connell with the 3.5 liter V8. The French ZIG-ZAG team brought two well-known Auto GP racers to the start in the Formula Class, the Monegasque Nicolas Matile and the Frenchman Jean-Christope Peyre.

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

There was also a reunion with Giancarlo Pedetti (ITA), who this time drove a GP 2 from Scuderia Palladio. The Czech Vladimir Netušil will be taking part in this Formula Class for the first time. He dared to switch from a Formula 3 to the GP2 of the Italian team MM International Motorsport. The large field of starters was also joined by the 2022 BOSS GP Super Lights champion, Andreas Hasler from Austria, who brought his Dallara World Series V6 T08 to Tuscany after a long, technical absence.

In the two free practice sessions, which were run in changing conditions, Ingo Gerstl (AUT) from the Top-Speed team in the Toro Rosso STR1 F1 and Antonio Pizzonia duelled. Gerstl drove the fastest time in FP1 with 1:30.422, Pizzonia countered as the fastest in FP2, but with 1:31.513 he could not match the Austrian’s time. Behind them was an Italian GP 2 trio with Simone Colombo, Massimiliano Cuccarese (both MM International Motorsport) and Marco Ghiotto (Scuderia Palladio). Newcomer Vladimir Netušil was surprisingly strong, making himself noticeable behind this trio after the two free practice sessions and thus in the front field of the Formula Class. An exciting qualifying session was to be expected – and that’s what happened, but with a significant delay, because the morning fog persisted and was so thick that it was not possible for any of the racing classes present in Mugello this weekend to start on time. The first drivers, the Alfa Romeo Revival Cup, only took to the track two hours later than planned.

The delays in the schedule caused by the heavy fog did not dampen the mood of the participants of the Boss GP Racing Series (in the picture from left: Paul O´Connell / HS-Engineering, Ingo Gerst / Top-Speed and Andreas Hasler / Hasler Motorsport).

The fog then quickly cleared and the weather improved. This meant that much better lap times were possible in the BOSS GP qualifying session. Due to the large field of starters, the 30-minute qualifying session was again split into two groups this time. First 10 minutes for the fastest from the free practice sessions and then 18 minutes for the rest of the field after a changeover phase.

The best in each class in qualifying:

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

Dominating this year’s BOSS GP Super-Lights class: Stephan Glaser (SUI), Jo Zeller Racing, Dallara WS V6 T8.

Due to the delays caused by the fog, PNK as the organizer had to tighten up the schedule enormously in consultation with the race management and the BOSS GP organization. All series organizers helped very enthusiastically to get all the planned races through. For race 1 of the BOSS GP, which started almost an hour late, the race duration had to be shortened by two minutes.

Class results BOSS GP race 1:

Race 2 on Sunday went ahead as originally planned. In the formation lap, the two Formula 1 cars with Ingo Gerstl and Ulf Ehninger (GER), ESBA Racing, Benetton B197 F1, were at the front. Behind the second leading car was the rest of the field, led by Antonip Pizzonia and followed by an armada of GP2 drivers from the Formula Class. Since some preliminary decisions could be made in the individual classes with regard to the overall victory, exciting duels and interesting fights for the individual positions in the points were to be expected. And that’s exactly what happened. Positions were changed for laps.

With two race wins in Mugello, Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International Motorsport, Dallara GP2, pictured at the front) is getting ever closer to the previous leader of the BOSS GP Formula class, Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio, Dallara GP2) in the points ranking. The decision for the overall victory in this class will probably be made on the Misano weekend at the beginning of November.

Class results BOSS GP Race 2:

Since the BOSS GP F1 class will not be taking part in the finale in Misano at the beginning of November, Ulf Ehninger has been declared the overall winner of the F1 class for the second time. The same goes for Antonio Pizzonia in the BOSS GP Open Class. There is no title decision in the remaining two BOSS GP classes. Here, both the overall victory and the placings behind it are still open. An exciting BOSS GP finale can therefore be expected in Misano from November 1st to 3rd.

Overall winner of the BOSS GP F1 class for the 2nd time after 2022: Ulf Ehninger (GER), ESBA Racing, Benetton B197 F1.

