Tag: Toro Rosso

Preview & Guide Imola

Posted on October 9, 2019 by - General

Stratford (Benetton F1) follows a MM International GP2 car

The grand finale of the BOSS GP anniversary season will take place from 11 to 13 October – back in Imola after a two-year break.

The hilly and challenging course in the Italian town of Imola is the ideal venue for this season’s finale of Europe’s fastest racing series. Built in the 1950s, the Imola circuit has seen many triumphs and tragedies. The track, named after Enzo Ferrari and his early deceased son Dino, is still a highlight for every racing driver today. Although the track has not been on the Formula 1 racing calendar for several years, the 4.9-kilometre-long asphalt track has all the ingredients of a world-class track. Imola is also the only track in the BOSS GP calendar to be driven counterclockwise. This affects the set-up of the racing cars (more left turns) as well as the pilots themselves, where the neck muscles, for example, are subjected to different stresses. At the last appearance in Imola in 2017 the race winners were Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) and Rinus van Kalmthout (NLD, Mansell Motorsport).

Why the BOSS GP Grande Finale is worth visiting?

The sixth round of the season with races 11 and 12 will decide the championship title in the FORMULA class. While Toro Rosso driver Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) has defended his title in the OPEN classification prematurely, two Italians in their Formula 2 cars fight for the first place in the FORMULA ranking: Marco Ghiotto (Scuderia Palladio) goes after three second places en suite into the final round with a lead of 15 points over Alessandro Bracalente (Speed Center). A technical retirement at the last race in Brno meant that Bracalente is now the chaser. 50 points can still be scored in Imola, so Andreas Fiedler (DEU, Fiedler Racing) has still theoretical chances for the title. Practically he is fighting for third place against Philippe Haezebrouck (FRA, Speed Center). Who may put on the “crown”, will be determined at the very latest next Sunday.

In addition to BOSS GP, modern and historic sports car and touring car series are part of an exciting race weekend. The Renault Clio Cup, Lotus Cup and Alfa Revival Cup will, as usual, ensure exciting motorsport too.

BOSS GP schedule Imola

Friday, 11 October 2019:
10:45–11:15 Free Practice 1 (30 Minutes)
15:40–16:10 Free Practice 2 (30 Minutes)

Saturday, 12 October 2019:
10:50–11:20 Qualifying (Q1: 8 Minutes/Break: 2 Minutes/Q2: 20 Minutes)
15:50–16:25 Race 1 (20 Minutes)

Sunday, 13 October 2019:
10:30–10:40 Warm-up (10 Minutes)
14:05–14:45 Race 2 (25 Minutes)

How do I get tickets for the Imola event?

Admission to the main grandstand is free on all three racing days. The paddock is also opened to interested visitors.

Where can I find the BOSS GP race cars and pilots?

The teams and drivers of the BOSS GP are in the pit garages 23 to 32. Some cars are parked in the paddock next to the BOSS GP hospitality.

How can I follow the BOSS GP Grande Finale online?

Report: Race 2 Brno

Posted on September 8, 2019 by - General

Christopher Höher dedicate his win in Brno 2019 to his recently deceased father

Second win for Höher and Gerstl at the Masaryk Racing Days.

Christopher Höher (AUT, Top Speed) certainly didn’t have an easy time in race 2. Although the guest starter took the second win in FORMULA class this weekend, he only won slightly ahead of Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio).

At the beginning of the race Höher could follow the leading OPEN driver Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed). Gerstl already secured his fifth championship title in the OPEN class in the first race of the weekend. In race 2 he managed to win his eighth race of the season in his Toro Rosso STR1.

Behind the dominator, however, it was another exciting race in FORMULA class: Due to Höher overstraining his tyres at the beginning of the race in pursuit of Gerstl, he only defended himself on the literally last groove towards the end of the race. Ghiotto tried everything – drove to the left, drove to the right – but Höher remained ice-cold and held first position until the finish line.

