Maximilian Günther wins Race 3 at Sachsenring

• Double victory for Mücke Motorsport: Maximilian Günther and Marvin Dienst on podium
• Igor Walilko achieves podium double at home fixture for JBR Motorsport & Engineering
• Günther: “Huge relief after such a long fallow period.”

Hohenstein-Ernstthal. Happy ending to a tough weekend for Maximilian Günther (17, Germany, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.) at the Sachsenring. The reigning Formel ADAC championship runner-up won the third race at the penultimate race weekend of the 2014 season. Günther returned to the top after being without a win for 13 races in a row, achieving his fourth victory this year.

His team, Mücke Motorsport, who compete under the aegis of the ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V., had two reasons to celebrate. The Berlin-based team achieved a one-two victory, as Marvin Dienst (17, Germany, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.) placed second. Igor Walilko (17, Poland, JBR Motorsport & Engineering) completed the podium party in third place, giving JBR Motorsport & Engineering from nearby Kirchheim a second podium during their home fixture at the Sachsenring.

Tough weeks for reigning championship runner-up Günther

“The past few weeks have not been easy for us, so it’s even nicer to win in these tricky conditions, where so much depends on one’s driving skills,” said Günther after his start/finish victory. The ADAC Sports Foundation protégé had a lead of 2.3 seconds on Dienst at the finish line, who secured his seventh podium finish of the year.

The race began behind the safety car due to heavy rain. Günther remained in the lead at the start on the fifth lap, while Fabian Schiller (17, Germany, Schiller Motorsport) in P2 dropped way down the field after skidding. That enabled Dienst to take second place behind his team-mate.

Second podium finish for JBR Motorsport & Engineering at home fixture

Walilko was the one who gained most during the initial phases of the race, moving quickly up to P4 from seventh on the grid. The safety car came back out on the same lap when Dennis Marschall (18, Germany, Lotus), who had been in fourth place at the time, slid into the gravel bed, and Kim Luis Schramm (17, Germany, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.) coasted to a stop due to a technical problem.

At the restart on lap ten, Günther again kept his nerve, pulling out a lead on the rest of the field on the wet track. Walilko in third place was initially put under huge pressure by Tim Zimmermann (18, Germany, Neuhauser Racing) until his Neuhauser Racing team-mate Mikkel Jensen (19, Denmark, Neuhauser Racing) caught up. Jensen, who secured the championship ahead of time by achieving two wins at the Sachsenring, won through at first against the ADAC Sports Foundation protégé to take fourth place in turn eleven. A team-internal scrap then broke out between the two Neuhauser Racing drivers on subsequent laps.

Gripping battle for podium

There was a slight contact between the two drivers on the final lap. While Zimmermann spun on the track and had to be content with fifth place as a result, Jensen emerged unscathed and went on a charge. The newly crowned Formel ADAC champion overtook Walilko in the penultimate corner and was on course for his third podium finish of the weekend. But his Polish rival did not give up and fought hard to retake the place with an overtaking manoeuvre on the inside of the last turn.

Giorgio Maggi (16, Switzerland, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.) crossed the finish line in sixth place behind Zimmermann. Having started from grid position nine, the 16-year-old Swiss driver cleverly kept a low profile to ultimately achieve by far and away his best finish to date in his second year in the ADAC high-speed academy. Schiller Motorsport junior Schiller and Swiss teenager Ralph Boschung (16, Switzerland, Lotus) completed the top eight. The grand finale is traditionally held at the Hockenheimring (October 3rd-5th).

Comments from the Top Three

Maximilian Günther (17, Germany, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.), Winner:
“This victory was a huge relief after such a long fallow period. I always knew that I could do it and kept on believing in myself. The past few weeks have not been easy for us, so it’s even nicer to win in these tricky conditions, where so much depends on one’s driving skills. I may have given away a few points due to an error in Saturday’s second race, so that makes this win all the more important. I can now go to the Hockenheim finale to defend my second place in the championship, feeling pleased and confident.”

Marvin Dienst (17, Germany, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.), Second:
“Overall, my weekend at the Sachsenring didn’t go as I’d hoped. I had intended to do much more. This podium gives me a big boost to finish with, though. Once again, I did everything possible and tried to attack my team-mate Maximilian after the safety car period, but the spray made visibility very poor. I then thought it better to secure second place rather than risk a slide on the wet track. I need all the points I can get, as there’s still a chance of lifting second place in the championship. 65 points are still on the table before the season ends – and I intend to pick up as many of them as I can.”

Igor Walilko (17, Poland, JBR Motorsport & Engineering), Third:
“My second podium at the Sachsenring – that was an absolutely fabulous weekend which I will probably never forget. Last week was my birthday, and now, I've given myself a wonderful late birthday present. It’s just super that I’ve achieved this success at the home fixture for my team, JBR Motorsport & Engineering. We were really fast here. The scrap for third place with Mikkel Jensen was very exciting. He passed me on the penultimate corner after I gave him a little too much space. He left the door half open for me in the final turn, so I exploited it to the full, changing down a gear in order to get a better exit.”