Double pole at Nürburgring for Kirchhöfer

• Marvin Kirchhöfer on pole in Race 1 and 2
• Championship contender Kirchhöfer: „Just reward for our hard work“
• Championship leader Gustav Malja on second row twice

Nürburgring - Qualifying

Date: 15 September 2012
Weather: cloudy, 11°C
Circuit length: 5.137 km
Pole Race 1: Marvin Kirchhöfer
Pole Race 2: Marvin Kirchhöfer

Nürburgring – Marvin Kirchhöfer (18, Leipzig, Lotus) has excellent chances in the championship fight after qualifying in the Formel ADAC at the Nürburgring; the ADAC Sports Foundation protégé is on pole in the first two races in the Eifel. This is his fourth and fifth pole in his debut year in the Formel ADAC academy.

„In qualifying, we waited initially for track conditions to improve – this tactic worked well for us. Posting a perfect lap was not easy on a track that was still wet,“ said the 18-year-old, who is in second place in the standings, 25 points behind championship leader Gustav Malja (16, Sweden, Neuhauser Racing). The Swedish teenager will be in P3 on the grid in both Race 1 and Race 2.

Kirchhöfer secured a 2:01.176, the fastest time of the session, just winning through by a whisker against Thomas Jäger (18, Austria, Neuhauser Racing). The Austrian youngster achieved a 2:01.347 on his fastest lap of the 5.137km Nürburgring Grand Prix circuit and is also on the front row in the first race of the weekend. Jäger posted the second fastest time just before the end of the 25-minute qualifying session and is directly in front of Neuhauser team-mate Malja on the grid.

Hendrik Grapp (18, Berlin, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg) achieved the fourth fastest lap time and was 0.344 seconds down on Kirchhöfer’s best time. Two-time race winner Alessio Picariello (19, Belgium, G & J / Schiller Motorsport) and Indy Dontje (19, Netherlands, Lotus) share the third row. Swiss driver Jeffrey Schmidt (18, Switzerland, Lotus) posted a 2:02.179, the seventh fastest time in qualifying, Roy Nissany (17, Israel, Mücke Motorsport) secured eighth place on the grid.

The results of the qualifying session also decide places on the grid in the second race with positions being allocated based on the second fastest lap times. Yet again, Kirchhöfer was quickest in 2:01.218 minutes. It is the fourth double-pole for a driver this season. Jäger will again head up the front row with Kirchhöfer on Sunday at 9:45am.

Marvin Kirchhöfer (18, Leipzig, Lotus), Pole Position Race 1 and 2:
„I am very pleased that after a difficult weekend in the Lausitz we are once again mixing it with the front-runners. We have worked hard since the last race and the double pole is a just reward. In qualifying, we waited initially for track conditions to improve – this tactic worked well for us. Posting a perfect lap was not easy on a track that was still wet. Gustav Malja is in third place on the grid in Race 1 and 2, which means that the title fight can yet provide some fireworks – hopefully we can maintain our speed in the race.“