Alessandro Bracalente (ITA, Speed Center) was the closest rival to Höher in the first stage of the race. On lap 4, however, the leader of the standings dropped positions, one lap later he parked his car in the pits with a clutch failure. A major setback in the championship as rival Ghiotto took 22 points with second place. Before the championship finale Ghiotto is 15 points ahead of Bracalente. In Imola a maximum of 50 points will be awarded.

f.l. Marco Ghiotto, OPEN winner Ingo Gerstl, FORMULA winner Christopher Höher and Luca Martucci

Despite a spin, Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International) finished third with a very strong closing stage. It was Martucci’s fourth podium finish this season. In the fight for the podium the decision was made after a Full Course Yellow in turn 1. There he overtook Andreas Fiedler (DEU, Fiedler Racing) who showed a strong pace with the fastest lap and some position wins at the start of the race. Fiedler could score at least two points more than Philippe Haezebrouck (FRA, Speed Center) with 4th place. In the standings, Fiedler is now back on 3rd place, but only one point ahead of Haezebrouck. This duel also promises excitement in the final races of the season.

During middle of the race it looked good for Marc Faggionato (MCO, Zig-Zag) too. In the battle with Höher and Ghiotto for the front Faggionato spun by himself. Because the engine stopped running, the second race of the weekend for the fast Monegasque was over too.

Behind Gianluca Ripoli (ITA, MM International) Walter Steding (DEU, Inter Europol) finished seventh with an impeccable performance. With an outstanding performance Peter Göllner (SUI, Speed Center) drove from the last grid position into the top-8. Nicolas Matile (MCO, Zig-Zag) in the only Auto-GP Lola spun shortly before the end and threw away a top result at the guest start.

Europe’s fastest racing series will return to Imola for the finale in five weeks. The Grande Finale of the BOSS GP 2019 will take place on October 12th and 13th.

Report: Qualifying Brno

Posted on September 7, 2019 by - 5, General

Ingo Gerstl flys by in his Toro Rosso STR 1 in 2019 Brno Qualifying

First row for the Top Speed drivers Gerstl and Höher.

Qualifying for races 9 and 10 of the BOSS GP 2019 was held at 11 degrees outside temperature and in drizzle. At least the choice of tyres was easy: all the drivers went for the Pirelli Cinturato rain tyre. Despite the difficult weather conditions the BOSS GP pilots did a good job keeping their racing cars on the slippery track.

As expected, Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) in Toro Rosso STR1 took another pole position for the two races in Brno. Next to him Christopher Höher (AUT, Top Speed) starts from row 1 in the best FORMULA car.

Despite a spin at the beginning of Q2 Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) got into the right rhythm. With position 3 he starts one place ahead of rival Alessandro Bracalente (ITA, Speed Center). Bracalente had to deal with less driving time in Q1 for yesterday’s top 5. Although the conditions in both sessions remained the same, the drivers from Q2 were able to rewind significantly more laps. In the rain this is usually an advantage.

From row 3 the reigning champion Florian Schnitzenbaumer (DEU, Top Speed) and Philippe Haezebrouck (FRA, Speed Center) will start the races. Haezebrouck finished the session with an even faster time, but it was cancelled due to the disregard of a yellow flag. The same happened to four other pilots.

Last year’s winner Marc Faggionato (MCO, Zig-Zag) ended up eighth behind Andreas Fiedler (DEU, Fiedler Racing), Thomas Jakoubek (AUT, Top Speed) in ninth place despite little rain experience, Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International) in 10th place overall.

Nicolas Matile (MCO, Zig-Zag) and Gianluca Ripoli (ITA, MM International) starting from row 6. Walter Steding (DEU, Inter Europol), who rolled out with a defect shortly before the end of qualifying, and Christian Eicke (SUI, Speed Center) will start from row 7. Teammate Peter Göllner (SUI, Speed Center) missed the qualifying session, but can start in the races.

The first race over 20 minutes starts today at 14:50 on Saturday.

Report: Free Practice Brno

Posted on September 6, 2019 by - General

Christopher Höher followed by Alessandro Bracalente (both Dallara Mecachrome)

The Masaryk Racing Days kicked off with roaring engines.

