Second win for Maximilian Günther at the Lausitzring

• Maximilian Günther and Alessio Picariello achieve one-two victory for ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.
• Championship leader Picariello’s special winning streak comes to an end
• ADAC Sports Foundation protégé Günther: “My second win in a row - absolutely fabulous”

Lausitzring – The sixth Formel ADAC race weekend of this season at the Lausitzring has been extremely successful for Maximilian Günther (16, Germany, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.). After a double pole and his debut victory on Saturday, the ADAC Sports Foundation protégé also won Sunday morning’s second race. “My second win in a row - absolutely fabulous. The first few laps were excellent and I was able to shake off my pursuers,” said the 16-year-old, who secured a second home win this weekend for the ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V. Günther finished on the podium for the tenth time in his debut year in the 17th points-scoring race of the season, making him the most successful of this year’s 14 series newcomers.

Günther and his team-mate Alessio Picariello (20, Belgium, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.) fought it out between themselves for victory, just as in the first race at the Lausitzring. Günther got away to an excellent start from pole position and, in a tight race, successfully kept Picariello in hot pursuit behind him. The Belgian did not relax until the final lap but could not do enough to mount an overtaking manoeuvre. Günther crossed the finish line only 0.6 seconds ahead of the championship leader. And so, for the first time this season, Picariello did not emerge as winner of the weekend’s second race.

ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V. leads team standings

The ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V., who leads the team standings ahead of Neuhauser Racing, has now notched up twelve wins and 26 podium finishes. Marvin Dienst (16, Germany, Neuhauser Racing) finished in third place on the podium behind Günther and Picariello. The Neuhauser Racing driver began the race from fifth position on the grid and, on the sixth lap, overtook local favourite Hendrik Grapp (19, Germany, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.), who was in third place at the time. Dienst defended his position until the end of the race and at the finish line was 18 seconds down on the winner, Günther.

The scraps behind the top three were also very exciting. Nicolas Beer (17, Denmark, Neuhauser Racing) and Ralph Boschung (15, Switzerland, KUG Motorsport) fought their way up the field from grid positions eight and eleven to P4 and P5, in the closing laps they were both able to overtake Danish driver Mikkel Jensen (18, Denmark, Lotus), who was thus relegated to P6.

Coming home behind Lotus rookie Jensen, Fabian Schiller (16, Germany, Schiller Motorsport) and Stefan Riener (18, Austria, Neuhauser Racing) took the chequered flag in seventh and eighth position respectively. The two Lotus drivers Indy Dontje (20, Netherlands, Lotus) and Callan O'Keeffe (17, South Africa, Lotus) fought a very fair battle for the remaining two points-scoring positions. The Dutch driver won through with a successful overtaking manoeuvre on the final lap.

ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V. pair in title fight

The battle for the championship is hotting up after the 17th race of the year. Günther has once again gained ground on overall leader Picariello with his second victory. Nine-time race winner Picariello leads the standings on 288 points. Günther is in second place on 212 points. There are just seven races still to be run.

Austrian driver Riener is on pole for the first time in Sunday’s final race at 4:30pm (live stream: www.adac.de/motorsport). He shares the front row with Schiller. Jensen and Boschung are in grid positions three and four respectively for the 18th race of the season.

Comments from the Top Three drivers

Maximilian Günther (16, Germany, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.), Winner:
“My second win in a row - absolutely fabulous. The first few laps were excellent and I was able to shake off my pursuers. Only Alessio was able to follow me, but I maintained the gap between us and notched up a comfortable victory. I went sideways briefly just before the end of the race, and Alessio gained on me. However, I had everything under control and drew away from him once more, so that he could no longer be a threat. The weather conditions for the next race look interesting, but whatever happens, I will attack in order to secure as many points as possible.”

Alessio Picariello (20, Belgium, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.), Second:
“It’s a pity that I also couldn’t notch up a win in the second race at the Lausitzring. I had a bit of understeer at the beginning of the race, which allowed Maximilian to build up a lead. However, the understeer problem improved with every lap, so I was able to catch up with him. I wanted to seize my chance when he made a mistake shortly before the end of the race, but unfortunately, I lost downforce just as I was directly behind him and the understeer got worse. Looking on the positive side of things, for the first time, I will not be starting the weekend’s third race from position eight on the grid, so maybe I can be more successful.”

Marvin Dienst (16, Germany, Neuhauser Racing), Third:
“I’m very pleased with this third place. I moved up two positions in the race, which is always nice, even more so when you finish on the podium. It quickly became obvious that P3 would be the maximum possible today. Maximilian and Alessio were just too fast, no one could match their speed. I drove my own race and nursed the tyres with an eye to this afternoon’s third race. Our car has gone very well so far, and so, I’m hoping for another podium.”