Mikkel Jensen: Interview with the champion

• Mikkel Jensen clinches title with four races left in season
• Seventh and final Formel ADAC champion
• Jensen: “Neuhauser Racing is like a second family to me.”

You wrapped up the championship with your win in Race 2 at the Sachsenring. What went through your mind at that moment?
Mikkel Jensen: Going into the Sachsenring weekend with such big points lead, I was hoping to take the title there and then. The way in which it worked out so perfectly, with two wins out of two, was like a dream come true. There is no better sensation than picking up the champion’s trophy from the top step on the podium. I had already known for some time what a strong and fast car we had. So it was obvious that, if I didn’t make any mistakes, the title was there for the taking. Winning the championship at the Sachsenring did not come as a great surprise. But at the moment I knew that I had really done it, I was overwhelmed by emotion.

At the halfway point of the season, you were already the hot favourite for the title. How big is the sense of relief now that you’ve actually done it?
Mikkel Jensen: It’s like a heavy weight has fallen from my shoulders. However, the season is not over yet. I still want to win the title by the greatest possible margin, so I’ll be on the attack again at Hockenheim. I’ve never won three races in one weekend – maybe I can do that in the grand finale. I also want to show my fans and sponsors at Hockenheim what I’m capable of.

What were the reactions from your team, your family and your friends after you won the title?
Mikkel Jensen: It was just amazing! By the time I got back to the pits, I had already received around 40 messages on Facebook and 50 text messages. My father was overjoyed – the team later told me that the tears were rolling down his cheeks as he watched me crossing the finish line from the pit wall.

You’ve won nine races this season, made 14 podium appearances and qualified for pole position eight times. What makes you such a formidable opponent?
Mikkel Jensen: Early in the season, we were having a few problems, and it developed into a close fight between Maximilian Günther and me. The race weekend at the Red Bull Ring proved to be decisive. That was my most successful weekend of 2014, with two wins and another podium finish. From then on, I just got better and better, which made me a lot more relaxed.

You’ve just mentioned the tight battle for the lead. After the weekend at the Lausitzring, you led by only a two-point margin, but then you went on a fantastic run. What changed for you after that weekend?
Mikkel Jensen: After the Lausitzring, my lead was indeed small, but that was not unexpected. We knew that other teams would be stronger there. I didn’t let the situation get to me, and I bided my time until the Red Bull Ring. Success breeds self-confidence, because racing has a lot to do with mental attitude. If you’re riding along on the crest of a wave, things just seem to go your way. You climb into your car, and everything takes care of itself.

What was your personal highlight of the 2014 season?
Mikkel Jensen: It’s very difficult to single out one particular highlight – the whole season was just fabulous. In retrospect, I would say it was the home race for my team at the Red Bull Ring. I secured double pole, won two races and finished the third race as runner-up after starting from eighth on the grid.

Will there be any memories that you will especially cherish from this season in the Formel ADAC series?
Mikkel Jensen: I’ll try to keep all these wonderful events in my head. If it were somehow possible, I would like to continue as a member of the Neuhauser Racing team. But I must move on. I’ll certainly visit them from time to time in the future. We are already planning a skiing trip to Austria this winter. If they compete in the ADAC Formula 4 next year, I will certainly be attending the occasional race weekend to lend them my support.

How important is having a good team atmosphere?
Mikkel Jensen: The whole team is like a second family to me. When I arrive at the team marquee on the Friday of a race weekend, I immediately feel at home. I have also built up a very good friendship with my team-mate Tim Zimmermann this year, and it’s been great fun working with him.

What does it mean to you to have secured Neuhauser Racing’s first ever drivers’ title in the Formel ADAC series?
Mikkel Jensen: Being able to bring home the title for Neuhauser Racing means a lot to me. I know that my team boss Hannes is very proud to have won the championship for the first time. Of course, the perfect end to the season would be if I could play my part in winning the team championship for the first time in our history.

Now you are the Formel ADAC champion, what’s in store for you next season?
Mikkel Jensen: Nothing has been fixed yet, but I’m eyeing up the prospects for competing in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship or the GP3 series. We are in talks with some teams and are still looking for the best option.