Half-time for ADAC Formula 4 in 2016 season: Facts and figures to mark mid-point of season

• Mawson most successful driver in ADAC Formula 4
• Impressive numbers: 12 races, 197 laps, 716 kilometres
• Five wins for Mawson, three for Schumacher, two for Ortmann

Munich: The first half of the ADAC Formula 4 season continued where it left off in 2015 at the end of its first year. The young talents of the ADAC High Speed Academy have produced twelve exciting and entertaining races at the four of eight race weekends staged so far. The ADAC Formula 4 will kick off the second half of the season from July 22nd to 24th with the first meeting of the season to take place outside of Germany's borders at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.

Joey Mawson (20, Australia, Van Amersfoort Racing) won five of the previous twelve races and has a 20-point lead in the overall standings. The 'half-time' champ from down under failed to finish only once. Juan Manuel Correa (16, USA, Ecuador, Prema Powerteam) bagged the lead in the rookie standings at the end of the first half of the season by twice attaining the maximum points possible. In the team classification, Kerpen-based US Racing managed by Gerhard Ungar and ex-Formula 1 and DTM driver Ralf Schumacher lead at this stage in the season.

Facts and figures to mark the mid-point of the 2016 ADAC Formula 4 season

41 drivers from 17 countries lined up at the four of eight race weekends held so far, including 18 from Germany. 14 young talents are contesting their first season in motor racing.

The 37 male and four female drivers race for 16 teams from six countries. The majority of teams (9) are located in Germany. There are also two teams from Austria and Switzerland, and one from Italy, the Netherlands and Denmark.

Proof that the ADAC Formula 4 is highly competitive: Twelve different drivers from nine countries finished on the podium.

Five drivers shared wins. Joey Mawson, who placed third overall last year, won five times. Mick Schumacher (17, Germany, Prema Powerteam) finished tenth last year and has occupied the top spot on the podium three times to date. Mike David Ortmann (16, Germany, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.) secured a double victory at the Sachsenring, while Kim-Luis Schramm (18, Germany, US Racing) and Swiss rookie Fabio Scherer (17, Switzerland, Jenzer Motorsport) have each taken one win.

Mawson achieved nine podium finishes, the highest number of any driver, in the first twelve races of the season (5 x first, 3 x second, 1 x third). Mick Schumacher has taken six podiums (3-2-1), and Mike David Ortmann five (2-0-3). Twelve drivers in all, (Mawson, Schumacher, Ortmann, Schramm, Fittje, Scherer, Preining, Laaksonen, Nielsen, Laliberté, Hoogenboom and Correa) booked a place on the podium.

With ten wins (five in 2015 and five in 2016), Joey Mawson is now the most successful driver ever in the ADAC Formula 4. Last year's championship winner, Marvin Dienst (Germany) is the second most successful with eight wins in 2015; last year's runner-up, Joel Eriksson (Sweden), took seven wins in 2015.

In the rookie standings, the most wins went to Nicklas Nielsen (19, Denmark, Neuhauser Racing). The Dane secured three wins in the class reserved exclusively for drivers with no previous motor racing experience.

Four ladies continued the tradition of fielding female drivers in the ADAC formula racing series for juniors. Michelle Halder (16, Germany, Liqui Moly Team Engstler), Carrie Schreiner (17, Germany, US Racing) and Marylin Niederhauser (20, Switzerland, Rennsport Rössler) are contesting their second season in formula racing.

The youngest female driver in the field, rookie Sophia Flörsch (15, Germany, Motopark) had a successful first season. In the first twelve races, the ADAC Sports Foundation protégée finished five times in the Top Ten. The 15-year-old secured her best result by finishing fifth in the third race in the season opener at Oschersleben. In that race, she became the first female driver in ADAC Formula 4 to post a lap in the lead since records began.

Seven different drivers lined up on pole to start the race. Joey Mawson and Mick Schumacher led the field away three times on the first lap. Kim-Luis Schramm secured two poles. Thomas Preining (17, Austria, Lechner Racing), Jonathan Aberdein (18, South Africa, Motopark), Juri Vips (15, Estonia, Prema Powerteam) and Leonard Hoogenboom (16, Netherlands, Van Amersfoort Racing) took one pole each. Overall, six of the pole-setters subsequently went on to win from P1 (3x Mawson, 2x Schumacher, 1x Schramm).

The closest finish of a race so far this season went to Mike David Ortmann in the second round at the Sachsenring. He came home a mere 0.399 seconds in front of Mick Schumacher. Swiss rookie Fabio Scherer secured the biggest lead of any race winner in the third race at the Lausitzring, crossing the line first, 3.199 seconds ahead of runner-up Jannes Fittje.

Joey Mawson notched up the most laps in the lead. The Australian headed the field for a total of 59 laps. Mick Schumacher led for 51 laps, and Mike David Ortmann for 35. At the season mid-point, Simo Laaksonen (17, Finland, Motopark) and Thomas Preining have each been in the lead for 14 laps.

Drivers have so far posted 197 laps altogether on tyres supplied by exclusive partner Pirelli in the 12 races held so far, which equates to a total race distance of 716 kilometres.

ADAC Sports Foundation protégé Mike David Ortmann attained the highest average speed. The 16-year-old achieved an average speed of 164.4 km/h in the second race at the Sachsenring.

Kim-Luis Schramm racked up the most fastest laps, four in all, while Joey Mawson was quickest three times.