Was able to repeat his BOSS GP overall victory in the Open Class from last year: Ex-Formula 1 driver Antonio Pizzonia (BRA), HS-Engineering, Dallara World Series V8 T12 4.5.

Standings BOSS GP Racing Series – all classes
Gallery PNK Racing Weekend Mugello

Report: Black/SMW MEDIA
Photos: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Review: Assen 2024

Posted on August 26, 2024 by Keke Platzer - 5, General

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

Review: Red Bull Ring 2024

Posted on July 2, 2024 by Keke Platzer - 5, General

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

AMF honours for BOSS GP drivers

Posted on February 2, 2024 by Keke Platzer - 5, General

The champions of the 2023 season received more honours in Austria last January.

The Austrian Motorsport Federation (AMF) celebrated the winning drivers of the previous year in a magnificent setting at the Congress Center and Casino in Baden, around 30 kilometres from Vienna. As a racing series based in Austria, we were given this honour. The champions Ingo Gerstl (BOSS GP F1 Class) and Henry Clausnitzer (SUPER LIGHTS) gladly attended the evening. On behalf of HS Engineering, team owner Michael Hascic received the trophy for the OPEN title win by Antonio Pizzonia. FORMULA winner Simone Colombo had to be excused due to the start of the karting season in Italy and the obligations that go with it.

This time, the BOSS GP Racing Series with its representative Keke Platzer also had the opportunity to present the series on stage in a discussion with AMF General Secretary Michael Fehlmann ahead of its 30th anniversary in the 2024 season.

Photos: Gregor Nesvadba

Report: Races Monza

Posted on September 24, 2023 by Keke Platzer - 5, General

The crowds at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza enjoyed three days of top-class motorsport at the Nardi Compressori Race. Italian Colombo wins second FORMULA title in a row. Japanese Noda impresses on debut.

The first race on Saturday will probably go down as one of the races that started the latest in BOSS GP history. After a lengthy rain interruption in the afternoon, the BOSS GP timetable was also delayed. The first (20-minute) race did not start until after 6 pm, however when it did, it offered a stunning ambience at the Parco di Monza as apology for the wait.

The Formula 1 racetrack also saw two highlights with F1 history featuring Ingo Gerstl’s Toro Rosso STR1 and Antonio Pizzonia. Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) had to give way to the Brazilian for overall victory in both races this time. Pizzonia (BRA, HS Engineering) impressed not only with the victory in the OPEN class. By using a “low downforce setup” on the World Series V8 with a 4.5-litre engine he was able to achieve a top speed of over 330 km/h. Ingo Gerstl is now officially the champion of the BOSS GP F1 Class and joins the confirmed champions of the 2023 season, Antonio Pizzonia (OPEN) and Henry Clausnitzer (SUPER LIGHTS).

Gerstl followed closely by Pizzonia, in the background Marco Ghiotto

A decision was also made in the FORMULA class, where the epic duel between two Italians continued. In qualifying, Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) had scored a coup by having more time in Q2 than his rival Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International). He used this time to go for the fastest time again at the end of the session with new Pirelli tyres. Ghiotto got it right and put himself in a better position for the two races.

Their duels made their mark on the races in this competitive class with Formula 2 (GP2) and World Series cars. An unfortunate situation in the first race took Ghiotto out of contention for victory. However, with third place in class, he at least saved a large number of points. In the second race, once more Ghiotto kept up with championship leader Colombo and tried everything to keep the title race open. But once again it was not enough. With the double victory, Colombo will travel to the finale in Mugello (6-8 October 2023) as the old and new champion. It is the former karting professional’s second title in the BOSS GP. This extends the series of championships for Italian drivers to five in a row.

But newcomer Juju Noda (JPN, HS Engineering) was also in the mix and impressed many commentators with her ability to learn quickly. For the former driver in the W Series and the Euroformula Open, it was a successful debut in the league of the “Big Open Single Seater”. Places 2 and 3 were a showcase of talent for the 17-year-old in the World Series 3.5. Team-mate Paul O’Connell (IRE), competing for the first time in the team’s 4.5-litre World Series in the OPEN class, also contributed with two second places to the fact that HS Engineering once again collected a lot of silverware.

