From Oschersleben to Hockenheim: The best paddock stories of the year

• Mick Schumacher’s granddad, Rolf, visits ADAC Formula 4 season opener
• FIA President Jean Todt visits ADAC Formula 4 in Spa-Francorchamps
• Ralf Schumacher at microphone in role of TV pundit
• Formula 1 star designer Adrian Newey drops in

Munich. From a sporting perspective, the new ADAC Formula 4 made positive headlines in its 2015 debut season and provided top-class entertainment. Off track too, the young drivers had an exciting time, from meeting FIA president Jean Todt to visiting Ralf Schumacher. Here are the best stories from the paddock at the ADAC High-Speed Academy.

Special fan: While tens of thousands of fans at the season opener at Oschersleben watched Mick Schumacher’s (16, DEU, Van Amersfoort Racing) first ADAC Formula 4 race, a special guest was also following events from the ADAC hospitality. Rolf Schumacher, father of Michael Schumacher, had come to see his grandson make his debut in formula motor racing.

Jean Todt visits: On the third race weekend of the 2015 ADAC Formula 4 season, the talented youngsters were honoured by the presence of a special guest. FIA president Jean Todt travelled to Spa-Francorchamps to get an insight into the new formula series for juniors organised by the ADAC. “With Formula 4, we wanted to institute an intermediate class between karting and Formula 3,” said Todt. “For young drivers, this is an excellent entry into single-seater racing.” The contestants had the opportunity to meet the FIA President in person on the famous Eau Rouge corner for a group photo. Todt inspected the grid on Saturday and Sunday before watching the races live.

Formula 1 star designer at track side: Adrian Newey was yet another celebrity visitor spending the weekend at Spa-Francorchamps. The Red Bull Racing designer of Sebastian Vettel’s F1 world championship-winning cars was on there on private business, however. His son Harrison Newey (17, GBR, Van Amersfoort Racing) was competing in the ADAC Formula 4 as a member of the Van Amersfoort Racing squad. Newey watched the races from the team garage and was delighted to see Harrison secure fifth place in the second race, his best finish of the season.

Zimmermann meets Schumacher: The ADAC invited members of the press to a media event at Ralf Schumacher’s restaurant in Bergheim in the run-up to the ADAC GT Masters and the ADAC Formula 4 at the Nürburgring. Tim Zimmermann (18, DEU, Neuhauser Racing) represented the ADAC Formula 4 and took questions from the journalists present. Ralf Schumacher, who joined the ADAC Sports Foundation Board of Trustees this year, gave an account of his involvement in the promotion of young talent. Schumacher was then at the Nürburgring to watch the ADAC Formula 4 races on the Saturday. The ex-Formula 1 and DTM driver commentated the first race live for TV partner SPORT1 along with Patrick Simon.

Celebrities on the podium: The talented juniors and the race fans then caught another brief glance of Ralf Schumacher when he presented the trophies to the winners of the second race at the Nürburgring. He was not the only familiar face on the Nürburgring podium: former DTM champion Bruno Spengler joined ADAC Sports President Hermann Tomczyk in handing over the trophies for Race 1. Earlier in the season, five-time DTM champion Bernd Schneider stepped up to do the honours after the second race at Spa-Francorchamps where he himself was competing in the ADAC GT Masters.

Major TV coverage: Millions of TV viewers were given an in-depth insight into the world of ADAC Formula 4. On Sunday 7th May, directly after the Formula 1 race from Canada, RTL’s respected Spiegel TV Magazin broadcast a report on Carrie Schreiner (17, DEU, HTP F4 Junior Team UNGAR). A TV crew followed the 17-year-old on her debut weekend at the Red Bull Ring. There were also scenes from her home life and from her pre-season preparations: “Single-seater racing is a new world for me. Being filmed by a camera crew was a great experience and also makes me proud. I was quite excited when the report about me was shown immediately after the Formula 1 race.”

Scheider to the power of two: Timo Scheider was wearing two hats at the joint ADAC Formula 4 and DTM race weekend in the etropolis Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. The two-time DTM Champion contested two races in the touring car series whilst also managing his own ADAC Formula 4 team. “My involvement in the DTM was clearly the number one priority,” said Scheider, “but I also did my best to take care of the guys in my ADAC Formula 4 team. It was a busy and exciting weekend.”

On Pole Position with KiKa: Young motorsport fans can look forward to a real TV highlight early next year. Starting on 30th January 2016 at 17:20, the children’s channel KiKa will be broadcasting a documentary by the name of ‘Pole Position’. Over a total of ten episodes, the TV crew will be following the fortunes of ADAC Formula 4 juniors Jannes Fittje (16, DEU, Motopark), Michelle Halder (16, DEU, Engstler Motorsport), ADAC Sports Foundation protégé Sophia Flörsch (15), Doureid Ghattas (13) and kart driver Patricija Stalidzane (13) as they embark on a career in motorsport. At the invitation of regional broadcaster SWR and the ADAC, the ADAC Formula 4 drivers together with numerous media representatives and other guests watched an exclusive 25-minute trailer in the ADAC Hospitality Suite at Oschersleben.

Bavarian TV Trio: Luca Engstler (15, Engstler Motorsport) from Wildpoldsried, Benjamin Mazatis (17, kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport) from Bruckmühl and Kevin Kratz (18, Lechner Racing) from Haimhausen were seen on TV in millions of German households on October 3rd. The public broadcaster BR (Bayerischer Rundfunk) featured a documentary about the three talented youngsters on its popular sports programme ‘Blickpunkt Sport’. Viewers were given an insight into the lives of the Bavarian trio, both on and off the track.

Curtain up: Inquisitive looks, pertinent questions and knowledgeable counterparts: Around 200 guests from Certina, Abarth and Pirelli got the chance to take a look behind the scenes of the ADAC Formula 4 at the grand season finale in Hockenheim. In small groups, the young drivers spoke about the technology behind the cars and about their season in the ADAC High-Speed Academy. Newly crowned ADAC Formula 4 Champion Marvin Dienst (18, DEU, HTP F4 Junior Team UNGAR) accompanied the guests during a photo shoot with his HTP F4 Junior Team UNGAR.

Water fight in the paddock: In record temperatures of around 40 degrees, the ADAC Formula 4 contestants found the perfect way of coping with the heatwave at the Lausitzring: a water fight in the middle of the paddock. On Saturday evening, the racing stars of the future armed themselves on impulse with water pistols and buckets ready for a fun time. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.