Anecdotes from the Nürburgring paddock

• 180,000 fans turn out to watch the three Formel ADAC races held as part of the support programme for the ADAC Truck Grand Prix
• Maiden wins for Jason Kremer and Alessio Picariello
• Marvin Kirchhöfer leads championship at halfway stage
• Three different winners at the Nürburgring

Nürburgring – The future stars of single-seater racing travelled to the Nürburgring for the fourth race weekend of the 2012 Formel ADAC season (13th to 15th July). 180,000 fans enjoyed three keenly contested races in the Eifel as part of the ADAC Truck Grand Prix event. Spectators saw a different winner in each: Jason Kremer (17, Bonn, Mücke Motorsport), Alessio Picariello (18, Belgium, G&J / Schiller-Motorsport) and Gustav Malja (16, Sweden, Neuhauser Racing). For Kremer and Picariello, these were their first victories in the Formel ADAC series.

Front row for Formel ADAC: The young drivers were amazed when they found themselves using the same garages as the F1 teams in the Nürburgring pit lane that runs alongside the start/finish straight. “It even feels a bit like Formula 1,” said Mücke driver Hendrik Grapp. The pits were a popular location to hang out, especially considering the rainy weather in the Eifel.

Maiden win in home race: Jason Kremer had made thorough preparations for his home race at the Nürburgring – and it paid off. The Bonn-based youngster bagged pole position in qualifying for the first two races on Saturday. He claimed his first Formel ADAC winner’s trophy in Race 2 and also finished on the podium in the other two races. What’s more, the ADAC Sports Foundation protégé handed his team, Mücke Motorsport, their first win of the season.

Musical youth: After Jason Kremer had notched up his maiden win, younger brother Marvin was so proud that he picked up his guitar and sang a song for Jason in front of the team in the Mücke Motorsport garage. His audience were charmed and his big brother was visibly touched.

Unofficial ‘half-time champion’: After 12 out of a total 24 races on the 2012 calendar, Marvin Kirchhöfer travels to the next event at the Red Bull Ring in Austria as championship leader. In second place is Gustav Malja, 20 points adrift. Although outright victory eluded Kirchhöfer at the Nürburgring, he nonetheless finished all three races in the Top Three – the sixth, seventh and eighth podium appearances of his ADAC Formel Masters rookie year.

Well-matched field: The number of Formel ADAC drivers who have occupied the top spot of the podium continues to increase. In the 2012 season, there have been seven winners from six different countries: Marvin Kirchhöfer (Germany), Thomas Jäger (Austria), Kuba Dalewski (Poland), Beitske Visser (Netherlands), Gustav Malja (Sweden), Alessio Picariello (Belgium) and Jason Kremer (Germany). Eleven drivers have shared the 36 possible podiums this year.

On the mend: Following his accident at the Sachsenring, Kim-Alexander Giersiepen (18, Radevormwald, KSW Motorsport) was unable to compete on the fourth race weekend of the season at the Nürburgring. Even so, the KSW Motorsport driver wasn’t going to miss the chance to watch from the stands on Saturday. “My fingers were itching to get back on the steering wheel,” said Giersiepen as he wished the drivers good luck on the grid. The 18-year-old is making a good recovery after an operation on his spine and resumed training last week. One way or another, he intends to be fit in time for the next ADAC Masters Weekend (24th - 26th August) at the Lausitzring.

Swiss King of Drift: Jeffrey Schmidt seems to have known what the weather had in store for the Eifel this weekend. The Swiss driver prepped his car optimally – at least if the sticker on it is to be believed. This read ‘Drift King’. A reference to the waterlogged surface? “A team-member was having a bit of a laugh and attached these stickers to all of our cars,” explains Schmidt. “I left mine on, because it seemed to just sum up the conditions here at the Nürburgring.”