Zandvoort preview: Test of courage among the dunes

• First non-German rounds of 2014 season on ex-Formula 1 circuit
• Championship leader Mikkel Jensen and closest pursuer Maximilian Günther separated by three points after first race weekend
• Günther: “ Zandvoort is an absolute test of courage”

Zandvoort: Formel ADAC ventures beyond the borders of Germany for the second race weekend of the 2014 season, the first of several extraterritorial events scheduled for the current campaign. After a one-year break, the ADAC ‘High-Speed Academy’ returns to the 4,307-metre track winding through the sand dunes near the Dutch seaside resort of Zandvoort; three races in the junior series were previously contested here in the 2012 season. Between 1952 and 1985, the circuit hosted no fewer than 30 Formula 1 Grand Prix races.

Challenge among the dunes

The Formel ADAC youngsters had the opportunity to familiarise themselves with this challenging venue in the Netherlands during official tests staged last winter. Full-throttle straights, legendary corners such as Scheivlak and tricky track conditions provide a daunting challenge for the undergraduates of the ADAC junior open-wheel series.

“This track is really tough,” says championship leader Mikkel Jensen (19, Denmark, Neuhauser Racing). With its close proximity to the sea, the wind often blows sand over the dunes onto the track, severely compromising grip. The many surface irregularities also make it difficult to drive a perfect lap. The rollercoaster through the dunes requires maximum concentration from the single-seater stars of the future – the slightest mistake can be punished by lost seconds or positions.

“Zandvoort is an absolute test of courage, with a high percentage of full throttle and difficult corners such as Tarzanbocht,” says ADAC Sports Foundation protégé Maximilian Günther (16, Rettenberg, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.). Despite or because of this, the youngsters are all looking forward to the challenge. “I really like Zandvoort,” says Günther. “With its uphill and downhill sections, it reminds me a bit of Spa-Francorchamps. It’s a great feeling competing on tracks like these.”

Championship contenders go head to head

Following the season opener at etropolis Motorsport Arena Oschersleben, Mikkel Jensen and Maximilian Günther are running head to head at the top of the table. They each notched up a win on the first weekend and are separated by only three points ahead of the second fixture on the race calendar at Zandvoort.

“I was delighted with my victory in the first race and with taking an immediate lead in the championship, but as a driver, I’m always striving for more,” says Neuhauser Racing’s Mikkel Jensen. “I would love to win this year’s title, so I have a clear objective for Zandvoort: pole position for the first two races and at least two victories.”

Meanwhile, ADAC Sports Foundation protégé Maximilian Günther will be aiming to turn a three-point deficit into a championship lead by Sunday evening: “I’m feeling optimistic about the second race weekend of the season at Zandvoort. We proved at Oschersleben that everything is working well, and we intend to build on that good start.”