Friday is the usual practice day – that means two 30-minute track sessions for the high-speed monsters of BOSS GP. The fastest driver on the first day of the Masaryk Racing Days in Brno was Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) in his 2006 Toro Rosso Formula 1 car. Gerstl set a superb time of 1:36,368 in his first fast lap of the day, just one second above last year’s lap record (1:35,155). A new track record is targeted but could be prevented by the forecast rainy weather tomorrow.

An Austrian was also fastest in the FORMULA category: Christopher Höher (AUT, Top Speed) is making his BOSS GP comeback this weekend. The 22-year-old is no unknown in racing, he already competed in the ADAC GT Masters and is multiple Austrian racing car champion. He has also left his mark with successes in the BOSS GP. In practice, Höher blasted a lap with 1:43.906 which was more than one and a half seconds faster than the second fastest Formula 2. For Bracalente, Fiedler & Co. he will be hard to crack this weekend. Höher also drives in memory of his recently passed away father. A special design on the Dallara Mecachrome is reminiscent in honour of the biggest supporter of his motorsport career.

Leader of the standings Alessandro Bracalente (ITA, Speed Center) nevertheless experienced a good training day, also because he, unlike his title opponent Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio), remained without a spin. While Bracalente qualified for Q1, Ghiotto must qualify in Q2. Whether it is an advantage, or a disadvantage will be proven tomorrow in qualifying at 10 am.

Third fastest FORMULA driver in the free practice sessions was Marc Faggionato (MCO, Zig-Zag). Last year’s winner in his art car will certainly be one of the promising candidates for a trophy this year as well. Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International) rolled out to the start-finish line in the second practice session, nevertheless he also qualified for Q1 with the fourth fastest FORMULA time. Back in the BOSS GP is Florian Schnitzenbaumer (DEU, Top Speed). The 2018 FORMULA Champion is only occasionally at the start this year, with the sixth fastest time he proved that he would like to have a say about the podium places on Saturday and Sunday.

Most BOSS GP pilots used the test day on Thursday to prepare for the weekend. For Salvatore de Plano (ITA, Top Speed) the race weekend was over before it even began. Problems with the engine could not be solved on site. Armando Mangini (ITA, MM International) is also missing. He is recovering from an operation and supports his team mates on site. Still, tomorrow 15 motivated drivers go into the first race day. Qualifying starts at 10 am, followed by the first race at 2:50 pm.

Report: Race 2 Assen

Posted on July 21, 2019 by - General

After victory, Bracalente takes the lead in the FORMULA standings.

Yesterday a penalty dropped him back, today it was his day: Alessandro Bracalente (ITA, Speed Center) was able to win the 8th race of the season in the FORMULA class. At the start he defended his top position in contrast to yesterday. Marco Ghiotto (ITA, MM International) followed him throughout the race, but it was never enough to overtake him. The duel for the championship is getting tougher after this weekend: Bracalente is only nine points ahead of Ghiotto in four races to go.

Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International) came third in the FORMULA category. Yesterday a penalty was also his misfortune, today he landed deservedly on the podium. The top 3 in today’s race underline the current dominance of the Italians in this class. Best non-Italian was Philippe Haezebrouck (FRA, Speed Center) in fourth place. A podium finish for the sonnyboy with Le Mans experience is only a matter of time.

Gianluca Ripoli (ITA, MM International), winner of race 1, finished sixth today ahead of team-mate Armando Mangini. Andreas Fiedler started the race from the pit lane already lagging behind. As usual, he delivered a race to catch up, which brought him up to 8th place. Christian Eicke (SUI, Speed Center) and Walter Steding (DEU, Inter Europol) fought further interesting duels. Eicke used a lapping by another car to pass Steding and secure 8th place.

OPEN category: Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) dominated both races in Assen. Hans Laub (DEU, Speed Center) was happy to finally be in race mode again. Both he and his Forti Formula 1 kept going and were rewarded with 2nd place. Third place on the podium went to “Piter” (FRA, Ray-Ban), who is now behind Gerstl in second place of the championship.

