Start of season second half: Away fixture at Austria’s Red Bull Ring for Formel ADAC drivers

• Home race for successful crew from Neuhauser Racing
• Austrian team HS Engineering returns to Formel ADAC
• Local driver Stefan Riener: “I intend to prove myself to everyone”

Spielberg – The stage is now set for the second half of the Formel ADAC year with Races 13, 14 and 15 in the junior series, which will be contested this weekend, 9th-11th August, at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. A major highlight of the year is fast approaching for Austrian team Neuhauser Racing, and they intend to notch up further successes on home turf.

Stefan Riener (18, Austria, Neuhauser Racing) is the only Austrian to drive for Neuhauser Racing in a very international line-up. The 18-year-old rookie can hardly wait to return to Spielberg. Riener: “My last home race was nine years ago during my karting days. Knowing that fans and friends are all behind me will give me an extra incentive to do well. I intend to prove myself to everyone – especially to the folks back home.” Riener achieved sixth place last weekend at the Nürburgring, his best result to date. Now, just days later, he aims to translate experience gained so far into more good results.

Red Bull Ring demands Courage

Neuhauser team-mate Nicolas Beer (17, Denmark, Neuhauser Racing) has similar plans to Riener. The Danish teenager won his first Formel ADAC race at the Nürburgring and is currently placed third in the championship as he travels to his team’s home race in very confident mood. “I’m really looking forward to the three races at the Red Bull Ring,” says the 17-year-old. “The track is fast and challenging, and you need nerves of steel to really put your foot down through the turns.”

Alessio Picariello (19, Belgium, Mücke Motorsport) plans to steam on ahead after making an excellent start to the season. The Mücke Motorsport driver comfortably leads the overall standings with seven wins in the first twelve races and has high hopes for the third set of Formel ADAC fixtures to take place outside Germany. “I want to go for the hat-trick at the Red Bull Ring and sweep the board this weekend,” said the 19-year-old Belgian bullishly; he stood on the top rung of the podium last year in Austria.

Red Bull junior Visser has sights set on next victory

Beitske Visser (18, Netherlands, Lotus) also knows the 4.326km roller coaster circuit well from last season with its seven demanding turns. This will be a special race weekend for the young Dutch driver, because the Lotus driver joined Red Bull’s junior squad early this year. Plenty of great names have emerged from the Formula 1 team’s talent factory, including three-time world champion Sebastian Vettel.

Visser: “The races take place close to Red Bull headquarters, and I’m sure that some members of the team will come along to the track and wish me luck. That’s why I’m even more motivated to post a decent result in Spielberg. The competition is tough, but I think I’m in with a good chance of achieving my second win of the season.” Apart from Visser, Lotus team-mate Callan O’Keeffe (17, South Africa, Lotus) is also a member of Red Bull’s junior team.

HS Engineering Returns

An additional team will join the Formel ADAC line-up at the Red Bull Ring. HS Engineering from the aptly named Austrian village of Siegendorf will give home fans an extra reason to cheer on local drivers at the circuit. The team can look back on ten years of successful competition in motor racing and first formed part of the Formel ADAC line-up in 2012. This weekend, the team will put their trust in young Kuwaiti driver, Zaid Ashkanani (17, Kuwait, HS Engineering).