Andreas Fiedler (GER, Fiedler Racing) made his comeback after a break and showed with fourth place in the second run that he also belongs to the top group. Other notable results: 5th place for Checco Malavasi (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) and 6th place for newcomer David Richert (CDN, MM International) in the second race. After a premature retirement in the first race, Felix and Michael Grosse-Aschhoff (both GER, Asche Racing) were able to score in the second race, as was Bruno Jarach (ITA, Eesti Motorsport).

Stefan Eisinger-Sewald (AUT, Red Rose Racing) gained some new fans in the iconic Ralt F3000 with retro design. He scored full points twice in the SUPER LIGHTS and is now on course for second place in the championship.

Photos: Angelo Poletto/BOSS GP

Report: Races Assen

Posted on August 13, 2023 by Claudia Auer - General

Once again, the event in Assen was a motorsport festival for both participants and spectators.

Tens of thousands of fans in the grandstands at the TT Circuit in Assen (Netherlands), saw Europe’s fastest racing series in action at Jack’s Racing Day. A huge show program surrounded the practice sessions and races of the BOSS GP Racing Series this Saturday and Sunday. Among others, former Formula 1 driver Nyck de Vries hit the track in a World Series car of BOSS GP team HS Engineering. Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) also made headlines, smashing both the track record and the official lap record (set in the race). With 1:15.861, the Austrian lapped the current MotoGP track in his Toro Rosso STR1 Formula 1 car faster than anyone before.

The Dutch Formula E World Champion Nyck de Vries in the HS racing car

The results

The fifth race weekend of this season produced four double winners: Ingo Gerstl (BOSS GP F1 Class), Antonio Pizzonia (OPEN), Simone Colombo (FORMULA) and Henry Clausnitzer (SUPER LIGHTS) secured both race wins in their classes. For Pizzonia (BRA, HS Engineering) and Clausnitzer (GER, WF Racing) these successes also mean the premature win of the championship. The duel of the weekend saw again Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International) and Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) battling for victory in the FORMULA class. These two GP2 drivers were once again split by just a few tenths of a second. There were also celebrations for Simon Jackermeier (GER, Top Speed), who was on the podium for the first time in race 2. In Race 1, Walter Steding (GER, Scuderia Palladio) was invited onto the winner’s photo, showing with third place on his return that he has lost none of his speed.

Podium of race 2: f.l. Ghiotto, Colombo, Pizzonia, Gerstl, Clausnitzer, S. Jackermeier

Next up for the BOSS GP Racing Series is Brno on September 9-10, where there will be the premiere of the BOSS GP Show Runs. Next points will be awarded in Monza again, where the engines will be fired up from September 22-24.

Photos: SMW MEDIA, WF Racing

Report: Race 2 Red Bull Ring

Posted on June 11, 2023 by Keke Platzer - General, General

Sixth race of the BOSS GP Racing Series season: Gerstl, Pizzonia, Colombo and Eisinger-Sewald celebrate double wins. Vettel again on the podium today.

15 minutes for the BOSS GP F1 Class and 25 minutes for the other drivers were on Sunday’s timetable. Many visitors took advantage of Father’s Day in Austria to make the trip to the Red Bull Ring. Ingo Gerstl in the Formula 1 Toro Rosso did not miss the opportunity to stay longer on the track with his F1 (in compliance with the regulations) and to duel with Antonio Pizzonia (BRA, HS Engineering) in the tuned World Series 4.5 for the overall victory – much to the delight of the spectators. In the end, Gerstl also won the sixth race of the season in the F1 class ahead of Ulf Ehninger (GER) in the 1997 Benetton.

Like yesterday, OPEN participant Antonio Pizzonia took the overall lead for a while on Sunday. After a full course yellow period, the Brazilian was able to hold on to the lead for a few more laps and further improved on his times from yesterday with lap times just over 1:15 min, which was easily enough to win the class. Second place went to Paul O’Connell (IRE, HS Engineering) in the 3.3-litre World Series, who finished well ahead in the overall standings today.

