The ADAC Formula 4 title chase is turning into a real thriller. Victory in the first race at the etropolis Motorsport Arena Oschersleben was a battle between the two main championship contenders, in which Joel Eriksson (17, SWE, Motopark), who is currently placed second, prevailed over championship leader Marvin Dienst (18, DEU, HTP Junior Team). This sixth victory of the season in what happens to be the home race for his Motopark team keeps the Swedish youngster's title hopes alive. In the first of three races held in the context of the DTM weekend, Robert Shwartzman (15, RUS, kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport) finished in third place.
Mick Schumacher (16, DEU, Van Amersfoort Racing) was also present on the podium to pick up the trophy for the best-placed rookie. P4 is the best result for the 16-year-old since his victory in the season opener in April at the same venue.
Eriksson wins in style
"My car was really super, and I never had any doubt that I was going to win," said Eriksson. Starting from second on the grid, the Motopark squad member was the beneficiary of a mishap for pole-setter Janneau Esmeijer (18, NED, HTP Junior Team). As a penalty for lining up in the wrong box on the grid and thereby causing an extra formation lap, the stewards ruled that the Dutch teenager would have to start the race from the pit lane. Eriksson pulled out a gap at the start and cruised to victory in the 19-lap race. The 17-year-old crossed the finish line 6.41 seconds ahead of second-placed Dienst.
The title favourite from HTP Junior Team immediately gained one position at the start when Joey Mawson (19, AUS, Van Amersfoort Racing) remained stationary on the grid. Dienst was unable to threaten Eriksson's lead at any stage in the race, but he at least recorded his eighth podium finish in a row and his twelfth of the 2015 campaign. Shwartzman entertained the crowd with a great charge from midfield. The kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport driver improved his position from ninth to fourth in the course of the first lap. At the midway point in the race, he got past Michael Waldherr (18, DEU, Motopark) to claim his eighth podium finish.
Schumacher gives chase
In the closing laps, Shwartzman had a tough battle on his hands to ward off the challenge from pursuer Mick Schumacher. The Van Amersfoort Racing rookie gained four positions to move up from P8 on the grid to fourth. In the early part of the race, the son of record Formula 1 championship winner Michael Schumacher worked his way up to fifth place. On Lap 10, he overtook Waldherr and gave chase to Shwartzman. In the end, Schumacher missed out on third place by less than half a second. Waldherr and ADAC Sports Foundation protégé Tim Zimmermann (19, DEU, Neuhauser Racing) completed the Top Six in the first of three races at Oschersleben.
Dienst continues to top the championship table on 280 points, a 27-point lead on second-placed Eriksson (253). Mawson could manage only a P7 finish, which leaves him trailing in third on 231 points.
Comments from the podium
Joel Eriksson (17, SWE, Motopark), Winner:
"A victory at long last - and especially here in the home race for my team Motopark. It couldn't have gone any better. I got off to a good start and immediately put a few metres between myself and my pursuers. My plan was clear - to pull out a big lead and then hold the gap steady to the cars behind. That worked out a treat. My car was really super, and I never had any doubt that I was going to win. From the midway point of the race, I eased off slightly and conserved my tyres."
Marvin Dienst (18, DEU, HTP Junior Team), Second:
"Things didn't go too well for me today, starting with qualifying. With so little time between qualifying and the race itself, any significant improvement was unlikely. Our car isn't quite as strong as it was at the Sachsenring, which made the situation here much more of a struggle. I took it relatively easy at the start and tried to keep the gap to the front and to the rear fairly constant. Overtaking is difficult at Oschersleben anyway, and I was about as fast as Joel or possibly a bit slower. In the circumstances, an attack would just have ruined my tyres. Now I've lost a few points to Joel in the championship. Nonetheless, this second place is a creditable and important result."
Robert Shwartzman (15, RUS, kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport), Third:
"I'm very pleased to have made it onto the podium again. My start was really good. It was a bit tricky, because two of my opponents were stationary in front of me, but fortunately, I was able to avoid them. From this moment on, I held on to fourth place and was posting the same times as the race leaders. When Michael Waldherr made an error just ahead of me, I went past him and secured third place. It was only towards the end that I noticed Mick was catching up from behind. He was fast, but I was able to defend my position."
Mick Schumacher (16, DEU, Van Amersfoort Racing), best-placed rookie:
"My race was good. There were some tough battles, that was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, my tyres started to degrade towards the end of the race, otherwise I might have been able to mount another attack. Now I'll concentrate on the two races tomorrow and try to go on the attack again."