The ADAC Formula 4 adventure has begun - and in magnificent style too! On the weekend of 24th - 26th April, the talented SMG Swiss Motorsport Group trio contested their first races in the new junior series which made its debut at Oschersleben.

Highlights of the weekend

First podium: First race, first Top Three finish. Mattia Drudi gave the team a major confidence booster in Race 1 of the new ADAC Formula 4. In a hard-fought encounter, the Italian prevailed over a large field of young drivers to claim his first podium. Even three safety car deployments were unable to disturb Mattia's rhythm: "I wasn't expecting that result after qualifying sixth. My car was fantastic, and I want to thank my team for this."

Super atmosphere: The high spirits were not confined to the 20,000 spectators last weekend. The SMG Swiss Motorsport Group outfit were also in an upbeat mood. "The teamwork aspect is functioning really well," said Giorgio Maggi after his first race weekend with the team. "We are very open with each other, and the atmosphere within the team could not be better." Giorgio's team-mate Nikolaj Rogivue agreed wholeheartedly: "It's a fun team. We work hard, but we also play hard," said the Swiss youngster. "When you're enjoying yourself, you can work well as a group."

Valuable experience: Not for nothing is ADAC Formula 4 informally referred to as the ADAC 'High-Speed Academy'. And just like students everywhere, the three formula drivers went home from the season opener having learnt a great deal. "I notice that I'm going faster with every weekend," said Nikolai. And it's not just the new experiences gained during the three races held each weekend: "I keep talking to my engineer, and we agree on where I could change my racing line or how we might adapt the setup to get a potential understeer or oversteer under control."

Source: Team