Preview Lausitzring: Full throttle towards season finale

• Home race for the five ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V. drivers
• Hendrik Grapp relishing home fixture: “Hungry for the next victory”
• ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg team-mates Alessio Picariello and Maximilian Günther battling it out for series title

Lausitzring: The 2013 Formel ADAC campaign is entering the final straight. At the Lausitzring,
the undergraduates of the ADAC ‘High-Speed Academy’ are about to contest the sixth of eight
race weekends. For the five ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg drivers in particular, the standout race of
the season is about to get underway. The talented youngsters will be aiming to build on past
successes in front of their home fans. Hendrik Grapp, whose first Formel ADAC victory came in
the equivalent fixture at the Lausitzring last year, is especially fired up: “Going into my home
race, the motivation is obviously even higher, and I’d like to win in front of my family and friends
again.”

The 19-year-old Berliner already has one race win to his credit this year and is confident that
more are on the way: “My last win was at the Sachsenring, but within an hour of the podium
ceremony, I was hungry for the next one. I’m hoping to satisfy that hunger at the Lausitzring.”
Standing between Grapp and victory on the 3.442km circuit will be team-mate Alessio
Picariello. The Belgian has led the championship since the season opener at Oschersleben and
picked up the winner’s trophy in nine out of the 15 races so far.

Picariello aiming for the treble

In the six-year history of the Formel ADAC competition, only Richie Stanaway (champion in
2010) has had a similar success rate. The New Zealander is also the only driver so far to have
won two races at the Lausitzring. Picariello is now intent on breaking this record. “Hopefully, I
can achieve the treble this time,” says the 20-year-old. “We always try to get the maximum out
of every race, but the fact that this is a home fixture for my team gives me extra motivation and
momentum.” If previous results are anything to go by, he should at least win the early race on
Sunday – on each of the five ADAC weekends so far, he has emerged as the winner of Race 2.

In addition to Grapp and Picariello, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg have yet another contender for
victory at the Lausitzring in the shape of Maximilian Günther. The ADAC Sports Foundation
protégé is the most successful of the 14 newcomers to the series this year and has already
notched up eight podium finishes. After three runner-up spots, the 16-year-old would finally like
to claim the top rung. “I’ve been close to winning a race on several occasions,” says Günther,
who has started from pole positions four times in the last six races. “At the Lausitzring, I’ll be
trying to get into a good rhythm as soon as possible and then make the best of it.”

Title chase for ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg duo

Second-placed Günther is trailing championship leader Picariello by a margin of 90 points.
“Alessio has a massive lead in the standings, but I won’t be giving up until it becomes a
mathematical impossibility,” says the rookie defiantly.

The stage is all set for three exciting races. Opened in the year 2000, the Lausitzring represents
a major challenge to the aspiring young single-seater racing drivers. The 12 turns on the circuit
demand maximum concentration plus an element of daring. “The track surface is very smooth,
and we don’t always get the feedback from the car that we want,” explains Grapp. “That makes
it all the more important to rely on your own abilities. The Lausitzring is certainly not an easy track to race on. That’s probably the reason that all of us drivers are looking forward to it so
much.”