Tales from the Sachsenring paddock

• Mikkel Jensen secures championship win ahead of time
• Maiden podium in home fixture for JBR Motorsport & Engineering from Kirchheim
• Ex-Formel ADAC drivers at Sachsenring

Hohenstein-Ernstthal. The Formel ADAC contested the seventh and penultimate race weekend of the 2014 season at the Sachsenring as support series to the ADAC GT Masters (September 19th-21st). More than 10,000 spectators came through the gates at the weekend to watch the three races of the ADAC High-Speed Academy.

Masterly: Mikkel Jensen secured victory in the second race at the Sachsenring to clinch the Formel ADAC championship before season’s end. The Neuhauser Racing driver enters the record books as the seventh champion. Jensen is now Alessio Picariello’s successor. “When I crossed the finish line, I heard my team boss Hannes roar on the radio: We are the champions! It was an incredible feeling,” said the Danish driver, remembering events at the finish line after the second race. On his way to the title, Jensen notched up nine wins, 14 podiums and eight pole positions. Jensen dominated proceedings at the Sachsenring with a double-pole, two wins and two fastest laps.

The quickest: On his way to the early championship win, Mikkel Jensen achieved a historic success. With ten fastest race laps to his name, he now heads the list of all-time greats in this category. The Dane was fastest in two of the three races at the Sachsenring. He overtook the previous leaders, 2010 champion Richie Stanaway and 2012 runner-up, Gustav Malja. Both drivers each posted the fastest lap nine times in one race.

Championship celebration in the paddock: It was party time at Neuhauser Racing after Mikkel Jensen’s title win. The outfit from the Tyrol celebrated their first Formel ADAC championship victory in fine style. Many drivers from other teams were pleased for the newly crowned champion and came to personally congratulate him in the Austrian team’s tent. Another title is now within reach at the season finale in Hockenheim (October 3rd-5th). Neuhauser Racing has a 90-point lead in the team standings as they travel to the last race weekend of the season. If Neuhauser can pull off the coup at the well established track in south-west Germany, they will then go down as the seventh and final team champions in the history of the junior series; ADAC Formula 4 will replace Formel ADAC in the 2015 season.

Maiden podium in home fixture: The home fixture at the Sachsenring was extremely successful for JBR Motorsport & Engineering. Igor Walilko gave the team their best ever race weekend in the Formel ADAC. The Pole secured a personal best performance in qualifying with two fifth places and finished on the podium in the second and third race – these were maiden podiums for both Walilko and JBR Motorsport & Engineering from nearby Kirchheim. Team headquarters are located just an hour’s drive away from the historic track in Saxony.

A gust comes to visit: An old friend of the Formel ADAC was also busy at the Sachsenring. 2012 champion Marvin Kirchhöfer took advantage of the close distance from his home in Leipzig to visit his former Lotus team and wish them luck. On Saturday, Kirchhöfer, who is competing in GP3 this year, presented the trophies to the winners on the podium. Also, he was at the microphone in the role of motor racing pundit to support the team commentating on the ATS Formula 3 Cup which is guesting with the ADAC GT Masters.

Old friends: The ADAC GT Masters is hosting the Porsche Carrera Cup for the first time. Appearing in the series were not one, not two but three former Formel ADAC drivers: Sven Müller, Jeffrey Schmidt and Antti Buri. Porsche junior Müller repeated former successes at the Sachsenring in his debut year in the one-make cup. The 22-year-old finished on the podium in the second race to place fourth overall in the standings; Müller lined up in the ADAC High-Speed Academy in 2010 and 2011.