After the summer break the BOSS GP continues in Brno (6–8 September). On the Czech roller coaster a preliminary decision could be made in the OPEN class, in the FORMULA the decision in terms of championship will be made quite certainly at the final event in Imola (11th–13th October).

Report: Race 1 Assen

Posted on July 20, 2019 by - General

Action-packed 7th season race of the BOSS GP 2019 at the TT Circuit.

Let’s start with the sensation of today’s race day: Gianluca Ripoli (ITA, MM International) surprisingly wins for the very first time a race in BOSS GP. Already in the qualifying a surprise was on the horizon, with class rank 4 he achieved his best qualifying result so far. In the race, unlike his immediate opponents, he remained free of mistakes and benefited from a 10-second penalty for Alessandro Bracalente (ITA, Speed Center), who had led most of the race.

After the first start was aborted (a driver spun in the warm-up lap) the field was forced to stop on the start-finish straight. At the restart, not all engines started in time, so the crews were working on it even after the 30-second signal – which is not allowed according to the regulations. Bracalents got – like some of the other drivers – a time penalty added to the result.

Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) took the lead in the FORMULA class after a good start of the race. Still in the first half pole setter Bracalente passed Ghiotto again. The subsequent duel between the two title favourites was a short one, however, as Ghiotto made a rare mistake and spun off the track. Ripoli finally won ahead of Bracalente and Armando Mangini (ITA, MM International). Mangini did it as so often, kept a cool head and crossed the finish line without any major troubles. This brings the veteran 3th place in the FORMULA ranking.

Philippe Haezebrouck (FRA, Speed Center) and Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International) dropped from the podium due to penalties after a strong race. Andreas Fiedler (DEU, Fiedler Racing) was within reach of the FORMULA podium for a long time, but in the final phase he suddenly lost a lot of speed and thus some positions (7th place).

OPEN podium in Race 1 at Assen: f.l. “Piter”, Gerstl and Laub

In the OPEN class for Formula 1 cars Ingo Gerstl controlled the race from lap 1 onwards in his Toro Rosso STR1 and extended the overall lead with his fifth victory of the season. Hans Laub (DEU, Speed Center) finished second in the Forti FG03. The driver and mechanic in one person skipped qualifying in the morning and started a great race to catch up from the last grid position and overtook numerous FORMULA racers in the race. “Piter” (FRA, Ray-Ban) was happy about another trophy in his collection with 3rd place.

Tomorrow will be the 8th race of the season. At 9:45 a.m. the Big Open Single Seater line-up for a ten-minute warm-up session. The race itself starts at 11:50 a.m., directly before the DTM’s main race.

Report: Qualifying Assen

Posted on July 20, 2019 by - 5, General

Assen trembles: BOSS GP on lap record chase in qualifying.

The pole position was secured for the third time in 2019 by Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed). A further improvement of his personal lap record from yesterday (1:18.246) was just not possible. The record champion will try to improve in race one with his Toro Rosso STR1 again.

The best-in-class FORMULA driver will also start from the front row of the grid: Alessandro Bracalente (ITA, Speed Center) grabbed pole with an advantage of over a second. It was also the Italian’s third FORMULA best time in the 2019 BOSS GP anniversary season.

Championship leader Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) didn’t miss a beat and follows in row 2, along with ever more consistent Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International). Gianluca Ripoli (ITA, MM International) completed the Italian quartet with 5th place, his best BOSS GP qualifying result so far.

Philippe Haezebrouck (FRA, Speed Center) confirmed the improving pace of the last races – he starts from 6th place. Salvatore de Plano (ITA, Top Speed) had technical problems yesterday and only managed three laps in the two practice sessions. Today he did 12 laps and qualified as overall seventh.

Andreas Fiedler (DEU, Fiedler Racing) stayed focused even with a TV onboard camera hanging away and finished eighth. In row 5 are Armando Mangini and Walter Steding. Christian Eicke starts behind from 11, “Piter” from 12.

