Tales from the Red Bull Ring paddock

Third race weekend of the 2017 ADAC Formula 4: Against an alpine backdrop in the Austrian province of Steiermark (Styria), the next generation of single-seater racing stars shared the track with the more senior drivers of the ADAC GT Masters and ADAC TCR Germany series. While Marcus Armstrong (16, New Zealand Prema Powerteam) celebrated his maiden ADAC Formula 4 victory, Felipe Drugovich (17, Brazil, Van Amersfoort Racing) and Juri Vips (16, Estonia, Prema Powerteam) had the satisfaction of becoming the first title challengers to go into the winners' list for the second time this season - after nine races in the current campaign, there have been no fewer than seven different winners. SPORT1 and SPORT1+ showed all three races live on TV. In just under four weeks, Motorsport Arena Oschersleben will once again be hosting the competition. Races ten to twelve will be contested on the weekend of 7th - 9th July in the context of the TCR International Series. Thereafter, the 'students' of the ADAC High-Speed Academy will be breaking up for the summer holidays.

Talisman and role model in one and the same person: Ex-Formula 1 driver Felipe Nasr called in on the ADAC GT Masters race weekend in Austria. The Brazilian, who competed in a total of 40 grand prix races in the highest echelon of the sport as a member of the Sauber team in the 2015 and 2016 seasons, was providing moral support to his compatriot Felipe Drugovich. The ADAC Formula 4 junior was clearly inspired, claiming his second win of the season in Race 2 on Saturday. Nasr presented the trophies to Vips, Nielsen, Armstrong and newcomer Laurin Heinrich (15, Team Laurin Heinrich) at the end of the third race on Sunday. Heinrich, who lifted the Best Rookie trophy twice this weekend, was clearly impressed. "I hadn't expected him to be handing over the rookie trophy as well," he said. "That was really cool."

Sporting visit: Eleven members of the Paralympic team fielded by the Austrian Ski Association (ÖSV) were given a guided tour behind the scenes. The party included Markus Salcher, a double gold medal winner at the 2014 Paralympic Games in Sochi. The 26-year-old presented the trophies for the first of the three ADAC Formula 4 races. The Paralympians were also taken on a lap of the circuit in the Volkswagen Golf TCR 'race taxi' belonging to the ADAC TCR Germany outfit LIQUI MOLY Team Engstler.

Worth his weight in gold: Michael Waldherr (20, Germany, Neuhauser Racing) claimed a maiden ADAC Formula 4 podium driving a car with a new livery. Thanks to his sponsor, the 20-year-old Bavarian will now be resplendent in gold for the rest of the season.

In the shade of the mountains: More than 10,000 motor sport fans crowded out the paddock as the sun beat down and the thermometer reached 30°C. The information, entertainment and refreshment stalls did a roaring trade.

Memories to savour: Thomas Preining was also in action on the Red Bull Ring this weekend. The teenager from Linz, who notched up the first win of his career in last year's ADAC Formula 4, has since become a Porsche Junior, in which capacity he contested both races in the Porsche Carrera Cup. His replacement at Lechner, Mick Wishofer, was delighted to pick up the Best Rookie trophy in the first race.

Greetings to Flensburg: Doureid Ghattas (15, Germany, Team Piro Interdental), the youngest driver in the ADAC Formula 4 field, was given a 'detention' on Sunday. After he was clocked for speeding under yellow flags on Saturday, the race stewards suspended him from the second race. He was assigned the duty of shadowing the track marshals instead.

New experience: US racing pilot Kim-Luis Schramm arrived at the Red Bull Ring much richer for experience than he had been on the previous race weekend, having meanwhile made his endurance racing debut in the ADAC Zurich 24-hour race at the Nürburgring in late May. It was a successful outing for the 19-year-old from Thuringia, who hopes to progress to the VLN series and other 24-hour races. Schramm had another good weekend at the Red Bull Ring, scoring further championship points.

ADAC involvement bears fruit: ADAC GT Masters driver Dennis Marschall (20, Germany, Aust Motorsport) has been inducted into the BMW Motorsport Junior Programme and is undergoing an intensive course of training to prepare him for his future in the sport. Marschall first embarked on his career in motor racing when he competed in the 2014 Formel ADAC, the predecessor series to ADAC Formula 4. The BMW Motorsport Junior Programme also includes three other graduates of the ADAC High-Speed Academy, namely Beitske Visser, Mikkel Jensen and Nico Menzel.

Faces familiar and new: Sebastian Fernandez Wahbeh (16, Venezuela, Bhaitech Racing) and Job van Uitert (19, Netherlands, Jenzer Motorsport), two former contestants from the 2016 campaign, returned to ADAC Formula 4 as guest starters. Making a debut appearance in the junior series were Lorenzo Colombo (16, Italy, Jenzer Motorsport) and Kush Maini (16, India, Bhaitech Racing) who for a long time looked as if he might be in contention for a podium. Also new to the series was a young Russian, Artem Petrov (17, Lechner Racing).