Scrapping for hundredths at the Sachsenring: Double pole for title favourite Mikkel Jensen

• Mikkel Jensen delivers fine performance, making history on way to championship win
• Rookie Joel Eriksson ratchets up tension in qualifying at Sachsenring
• JBR Motorsport & Engineering secure best ever result in team history at home fixture

Sachsenring. Mikkel Jensen (19, Denmark, Neuhauser Racing) has taken an important step towards winning the Formel ADAC title before season’s end. The Neuhauser Racing driver secured pole position for the first of three races to be held during the penultimate race weekend of the 2014 season at the Sachsenring.

The Danish driver is also in pole position in the second race, in which positions are determined by the second fastest lap times. These are poles number seven and eight for Jensen in the ADAC high-speed academy. The championship leader made history in qualifying. Apart from reigning championship runner-up Maximilian Günther (17, Germany, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.), no other driver has ever secured more than eight poles in one season in the annals of the Formel ADAC.

Belated battle against the clock

Work on his car meant that Jensen was delayed in his bid to catch up. He left the pits to post his first lap halfway through the 30-minute session. The 19-year-old finally went to the top of the timesheets five minutes before the close of qualifying. His personal best time of 1:23.012 minutes was enough to enable him to defend P1 to the end.

Joel Eriksson (16, Sweden, Lotus) just missed taking his maiden pole position in the Formel ADAC. The Lotus rookie posted a 1:23.029 on his fastest lap. Eriksson led the qualifying for a long time until Jensen took over the top spot. But the young Swede did not give up, steadily improving his lap times. In the end, he was only 0.017 seconds behind Jensen, who won the scrap for P1 by hundredths of a second.

There were more hard-fought battles behind the leading pair of drivers. Dennis Marschall (18, Germany, Lotus) in third place posted a personal best time of 1:23.190 minutes. The ADAC Sports Foundation protégé was less than two tenths of a second adrift of Jensen's pole time, rewarding the series newcomer with his best result in a Formel ADAC qualifying for Lotus. ADAC Sports Foundation protégé Tim Zimmermann (18, Germany, Neuhauser Racing) came home right behind him, ensuring that three rookies finished in the top four.

Best result to date for JBR Motorsport & Engineering in home fixture

Igor Walilko (17, Poland, JBR Motorsport & Engineering) made a successful start for his team, JBR Motorsport & Engineering, who are contesting a home fixture. The Polish driver secured fifth place with a time of 1:23.597 minutes, giving his team from Kirchheim, which is only about an hour’s drive away from the Sachsenring, their best result ever in the Formel ADAC.

Swiss driver Ralph Boschung (16, Switzerland, Lotus) completes the third row on the grid. Maximilian Günther had to settle for eighth place behind Fabian Schiller (17, Germany, Schiller Motorsport). Placed second in the championship, Günther was the most successful driver for his team, Mücke Motorsport, who compete under the aegis of ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.

Once again this year, the ADAC is making a live stream available for fans unable to be at the Sachsenring in person to watch the three races. To access this free service, visit the official ADAC Motorsport website at www.adac.de/formel-adac.

Mikkel Jensen (19, Denmark, Neuhauser Racing), Pole Race 1 and 2:
“These two pole positions are a perfect start to the weekend. However, qualifying did not go quite according to plan for me. I had to wait for a long time in the pits, because mechanics were still working on my car. I was getting a bit anxious when I saw my fellow competitors drive out on track. Still, my team did a great job of getting me back out on track. Clinching the title is my main focus this weekend, which doesn’t mean that I’ll hold back in the races. I most definitely want to win both races from pole position and then lift the championship before season’s end.”