The FORMULA class was turbulent at times. Lapping, many position changes but finally the same winner again: Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International) remained untouched today, even though it was close at times. In the early stages, Fabian Vettel (Top Speed) was the first to take the lead. The 24-year-old German overtook Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) already in the first corner and stayed with Colombo for a long time afterwards. But like yesterday, Vettel lost pace at the end of the race. This gave Marco Ghiotto another chance to overtake Vettel’s Fanatec GP2. Colombo used this stage of the race to pull away decisively. With season win no. 5, the Italian is now also pulling away from his opponents in the championship standings. Behind Marco Ghiotto, Fabian Vettel also took third place today. With two third places, Vettel proved his driving qualities in an open-wheeler, a return at Misano is possible.

“Checco” Malavasi (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) remained without any mistakes today and stayed close to the Top-3 until the end. With 4th place, the ambitious Italian scored a lot of points for the overall ranking. Andreas Fiedler (GER, Fiedler Racing) was able to hold his own against his opponents in the midfield despite used tyres. Bruno Jarach (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) followed in 6th place in the class, ahead of Thomas Jakoubek (Top Speed) as the best Austrian in 7th place. Team boss Armando Mangini (ITA, MM International) also found a satisfying end to his comeback weekend as a driver with 8th place.

Alexander Geier (GER, Geier Racing), on the other hand, experienced a painful end to his race. The man from Salzburg was already in second place in front of Vettel. A few laps before the chequered flag, he was disappointed to end the race in the pits with a gearbox problem.

SUPER LIGHTS driver Stefan Eisinger-Sewald (AUT, Red Rose Racing) was happy that today’s race was five minutes longer. After a spin in turn 3 and a second one when coming back onto the track, he had already fallen far behind Henry Clausnitzer (GER, WF Racing). Two laps from the end, however, Eisinger-Sewald in the Ralt Formula 3000 managed to catch up and finally overtook Clausnitzer’s less powerful World Series car. For Eisinger-Sewald it was a celebrated double victory, but Clausnitzer remained the leader of the standings. Third place went to Walter Colacino (ITA), who shared the car with his colleague Sebastiano Sibani (ITA) this weekend.

The BOSS GP continues the European tour already in mid-July. On 22/23 July 2023 will visit World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in Misano. Points will than be awarded in the OPEN, FORMULA and SUPER LIGHTS classes.

Pictures: Erwin Strassnigg/BOSS GP

Report: Race 1 Red Bull Ring

Posted on June 11, 2023 by Keke Platzer - 5, General

The BOSS GP Racing Series was the highlight of the first race day at the Red Bull Ring Classics 2023, with Gerstl and Pizzonia taking the next wins, Colombo claiming FORMULA victory and a maiden win for Eisinger-Sewald on home soil.

In front of a huge crowd and in the best spring weather, the world’s fastest single-seater cars put on a great show in Spielberg. In the first half of Saturday’s 20-minute race, Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) in the Toro Rosso F1, Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing) in the Benetton F1 and Antonio Pizzonia (BRA, HS Engineering) in the modified World Series Dallara stayed close together. Pizzonia quickly passed Ehninger and made his way towards Gerstl. The latter played along and the two experienced drivers swapped positions. Pizzonia led the field after a safety car interruption, but Gerstl shifted up a gear and took the lead again with lap times under 1 minute and 15 seconds, winning for the fifth time this year. While Antonio Pizzonia secured the full points in the OPEN class, Ulf Ehninger took second place in the Formula 1 cars. Second place in the OPEN class went to Paul O’Connell (IRE, HS Engineering), who missed out on a much better overall finish with a flat spot on one of the front tyres.

The top positions in the FORMULA class were again closely contested: Even though Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) and Fabian Vettel (GER, Top Speed) made several attempts to challenge Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International) for the win, Colombo remained patient while overlapping slower cars and won again just ahead of Ghiotto. Fabian Vettel was able to separate the Italian duo in the middle of the race, but after the safety car phase Ghiotto was able to pick up the pace faster and overtook the German again. Vettel, however, was extremely satisfied with third place on his debut in a Formula racing car.