The qualifying session was disappointing for Peter Göllner (SUI, Speed Center), who is well known for his strong performance in Assen. He had to park his GP2 Dallara at the side after only three laps. Together with rookie Ulf Ehninger (DEU, ESBA Racing) in the F1 Benetton B197, he will start the 20-minute race from row 7 this afternoon.

Hans Laub (DEU, Speed Center) in the 1996 Forti skipped the timed practice. The first race of the BOSS GP within the DTM in Assen starts today Saturday at 17:10 o’clock. According to the current weather forecast rain showers are to be expected. For sure the Pirelli Cinturato rain tyres are standing by in the pits.

Report Free Practice Assen

Posted on July 19, 2019 by - General

Here we go: Day 1 for BOSS GP in the Netherlands!

Two half-hour practice sessions were held on the first race day in the Netherlands. The driving time was used extensively by the 17 pilots, some of them completed over 35 laps. The BOSS GP pilots gathered experience for the remaining weekend, although according to the weather forecast it could rain tomorrow as opposed to today.

The fastest time was once again set by Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed), who even beat his own track record in the Toro Rosso STR1 with a time of 1:18.246. It was also the Austrian who, together with Alessandro Bracalente (ITA, Speed Center), represented the BOSS GP at yesterday’s show run in the city centre of Assen. On the “Coulthard Road”, BOSS GP showed what 800 hp are capable of. Over 200 kph and “donuts” on public roads delighted the approximately 20,000 fans.

Back to the Friday practice sessions: Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) set the tone for the FORMULA cars. The leader of the standings underlined his favourite role for qualifying tomorrow morning (Saturday, 10:50 a.m.) with the best time in the class of FORMULA cars. Second fastest FORMULA driver today: Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International) ahead of Bracalente, who is obviously trying to recover from Monza’s messed up weekend. Today’s fourth best time brings him into the top 5 and thus into Q1.

The biggest surprises of today’s practice day were Philippe Haezebrouck (FRA, Speed Center) and Peter Göllner (SUI, Speed Center). Göllner finished fifth with 1:29.729 in the Free Practice 2, Haezebrouck sixth with 1:29.8. Also “Piter” (FRA, Ray-Ban) was able to impress and could play a bigger role in the midfield this time than in previous races.

For BOSS GP this race weekend will kick-off second half of the season. After Hockenheim, Red Bull Ring and Monza the races 7 (Saturday, 17:10) and 8 (Sunday, 11:50) will take place in Assen. Tickets are still available on site.

Preview & Guide Assen

Posted on July 18, 2019 by - General

Before Max Verstappen and Co. compete in a Dutch Grand Prix next year, BOSS GP will give Netherlands a taste of Formula 1 this weekend in Assen.

This year, the BOSS GP teamed up with the German Touring Car Masters to offer the 100,000 fans an incomparable racing line-up. While Assen is new for the DTM, the 4.5-kilometer TT Circuit is familiar territory for the BOSS GP. The fastest racing series in Europe was part of the GAMMA Racing Day in recent years.

What does the DTM event offer?

It all starts on Thursday in the city centre of Assen with its 68,000 inhabitants: From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. there will be a show run on the Vaart Zuidzijde, with free admission and demo rides of all racing series of the weekend. BOSS GP with the fastest racing cars in the world and the heroes who drive them can also be seen in action.

From Friday to Sunday there will be full day action on the TT Circuit with a total of six sessions of the BOSS GP. The Big Open Single Seater series makes possible, that formula cars of the highest categories can still be seen at their original purpose: Racing against each other. Also driving are DTM, Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux, Lotus Cup Europe and the Women’s Formula Series W Series. Of course, Assen can’t do without bikes on the traditional motorcycle track either: Moto2 demo laps fill the breaks between the races.

