Joel Eriksson wins battle of the title contenders at Lausitzring

• Fifth win of season for championship leader Joel Eriksson
• Winner of opening race Joey Mawson second: 'Half-time' champion battle about to be decided
• Fifth podium success in succession for Robert Shwartzman
• Local driver Mike Ortmann again best rookie on grid

Klettwitz. He was a mere spectator in the first race but was delighted in the second round to finish on the top rung of the podium: Joel Eriksson (17, SWE, Motopark) won the second ADAC Formula 4 race at the Lausitzring. The championship leader did not take part in the action until Saturday afternoon after receiving a penalty in qualifying and being excluded from the race. Eriksson secured his fifth win of the season from third place on the grid. The party on the podium was completed by winner of the opening race Joey Mawson (19, AUS, Van Amersfoort Racing) and Robert Shwartzman (15, RUS, kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport), who is contesting a home fixture for his team, kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport.

"This victory was really a great relief for me. I fought hard against Joey and won through in the end," said Eriksson, who now has the best chance of winning the first 'half-time' championship in the ADAC High-Speed Academy.

Eriksson seizes his chance

Mawson looked like a certain winner at the Lausitzring until a few minutes before the end. However, Eriksson took his chance following a late safety car phase and immediately overtook the Australian on the approach to Turn 1 after the re-start. The Motopark youngster then defended his lead to the finish line. A second period where the race was neutralised three laps before the end of the race prevented Mawson from launching a counterattack. The eleventh race o the season ended behind the safety car after 19 laps.

Shwartzman added seamlessly to his impressive run of successes behind the title favourites. The young Russian finished on the podium in his fifth consecutive race. Shwartzman moved up three positions on the first lap after starting from eighth place on the grid. He won through in a scrap against Janneau Esmeijer (18, NED, HTP Juniorteam) on the twelfth lap by pulling off a spectacular overtaking manoeuvre. The Dutch teenager had to settle for fourth place in the end.

Local favourite Ortmann once again best rookie

Mike Ortmann (15, GER, kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport) gave his Berlin-based team further cause for cheer. The local youngster from nearby Ahrensfelde crossed the finish line in fifth place and was, for the second successive occasion, the most successful of all the rookies in the starting line-up. The 15-year-old finished the first race in fourth position to celebrate his best result in the ADAC junior formula series. In the Rookie Championship, Ortmann is now second behind Jonathan Cecotto (15, VEN, Motopark) who is the son of former Formula 1 and DTM driver Johnny Cecotto.

Marvin Dienst (18, GER, HTP Juniorteam) had an eventful race. Having booked pole position, the HTP Juniorteam driver had every right to be contemplating a second podium at the Lausitzring. But as the lights went out, Dienst remained stationary and dropped back to 13th place. As the race progressed, the third-placed championship contender fought his way back up the field to finish sixth.

25 positions gained: Storming charge of the season

Michael Waldherr (18, GER, Motopark) took the chequered the flag behind seventh-placed Tim Zimmermann (18, GER, Neuhauser Racing). After starting from the penultimate slot on the grid, the Motopark junior staged the comeback of the season, gaining no fewer than 25 places during the race to finish eighth. No contestant has ever made such a spectacular charge up the field in the short history of ADAC Formula 4.

'Half-time' championship to be decided on Sunday

The third race at the Lausitzring on Sunday (live coverage commencing at 10:30 on SPORT1) is guaranteed to be a high-octane affair. The ongoing battle between Eriksson and Mawson will decide which of them goes down in the ADAC Formula 4 annals as the first 'halftime champion'. Eriksson has 161 points on the board and a lead of 20 points over closest pursuer Mawson. The Australian will start Race 3 from tenth place, while Eriksson will be on the very back row.

Comments from the podium

Joel Eriksson (17, SWE, Motopark), Winner:
"This win was really a great relief for me. I fought hard against Joey and won through in the end. I knew I was faster and was waiting for him to make a mistake. When he actually made an error, I took my chance and went into the lead. I had already tried my luck going down the straight but then pulled back. I needed every point in view of being disqualified from Race 1 and was taking no chances. I now have to tackle the final race from the back of the field and see that as a challenge. I like overtaking and am looking forward to some exciting battles. I'm certain that I'll leave the Lausitzring as championship leader."

Joey Mawson (19, AUS, Van Amersfoort Racing), Second:
"Frankly, I'm disappointed with second place after this race. I had a good start and went straight into the lead. I was struggling a bit on the early laps but still managed to keep Joel Eriksson behind me - until the safety car came out. I had some dirt on the tyres after the re-start and skidded. That error cost me the win, but I didn't give up and was right behind Eriksson when the safety car came back out on track again. It was a great pity that the race was not green-flagged, otherwise the final laps would have been exciting. We had a good and fair fight prior to that."

Robert Shwartzman (15, RUS, kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport), Third:
"The weekend could hardly have started better for me. I had the fastest car on the track, as in the first race, so a big thank you to my team. I gradually worked my way forwards and finally used slipstreaming to overtake Esmeijer and claim third place. I've now achieved my fifth podium in a row, and I'm thrilled. Actually, I've not altered much compared to the beginning of the season. There were a few small things, and we were a bit unlucky as well. The experience I've gained is now paying off. Finishing regularly on the podium is the best proof of that."

Mike Ortmann (15, GER, kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport), best-placed rookie:
"Second rookie win in the second race at the Lausitzring - a perfect result. The speed of my car was not quite as good as in the first race on Saturday afternoon. I could not quite keep up with the leaders. I concentrated on defending my position and on keeping my pursuers at bay."