Tag: GP2

Report: Free Practice 1 Hockenheim

Salvatore de Plano war schnellster FORMULA-Fahrer

Ingo Gerstl (Top Speed) set the best time in his Toro Rosso STR1, Salvatore de Plano (MM International) in his GP2 was the fastest FORMULA driver.

25 minutes of practice were on the schedule, but some red-flag interruptions shortened the driving time in the first free practice session. Due to the tight schedule, the clock continues to tick even during a red flag.

  • Salvatore de Plano sets the first time under 1 minute 30 seconds. In the end the Italian from MM International was second fastest behind Gerstl, and with 1:29.158 the fastest FORMULA pilot. “One second faster is possible”, last year’s runner-up said after the first practice session.
  • Phil Stratfords Benetton B197 stranded in the middle of the session in the hairpin bend, the mechanics suspect problems with the battery. Previously, he had finished second in the FORMULA classification.
  • H&A Racing and F Xtreme Racing are very busy: Both Wolfgang Jaksch‘s Super Aguri and Bernd Herndlhofer‘s Arrows had to visit the pit after only a few laps due to technical difficulties. Veronika Cicha was the only one in the team who could do a normal training – but she complained about the used tyres.
  • At Top Speed all eyes are on the three rookies: Manfred Loach completed fewer laps than planned, the red flags also stopped him – the Austrian could continue after a spin.
    Bianca Steiner came through the training without a spin, she came 5th in the FORMULA class and is considered an insider tip for the races.
    Debutant Thomas Jakoubek spun in his first lap at the Motodrom, at the end of the penultimate corner. After the engine stalled, the Austrian had to get out and the car was towed away.
  • The Swiss Peter Göllner (Speed Center) spun just after tipping the throttle in the hairpin bend and his GP2-Dallara also had to be towed away. Three minutes before the end, the session was released again after the second interruption.
  • The fastest driver of the morning session was Ingo Gerstl (Top Speed) with 1:22.122 min. His newly revised V10 engine was only tried for the first time yesterday on the race track.

Ready for the ninth season: The BOSS GP 2018

Europes fastest racing series starts into an exciting year next weekend at the Jim Clark Revival at Hockenheimring with 19 starters.

First stop: classic meets modern
The season for the Big Open Single Seater begins traditionally at Hockenheim in Southern Germany. Next weekend (April 20-22), two races of the spectacular BOSS GP are scheduled in a setting that could hardly be more beautiful: Bosch Hockenheim Historic, in honour of Jim Clark, who died in Hockenheim on April 7, 1968, attracts tens of thousands to the Hockenheimring every year. Jim Clark’s 50th anniversary of his death is commemorated this year with numerous exhibitions and special tours commemorating the Formula 1 legend. In addition, more than 500 cars from all classes and epochs will gather in the Motodrom. Open doors await the spectators everywhere, as the ticket includes free access to the paddock, the exhibition pavilion, the pit roof and the pits themselves.

Podium of race 2 of the OPEN class in Hockenheim.

2017 podium in Hockenheim: f.l. Stratford, race winner Gerstl, Jaksch

 

Entries: BOSS GP
Four Formula 1 cars are listed, all of them eligible to compete in the OPEN Class: BOSS GP Champion Ingo Gerstl from Austria with the very first F1 Toro Rosso, the American Phil Stratford in the light blue and white Benetton from 1997, Bernd Herndlhofer (Austria) with Arrows A22 and the German entrepreneur Wolfgang Jaksch in the popular Super Aguri. There is no engine capacity limit in the open class – ‘anything goes’ is the motto here.

Starting No
Name Team Nat. Car
1 Ingo Gerstl Top Speed AUT Toro Rosso STR1
7 Phil Stratford Penn Elcom Racing USA Benetton B197
21 Bernd Herndlhofer H&A Racing AUT Arrows A22
26 Wolfgang Jaksch F-Xtreme Racing Team GER Super Aguri SA06

15 cars are competing for points in the FORMULA Class, which has a maximum engine capacity of 4.2 litres: Four World Series racing cars and eleven GP2 racing cars complete the field of participants at Hockenheim, including the GP2 cars from the three BOSS GP rookies Bianca Steiner, Thomas Jakoubek and Manfred Loach from Austria. Loach’s racing machine is probably the most striking car in the field – the Dallara is painted in pink due to the sponsor.

Manfred Loach im pink-lackierten GP2-Dallara beim Vorsaison-Test in Brünn

Pink Panther: Manfred Loach in Brno for the first test in his eye-catching Dallara GP2

In addition to Jaksch, four more Germans will race at this first BOSS GP race weekend 2018: Karl-Heinz Becker, Florian Schnitzenbaumer, Andreas Fiedler and Walter Steding.

Starting No Name Team Nat. Car
100 Thomas Jakoubek Top Speed AUT Dallara GP2
101 Peter Göllner Speed Center SUI Dallara GP2
110 Bianca Steiner Top Speed AUT Dallara GP2
111 “Piter” Ray-Ban FRA Dallara WSbR
181 Manfred Loach Top Speed AUT Dallara GP2
212 John Reaks Speed Center GBR Dallara WSbR
222 Veronika Cicha H&A Racing CZE Dallara GP2
321 Andreas Fiedler Fiedler Racing DEU Dallara GP2
323 Armando Mangini MM International ITA Dallara GP2
411 Karl-Heinz Becker Becker Motorsport DEU Dallara WSbR
430 Martin Kindler Kindler Motorsport SUI Dallara WSbR
505 Walter Steding Inter Europol Competition DEU Dallara GP2
555 Christian Eicke Speed Center SUI Dallara GP2
888 Florian Schnitzenbaumer Top Speed DEU Dallara GP2
999 Salvatore de Plano MM International ITA Dallara GP2

Schedule: BOSS GP at Bosch Hockenheim Historic
The 4.5-kilometre Grand Prix circuit and the supporting events compete, so to speak, for the spectators’ favour. On each of the three days of the event from 9.00 a.m. on the race track is literally round-the-clock. The BOSS GP series runs two 25-minute training sessions, one half-hour qualifying session and two 20-minute races. Testing takes place on Thursday (April 19) throughout the day.

Friday: April 20, 2018

10:00 am-10:25 am: Free practice 1
16:15-16:40: Free practice 2

Saturday: April 21, 2018

10:35 am-11:05 am: Qualifying
17:00-17:20: Race 1

Sunday: April 22, 2018

13:20-13:40: Race 2

The schedule featuring all racing series can be found under this link

Phil Stratford im 1997er-Benetton in Hockenheim 2017

Phil Stratford in his 97′ Benetton drives around a corner in the famous Motodrom

 

Tickets for fans: Bosch Hockenheim Historic
There’s an introductory offer for ten euros on Friday. A day ticket for Saturday or Sunday costs 30 euros each, 45 euros for the weekend. Wheelchair users and children up to 14 years have free entry – paddock and free choice of seats included.

Tickets can be ordered on site, via the online ticket shop or by calling the hotline +49 6205 950-222.