BOSS GP schedule Assen

Friday, 19 July 2019:
11:40–12:10 Free Practice 1 (30 Minutes)
14:45–15:10 Free Practice 2 (25 Minutes)

Saturday, 20 July 2019:
10:50–11:20 Qualifying (Q1: 8 Minutes/Break: 2 Minutes/Q2: 20 Minutes)
11:35–12:20 Pitwalk
12:00–12:20 Autograph session all drivers BOSS GP (Show Stage Paddock)
17:10–17:30 Race 1 (20 Minutes)
19:00 Live concert DJ Fedde Le Grand (Show Stage Paddock)

Sunday, 21 July 2019:
09:45–09:55 Warm-up (10 Minutes)
10:55–11:35 Pitwalk
11:50–12:10 Race 2 (20 Minutes)

Where can I find the BOSS GP cars, teams and drivers?

A part of the BOSS GP is located in the pits, the other teams in large tents behind pit lane. Fans can watch the BOSS GP teams at work closely, as admission to the paddock is included in all ticket categories. In addition, the pit lane will be opened twice a weekend for fans during the pit walk. Motorsport fans can’t get closer to Formula 1 anywhere else.

How do I get tickets for the event in Assen?

Weekend tickets from 49 Euro. Buy them online www.dtm.com/en/tickets/assen-2019 or or on site.

Where can I follow the BOSS GP from Assen online?

Live timing and detailed results on www.wige-livetiming.de/dtm.html
All results also on bossgp.com
Up to date with Instagram @bossgpofficial and Facebook @bossgpofficial
The latest pictures from race weekend in our gallery bossgp.com

Report: Race 2 Monza

Posted on June 16, 2019 by - General, Uncategorized

Marco Ghiotto wins again in FORMULA and Ingo Gerstl strikes back in the OPEN category.

It was the counterattack of the record champion: After Phil Stratford (USA, Penn Elcom) had beaten Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) for the second time this year yesterday, Stratford had no chance today. Gerstl took his fourth victory of the season with a dominant performance in his Toro Rosso STR1 and thus extends the overall lead again.

Phil Stratford tried to follow Gerstl, but yesterday’s winner suddenly stopped in lap 9. A technical problem on the Benetton B197 forced Stratford to stop between the two Lesmo corners.

In the FORMULA class Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio) repeated his victory of yesterday. Only a safety car shortly before the end made him sweat, otherwise the uncle of Formula 2 driver Luca Ghiotto had everything under control. Ghiotto is now the championship leader in the BOSS GP FORMULA category for the first time after his double victory this race weekend.

Marco Ghiotto: “Today it was easy. For the set-up I played it safe and didn’t adjust the rear wing as flat as yesterday. To win again at the home race here in Monza is a sensational experience for the team and for me as an Italian”.

Sunday’s podium: f.l. Bracalente, M. Ghiotto, OPEN winner Gerstl, Fiedler

Alessandro Bracalente (ITA, Speed Center) had a day to forget yesterday. Without points and very mad he went to bed yesterday. In today’s second race he managed to return to the podium with second place in his class. He also had to thank his German team Speed Center, who screwed several cars at the same time late at night. Although Bracalente has lost the lead in the points standings to Marco Ghiotto, with second place in today’s Sunday race he remains within striking distance for the coming races.

Andreas Fiedler (DEU, Fiedler Racing) showed, as he did yesterday, a race to catch up at its best. Started from last place, he overtook one competitor after the other lap after lap. After overtaking Walter Steding (DEU, Inter Europol) and Gianluca Ripoli (ITA, MM International) he was already fifth in class in lap 4. In lap 6 he overtook Philippe Haezebrouck (FRA, Speed Center) and Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International). Having reached class rank 3, the distance to Marco Ghiotto and Bracalente was too big to start another attack.

Martucci finally finished fourth in his class and was the best of the Italian MM International team. Teammate Ripoli finished 5th, ahead of Salvatore de Plano (ITA, Top Speed).

Phillipe Haezebrouck had a much harder time today. After a strong fourth place yesterday, he was handed back in the race today and finished seventh in FORMULA.

Armando Mangini (ITA, MM International) was also a long time in the lead, a technical defect led to his early retirement.

The next BOSS GP will take place in five weeks. In Assen the Big Open Single Seater will start in the program of the famous and very popular touring cars of DTM. Tickets for the weekend are available from 49 Euro on www.dtm.com/en/tickets/assen-2019