Round 2 of the 2018 ADAC Formula 4 at Hockenheim

• Zendeli aiming to extend lead; Fittipaldi, Vesti etc lurking in the wings
• ADAC Formula 4 as part of support programme to DTM opener

Munich: What a magnificent arena for the stars of tomorrow! The young contestants of ADAC Formula 4 are looking forward to their second race weekend, which coincides with the DTM season opener at Hockenheim. “Of course, it’s going to be a very special occasion,” says Enzo Fittipaldi (16, Brazil, Prema Theodore Racing) in anticipation of races four, five and six of the season. “I like the track very much, and not just because Formula 1 is also contested here.” The ADAC Formula 4 races can be watched on the TV channel SPORT1 as well as free online via sport1.de, adac.de/motorsport and youtube.com/adac.

After the exciting season opener at Oschersleben, Fittipaldi travels to Hockenheim as second in the championship. He is five points behind Lirim Zendeli (18, Germany, US Racing CHRS), who got his campaign off to a nearly perfect start with two wins. “And I managed that even though Oschersleben doesn’t particularly suit me,” says Zendeli. “I’m looking forward to Hockenheim. Obviously, I’ll be aiming to score further victories and points and to extend my leadership.”

The drivers of ADAC Formula 4 will be racing in front of huge crowds this weekend, attracted by the start of the DTM season. For the youngsters, it will be a foretaste of what is undoubtedly going to be the highlight of their season, namely the weekend of 20th - 22nd July when ADAC Formula 4 once again visits Hockenheim, but this time in the context of the German Grand Prix. Formula 1 is returning to the high-speed circuit in Baden-Württemberg for the first time in two years.

But that’s still some way off for the juniors, whose sole concern this time is with the three upcoming races and the opportunity to score more points in in their championship bid. In third place behind Zendeli and Fittipaldi is Frederik Vesti (16, Denmark, Van Amersfoort Racing) ahead of the winner of Race 3 at Oschersleben, Oliver Caldwell (15, Great Britain, Prema Theodore Racing) in fourth.

Best rookie is currently Niklas Krütten (15, Germany, ADAC Berlin Brandenburg e.V.), who has clearly set his sights on winning the newcomers’ classification in his first year in single-seater racing. However, he is up against stiff competition from the likes of David Schumacher (16, Germany, US Racing CHRS), the son of former Formula 1 and DTM driver Ralf Schumacher.

In this weekend’s showdown at Hockenheim, ADAC Formula 4 renews acquaintance with one of its alumni, Joel Eriksson (20, Sweden), who is driving for BMW in this year’s DTM. The Swede finished as runner-up behind Marvin Dienst (21, Germany) in 2015, the debut season of the new ADAC Formula 4 series. He then graduated to Formula 3 before most recently being signed by BMW as a member of their DTM squad. Several other current DTM drivers competed in predecessor series of ADAC Formula 4. They include Pascal Wehrlein (23, Germany), who spent two years in Formula 1 driving for Sauber. He too enjoyed considerable success in the previous Formel ADAC series.

Most of the contestants in ADAC Formula 4 dream of a similar career path and intend to take a further step along it in the DTM opener at Hockenheim.