Preview - Red Bull Ring: Start of second half of season in spectacular setting

• Formel ADAC guests for second time at former Formula 1 circuit in Spielberg, Austria
• Local boy Thomas Jäger on grid for Austria's Neuhauser Racing Team: "Aiming to go on achieving the best possible results"
• Marvin Kirchhöfer (162 points) leads drivers' standings from Gustav Malja (142 points) and Jason Kremer (133 points)

Spielberg - Picturesque mountain vistas, verdant forests and fast racing cars, the second half of the Formel ADAC season gets underway in the Austrian Alps at the Red Bull Ring and Austrian youngster Thomas Jäger is particularly fired up for the fifth race weekend of the season; the local Neuhauser Racing team driver has already secured one victory in 2012 and is seventh in the drivers' standings after the first half of the season.

Jäger might receive an early birthday present at his home race in Spielberg: it's his 18th birthday on the Thursday after the race weekend. Jäger: "It makes very little difference to me whether it's a home race or any other race; I'm aiming to go on achieving the best possible results."

High-speed track at Red Bull Ring

Formel ADAC guests for the second time as part of the ADAC Masters Weekend at the 4.326km former Formula 1 and current DTM circuit in Styria. There are two left and five right-handers on this demanding roller coaster circuit 660 metres above sea level. Jäger: "I especially like the last few turns. They are very fast, and you don't need to brake much so that you keep plenty of momentum through the final sequence of turns."

Jäger's teammate with the Austrian Neuhauser Racing outfit Gustav Malja also thinks the track is great. "I love the Red Bull Ring - it's got to be my favourite track." The young Swedish driver is particularly taken with Turn Three: "It's a very fast part of the circuit, runs downhill and you can leave braking until late. I've now got my own line sorted through this turn."

Mid-term review: A very varied season so far

The trainee drivers of the Formel ADAC School go into the second half of the season at the Red Bull Ring, and Lotus driver Marvin Kirchhöfer leads the drivers' standings by 20 points from Malja after 12 of 24 races this season. Kirchhöfer: "The field is bunched really close together, and there are many drivers who have a good chance of winning. Of course, my aim is to maintain my lead in the championship but anything can happen."

Kirchhöfer and Malja achieved the most race wins during the first four race weekends with three victories each. Overall, there were seven different winners from six different countries in the first half of the season: Kirchhöfer (Germany), Jäger (Austria), Malja (Sweden), Kuba Dalewski (Poland), Alessio Picariello (Belgium) and Jason Kremer (Germany). Beitske Visser (Netherlands) also secured the first victory for a female driver in a Formel ADAC race.