Historic success: Dennis Marschall last winner ever in history of Formel ADAC

• Dennis Marschall wins third race during season finale at Hockenheimring
• Double podium success for new team champions, Neuhauser Racing
• After 149 races – ADAC Formel 4 set to take over the reins from Formel ADAC in 2015

Hockenheim. Dennis Marschall (18, Germany, Lotus) goes down in history as the last winner in the Formel ADAC. The Lotus driver won the third race during the season finale at the Hockenheimring. Tim Zimmermann (18, Germany, Neuhauser Racing) and Mikkel Jensen (19, Denmark, Neuhauser Racing) completed the podium party at the well established Hockenheim circuit. Marschall becomes the 39th different winner in the seven-year history of the ADAC High-Speed Academy. ADAC Formula 4, the successor to the Formel ADAC, takes over the reins next year.

“The season overall didn’t go as hoped, but this weekend at Hockenheim made up for it,” said Marschall after his historic win on Sunday afternoon. The rookie crowned a strong weekend in Hockenheim with his third victory of the season. Marschall had already won the first race on the Formula 1 circuit and also finished on the podium in the second heat. The ADAC Sports Foundation protégé went on a terrific charge up the field in the final race, storming his way to victory from seventh place on the grid.

Rookie Zimmermann finishes third in championship at first attempt

On the ninth lap, Marschall snatched the lead from Zimmermann with a smart passing manoeuvre on the hairpin. He subsequently built up a comfortable lead and crossed the finish line approximately three seconds ahead of ADAC Sports Foundation protégé Zimmermann. Although the 18-year-old Neuhauser Racing youngster missed out on a second race win of the season, he nonetheless had good cause for cheer, having consolidated his third place in the championship.

Zimmermann’s team-mate Mikkel Jensen ensured that Neuhauser Racing also finished the season on a high. The Austrian outfit had already wrapped up the team title in Race 1. Having already been crowned drivers’ champion, Jensen capped off a glittering campaign with his third podium of the Hockenheim weekend. Starting from eighth on the grid, the Dane was clearly struggling on the first few laps. Towards the mid-point of the race, however, he got his act together and battled his way through to the front.

Charge up the field to podium

In front of the Mercedes-Tribüne on the final lap, the champion managed to pull off the decisive overtaking manoeuvre against Kim Luis Schramm (17, Germany, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.), who had led the race for a time. Jensen beat off competition from the driver fielded by Mücke Motorsport, who compete under the aegis of ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V., to come home in third place. Jensen posted the fastest lap of the race on the way to his 18th podium. He leads the list of all-time greats in the Formel ADAC in this category with a total of twelve fastest laps.

The two rookies Joel Eriksson (16, Sweden, Lotus) and Igor Walilko (17, Poland, JBR Motorsport & Engineering) crossed the finish line behind Schramm in fifth and sixth place respectively. Local favourite Marvin Dienst (17, Germany, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.) was unable to do better than P7. After a promising start, Dienst was on course for a podium at times but was unable to fend off his opponents in the second stint of the race. The 17-year-old from Lampertheim finished his second Formel ADAC season in fourth place overall.

Dawn of a new era

The Hockenheimring has hosted the last ever Formel ADAC race – number 149 in the seven-year history of the junior entry series. The launch of the ADAC Formula 4 competition next year represents the dawn of a new era in single-seater racing for budding talents. Previous winners of the Formel ADAC title such as GP2 driver Daniel Abt and GP3 rookie Marvin Kirchhöfer are now successfully competing in support series to Formula 1. 2011 champion and youngest ever DTM contestant Pascal Wehrlein this year made the step up to Formula 1 as a reserve driver for Mercedes AMG.

Comments from the Top Three

Dennis Marschall (18, Germany, Lotus), Winner:
“I really wasn’t expecting this win at the start of the race. We made big changes again to the car’s setup as compared to Saturday. That didn’t pay off at first, because the car was very difficult to drive, but it gradually got better and better. It was almost perfect towards the end. I first realised I had a chance of winning when I passed a large group of drivers in the middle of the race and saw Kim Luis Schramm quickly closing on me. I have to thank my team for their super work. The season overall didn’t go as hoped, but this weekend at Hockenheim made up for it.”

Tim Zimmermann (18, Germany, Neuhauser Racing), Second:
“I’m very pleased to have made it to ten podiums this season. The pleasure is tinged with some disappointment, though. I had taken over at the front and was building up a lead under no great pressure. In fact, I was convinced that I was heading for a race win. But at some point, I noticed Dennis Marschall in my mirrors and saw that he was closing fast. He was a lot quicker today, and there was nothing I could do to stop him. But all the same, I’ve hung on to my third place in the championship, which is an achievement I’m very proud of. All in all, I’m highly satisfied with my season.”

Mikkel Jensen (19, Denmark, Neuhauser Racing), Third:
“I was no longer expecting a podium finish after the start of this race. I had a lot of wheel spin and almost found myself at the back of the field. It was really hard work clawing my way up to the front, especially that battle I had with Igor Walilko. I was consistently getting the exit from the corners better, and I was directly in his slipstream, but he kept pulling away from me on the straights. When I finally got past him, there was only Kim Luis Schramm between me and the podium. I wanted to overtake him on the hairpin, but when that didn’t succeed, I passed him on the straight. He was driving wide on the outside, and I had to briefly leave the track. Overall, though, it was a fantastic weekend, with one race win for me and with Neuhauser Racing clinching the team title.”