Podium on Saturday: f.l. Ghiotto, Clausnitzer, O’Connell, Ehninger, Pizzonia, Colombo, Gerstl, Eisinger-Sewald, Vettel

Alexander Geier (AUT, Geier Racing) also had a stunning FORMULA debut. The young Austrian managed the second-best lap time in the class with his Dallara GP2, finishing fourth in the classification behind Vettel. Andreas Fiedler (GER, Fiedler Racing) followed in 5th place, Thomas Jackermeier (GER, Top Speed) in 6th. Seventh placed “Checco” Malavasi (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) lost a better position shortly before the end with a spin. Marco Minelli (ITA, AM Sport System) was also unlucky on his debut. He spun at the end of the second lap at the last corner and had to retire from the race early on.

Austrian Stefan Eisinger-Sewald (Red Rose Racing) drove to a home victory in the SUPER LIGHTS class. After a problem with the gearshift linkage in qualifying, the Formula 3000 car of the BOSS GP rookie ran flawlessly. He thus prevailed over the German Henry Clausnitzer (WF Racing) at his second race weekend in the BOSS GP Racing Series.

The second race starts on Sunday at 10:40a.m. local time.

Photos: Erwin Strassnigg/BOSS GP, Michael Jurtin

Report: Qualifying Red Bull Ring

Posted on June 10, 2023 by Keke Platzer - General

New Pirelli tyres were used in the hunt for the fastest time in qualifying at the Red Bull Ring Classics. Best starting positions for Gerstl, Pizzonia, Colombo and Clausnitzer.

Many spectators ran even faster from the car parking to the grandstands, when they heard the roar of the Formula 1 engines. The packed ranks followed 19 BOSS GP Racing Series cars in qualifying on Saturday morning. With a speedy time of 1:11.524 min, Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) showed incredible pace in his ten-cylinder Toro Rosso from 2006. With an average speed of almost 220 km/h, the man from Salzburg amazed numerous visitors. Ulf Ehninger (GER, ESBA Racing) was unlucky in the 1997 Berger Benetton. The 2021 champion spun in turn 3 on his first fast lap and was not able to restart the car afterwards.

Still without traction control, but with a lot of driving pleasure, Antonio Pizzonia (BRA, HS Engineering) sets the tone in the OPEN class in the World Series Dallara with 4.5-litre Gibson engine. Team-mate Paul O’Connell (IRE) was afflicted with engine problems on Friday, but he was able to take part in qualifying and qualified 11th overall.

Simone Colombo (ITA, MM International) did not miss a beat in the third qualifying session of 2023. The Italian secured pole position in the first qualifying session and thus starts the races at the Red Bull Ring with the best starting position in the FORMULA class. But it was close again, only one tenth of a second was left by long-term rival Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) on his fastest lap compared to Colombo. Ghiotto tactically went out late in Q2, so he stayed out of traffic, improved lap after lap and came close to Colombo’s best time on his last fast lap.

The fight for pole position was also taken up by Fabian Vettel (GER, Top Speed) in the second Fanatec GP2. The German brilliantly performed in his premiere in a single-seater racing car. He went out on track late in the session for a finale shot. After setting the best time in the first sector he lapped the 4.318-kilometre circuit in 1:19.411 – which earned him third place by the narrow margin of not even two tenths of a second. “Checco” Malavasi (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) confirmed his consistent performance just behind the front runners with fourth place in class and will start the race with a chance of a podium finish. Behind him was Andreas Fiedler (GER, Fiedler Racing), who is again in a promising position after his return to the podium last time out in Hockenheim. Behind the two Top Speed drivers Florian Schnitzenbaumer (GER) and Thomas Jakoubek (AUT), Alexander Geier (AUT, Geier Racing) made a good debut in the GP2 car.

In the class of the SUPER LIGHTS, again only one driver was able to stay unscathed: Henry Clausnitzer (GER, WF Racing) secured pole position in the V6 World Series car, while both Sebastiano Sibani (ITA, Colacino) and Stefan Eisinger-Sewald (AUT, Red Rose Racing) had to pit early in their Formula 3000 cars.

The first of two races starts today, Saturday, at 15:50 local time and runs over a distance of 20 minutes (F1 Class 15 minutes). Tickets are still available at the box office. The races can also be followed via live timing.

Photos: Erwin Strassnigg/BOSS GP

Report: Race 2 Hockenheim

Posted on May 7, 2023 by Keke Platzer - 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