Picariello achieves first win in Formel ADAC

• Alessio Picariello wins Race 1 at Nürburgring
• Picariello: "We were a whole lot quicker than the opposition."
• First win of season for G&J / Schiller Motorsport

Nürburgring (Sprint track)- Race 1

Date: 14 July 2012
Race: 10/24
Weather: Rain, 11°C
Circuit length: 3.618 kilometres
Pole position: Jason Kremer
Laps: 13
Winner: Alessio Picariello
Fastest lap: Alessio Picariello (1:45.640)

Nürburgring - Alessio Picariello (18, BEL, G & J / Schiller Motorsport) has won the first of three races of the Formel ADAC this weekend at the Nürburgring. The Belgian driver secured his first success in the junior series, giving his team, G & J / Schiller Motorsport, their first victory this year.

This is the second podium finish for Picariello this season. Starting from second place on the grid, he won through against pole-sitter Jason Kremer (17, Bonn, Mücke Motorsport) in the first turn and then went on to take a comfortable win at the finish line with a lead of ten seconds. "The team has worked brilliantly since the last race and it's great to give the guys their first win in our debut season in the Formel ADAC", said Picariello.

Kremer finished in second place as the junior series takes place as support to the ADAC Truck-Grand-Prix. The ADAC Sports Foundation protégé was unable to find a reply to Picariello and prevent his victory, but finished on the podium for the fourth time this season at his home race.

Marvin Kirchhöfer (18, Leipzig, Lotus) was the third man in the Top Three at the first race on the 3.618km sprint track at the Nürburgring. The championship leader was successful in the penultimate round in a team internal duel against Jeffrey Schmidt (18, SUI, Lotus) and achieved his sixth podium finish in the tenth race of his debut season.

Two-time race winner Gustav Malja (16, SWE, Neuhauser Racing) came home in fifth place behind Schmidt. Thomas Jäger (17, AUT, Neuhauser Racing) and Roy Nissany (17, ISR, Mücke Motorsport) finished in positions six and seven respectively. On her return after taking a knock, Beitske Visser (17, NED, Lotus) achieved a points-scoring eighth position; the young Dutch driver had to miss the last race weekend at the Sachsenring due to health reasons.

Luca Caspari (16, Meerbusch, Mücke Motorsport) and Formel ADAC first-timer Nicolas Beer (16, DK, HS Engineering) took the chequered flag behind the only female driver on the grid to complete the Top Ten.

Comments from the Top Three drivers

Alessio Picariello, Winner:
"I'm absolutely thrilled! The team has worked brilliantly since the last race and it's great to give the guys their first win in our debut season in the Formel ADAC. I drove very carefully at the start of the race, because the asphalt was still quite wet and there was a lot of standing water on the track. I kept extending my lead as the race progressed - I even had something in reserve and never had to go to the limit. We were much faster than the opposition - our car's pace was dead right. So, I can afford to be quite optimistic about this afternoon's second race."

Jason Kremer, Second:
"I'm relatively happy with my result. Second place enables me to make up some ground in the championship standings. Of course, I would like to have to won, but it was not to be in today's first race. Alessio Picariello was very fast, but I was able to secure second place fairly easily - I never went to the max in order to avoid any risk of an accident. We now intend making some changes to the car and then we'll attack again in the second race."

Marvin Kirchhöfer, Third:
"The first phase of the race was very tough due to the huge amount of spray. I've never experienced such conditions before. Visibility was very poor and I practically had to feel my way round. At the end of the race, though, I was able to match Alessio Picariello's times, so I'm happy with my performance. My pace was even good enough to overtake Jeffrey Schmidt and finish on the podium - fortunately, we've both learned from the incident in Oschersleben and the manoeuvre went smoothly."