Marvin Dienst takes championship lead with a win

• Second victory for Marvin Dienst at the Nürburgring

• Janneau Esmeijer in P2: Another double victory for HTP Juniorteam

• Dienst retakes lead in overall standings

Nürburgring. The first ADAC Formula 4 race weekend after the summer break is going perfectly for Marvin Dienst (18, GER, HTP Juniorteam). The HTP Juniorteam driver won both the first and second race at the Nüburgring and thus retakes the lead in the championship for the first time since the season opener at Oschersleben. Janneau Esmeijer (18, NED, HTP Juniorteam) was second once again in the second race, giving HTP Juniorteam their second double victory in the Eifel. Robert Shwartzman (15, RUS, kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport) in third place completed the party on the podium after the 14th race of the season.

“I now lead the championship and am pleased, of course. But what’s important is to be on top at the end of the season – so far, everything is going according to plan,” said Dienst. The initial start phase was practically a repeat of the first race. Dienst took over the lead from pole-setter Esmeijer on the approach to the first turn, having started in second place on the grid. During the subsequent race, the new overall championship leader was not put off his stride by either of two safety car periods and secured his fifth win of the season at the finish line. Esmeijer was unable to be a threat to his team-mate, but nevertheless easily secured his fourth podium of the year at the chequered flag.

Shwartzman secures more Podiums

Shwartzman finished back on the podium in the second of three races on the track which boasts a long history. The 15-year-old benefited from an excellent start during which he moved up three positions from P6 on the grid. This was the Russian’s seventh podium after consistently finishing in the Top Three in the last six races before the summer break.

David Beckmann (15, GER, kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport) improved to take fourth place on the final lap of the race when Ralf Aron (17, EST, Prema Powerteam) dropped down to seventh position from P4. Consequently, ADAC Sports Foundation protégé Beckmann was the best-placed driver of all 17 newcomers to formula racing. The 15-year-old received his trophy on the podium from ex-Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher, who was made a member of the ADAC Sports Foundation board of trustees this year.

Best result for Schumacher since Oschersleben win

Mick Schumacher (16, GER, Van Amersfoort Racing) crossed the finish line in sixth place behind fellow rookie Lando Norris (15, GBR, kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport) who placed fifth. The son of record Formula 1 championship winner Michael Schumacher was involved in some exciting battles during the race and achieved his best finish since winning at the season opener in Oschersleben.

The two title contenders Joel Eriksson (17, SWE, Motopark) and Joey Mawson (19, AUS, Van Amersfoort Racing) produced some fine racing on the penultimate lap. In a man-on-man scrap out on track, the Australian, driving for Van Amersfoort Racing, won through and collected more championship points with an eighth-place finish. Eriksson ultimately had to settle for tenth place behind Marek Böckmann (18, GER, Jenzer Motorsport).

Dienst secures championship lead

After a weekend that has proved difficult so far, five-time race winner Eriksson lost the championship lead that he had secured at the second race weekend of the season. Dienst is now on top with 179 points, while Eriksson is second on 176 points. Mawson in third place overall has amassed 167 points so far and also still has a good chance of winning the first ADAC Formula 4 championship title.

Comments from the Podium

Marvin Dienst (18, GER, HTP Juniorteam), Winner:

“This weekend is a repeat of Oschersleben. I took a double victory at the start of the season, which gave me the championship lead. The second half of the season has started in exactly the same way. I got a good start and went into the lead before the first corner. The car sat really well and the speed was perfect. I want to thank my team for their superb work; we got faster with every session. We made a few small changes before the second race that worked equally as well. I now lead the championship and am pleased, of course. But what’s important is to be on top at the end of the season – so far, everything is going according to plan.”

Janneau Esmeijer (18, NED, HTP Juniorteam), Second:

“It’s obviously disappointing to start two races from pole position and to immediately lose P1 in both. My starts have been pretty good up to now, but they simply aren’t going right this weekend. It was a mixture of different factors that allowed my team-mate Marvin to squeeze past once again. Victory really was within my grasp in this race, because I was getting faster and faster towards the end. But after the second safety car deployment, I didn’t have enough time to mount a fresh attack. All the same, though, I’m pleased about the podium and the super performance of our car.”

Robert Shwartzman (15, RUS, kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport), Third:

“I’m very pleased to have finished on the podium after starting from sixth on the grid. In contrast to the first race, I got off to a great start this time and was immediately able to overtake two opponents. I then got into a tight situation with my team-mate but came out of it ahead. When I eventually found myself running third, I managed to keep up with the race leaders without any difficulty, and I also built up a sizeable gap on the fourth-placed car. The safety car then made things a bit tricky again, but fortunately, I was able to secure third place at the finish line.”

David Beckmann (15, GER, kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport), best-placed rookie:

“I wanted to win a trophy at the Nürburgring, and now I’ve got one to take home with me. If I’d just had a better start, I might have got more out of this race. But I know the reasons why, and I’ll do things better next time. I fell back down the field and had to work my way back up again. On the final lap, I wanted to overtake Ralf Aron, so I mounted a surprise attack. It was a fair scrap in which I came out on top.”