Hauger makes history with hat-trick at Hockenheimring

• Norwegian teenager wins all three ADAC Formula 4 races, a feat never achieved before
• US Racing's Pourchaire clings on to slender overall lead
• Dürksen and Stanek dominate Best Rookie competition

Hockenheim: 16-year-old Norwegian Dennis Hauger has made history in the ADAC Formula 4 and brought the title win within striking distance after a perfect weekend. The Van Amersfoort Racing youngster won both races on Sunday at the Hockenheimring after securing victory on Saturday. No driver before in the history of this entry series for the racing stars of tomorrow has ever managed to claim three wins on a single weekend. Red Bull Junior Hauger also now moves up to within one point of his French rival, Théo Pourchaire (16, US Racing CHRS), in the championship standings. Pourchaire on 197 points leads from Hauger (196) in the run-up to the final three bouts of the season at the Sachsenring in two weeks' time. Arthur Leclerc (18, US Racing CHRS) from Monaco is in third place on 169 points.

"I'm extremely happy," said Hauger. "I was yelling for pure joy in the car. It's also great for the team, and of course, for my position in the championship. To have got the hat-trick is really cool, and I'm feeling tremendously happy. So many other great drivers have previously competed in this series."

The final race on Sunday afternoon turned out to be a real thriller. Oliver Rasmussen (18, Denmark, Prema Powerteam) started the race from pole position and initially asserted the lead. Meanwhile, Pourchaire suffered further bad luck. After a retirement on Saturday and a poor start to the second race on Sunday morning, a collision with Lucas Alecco Roy (22, Monaco, Van Amersfoort Racing) sent him into a spin. Pourchaire was once again in the situation of having to mount a charge from the rear of the field.

In this regard, he was helped by a safety car deployment following an incident involving the two Prema Powerteam drivers, Gianluca Petecof (16, Brazil) and Paul Aron (15, Estonia), and Gregoire Saucy (19, Switzerland, R-ace GP). Aron retired, but the others were able to continue. Pourchaire gradually worked his way forward on the restart. Meanwhile, out in front, Ido Cohen (18, Israel, Van Amersfoort Racing) and Hauger were overtaking Rasmussen.

The safety car had to come back out on track ten minutes before the end when Rasmussen spun into the barrier following a contact with Michael Belov (17, Russia, R-ace GP). Following the restart, Hauger pulled away in the lead again. Behind him, Stanek passed Cohen with a skilfully executed manoeuvre around the outside. Pourchaire moved up into P6 to narrowly hang onto his top position in the championship, but Arthur Leclerc suffered a setback in his title challenge; the 18-year-old brother of Formula 1 star Charles Leclerc dropped out of the points with technical problems in the closing stages.

In the Sunday morning race, Hauger had once again put his stamp on the proceedings. Starting from pole position, he controlled the race and at no point left any doubt as to who would finish on the top rung of the podium. Championship leader Pourchaire got off to a poor start. He was second on the grid but was initially rooted to the spot and fell back to the rear of the field. He then launched a spirited charge, moving up to 12th place.

Gianluca Petecof finished behind Hauger, who had already taken a win and a second place during the first Hockenheimring weekend in late July. Leclerc was third after an exhilarating contest for the final place on the podium. Joshua Dürksen (15, Paraguay, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.) again lifted the trophy for best Rookie following his success in the opening race on Saturday.

Further comments on the ADAC Formula 4 weekend

Roman Stanek (P2 and Best Rookie, US Racing CHRS): "Qualifying didn't go all that well. I made some mistakes and had to start from eleventh on the grid twice. The race turned out OK, though. To go from tenth to second is fantastic. That was a good way to round off my weekend here."

Ido Cohen (P3, Van Amersfoort Racing): "I am happy with my weekend, which finished nicely with a P3. I was in the lead at one point but then had some problems with my tyres after the safety car. So it's all the more satisfying to have made it onto the podium."