The second ADAC Formula 4 season is about to start. After a successful first season last year, the junior formula racing series will again feature teams and drivers of the highest calibre in 2016. 17 teams with some 46 drivers from six different countries will go head-to-head in 24 races at eight different circuits in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. Ambitious drivers moving up from karting and young talents with some formula racing experience will battle for points for the first time in the season opener at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben from 15th to 17th April 2016. Four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel, who started his career in various ADAC junior formula series, will continue as patron of the ADAC Formula 4. SPORT1 and SPORT1+ will broadcast ADAC Formula 4 races both live and re-live.

Mick Schumacher intends to build on decent showing in debut season

Mick Schumacher will again be taking part after a decent first season with Van Amersfoort Racing, but this time, he will take his seat in the cockpit for Italian racing outfit, Prema Powerteam. The son of record-breaking Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher finished third in the 2015 ADAC Formula 4 rookie rankings and has fond memories of the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. Last year, the 17-year-old teenager secured his maiden win in the ADAC Formula 4 at Oschersleben, and he intends to be a podium contender again this season.

Joey Mawson: His goal is the title

The Australian Joey Mawson, who was Schumacher's team-mate at Van Amersfoort Racing and finished third overall in the standings in the inaugural season of the series, intends to attack with the backing of the Dutch team once again. "I know that I've still got a score to settle in Germany, for sure" said Mawson: "We were close to winning last year, but my goal is very clear this season, to secure the ADAC Formula 4 title."

It is already apparent that the ADAC Formula 4 will have a new overall winner in its second season, since Marvin Dienst, who won the title for HTP F4 Junior Team Ungar in 2015, has moved on and now lines up in the ADAC GT Masters in a Porsche 911.

New team US Racing has evolved from HTP F4 Junior Team UNGAR. Gerhard Ungar led the outfit as team principal, but now, ex-Formula 1 and DTM driver Ralf Schumacher has come on board, and the new name 'US' stands for the two initials of the owner's surnames as well as signifying 'we', the team. Schumacher said that he especially likes the idea. Louis Gachot is a driver for US. It was Bertrand Gachot, the father of the 16-year-old teenager, who made Michael Schumacher's Formula 1 debut possible in 1991 when Schumacher took his place in the Jordan team at Spa in the Belgian Grand Prix - the rest is Formula 1 history.

Four speedy ladies with dreams of winning title

Four lady drivers will join the race to succeed Dienst as the new ADAC Formula 4 champion. Michelle Halder (Liqui Moly Team Engstler), Marylin Niederhauser (Rennsport Rössler) from Switzerland and Carrie Schreiner (US Racing) raced in 2015, while ADAC Sports Foundation protégé Sophia Flörsch will be contesting her first season in the junior formula series with Team Motopark. Michelle Halder is also supported by the ADAC Sports Foundation, as are Jannes Fittje (US Racing) and Mike David Ortmann (ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.), who finished second last year in the ADAC Formula 4 rookie rankings. Ortmann has been actively competing in motor racing since 2010. He aims to produce another good showing in 2016 after a decent debut season in the ADAC Formula 4. "I definitely intend to be a championship contender," said Ortmann. "And I'm obviously really keen now to have a crack at the title."

Jannes Fittje also dreams of titles and trophies. He wants to finish in the Top Three at the end of the season and go on to higher things. "Sure, it's my aim and desire to drive in Formula 1 at a later stage and also to become world champion. It's everyone's dream here," said the ADAC Sports Foundation protégé.

17 teams will fight for the title, including four new entrants. Apart from US Racing from Kerpen, KUG Motorsport (Kleinwallstadt), Rennsport Rössler from Fulda and SMC Schwärzler Motorsport Concepts (Münsterhausen) will also be making their ADAC Formula 4 debut.

The junior ADAC formula racing series can be seen live and as recordings once again on TV. SPORT1 and SPORT1+ will broadcast races live on TV and also online on the Internet.

ADAC Sports President Hermann Tomczyk thinks that the ADAC Formula 4 is already one of the strongest junior series after its inaugural year. "The debut season exceeded our expectations. We obviously have our finger on the pulse with the ADAC Formula 4. The fact that we have attracted even more entrants shows that we can develop the series in a sustainable manner," said Tomczyk.

ADAC Director of Motorsport and Classic Motoring Lars Soutschka added. "The promotion of young talent by the ADAC has a long tradition. Ralf Schumacher lined up in what was the Formel ADAC in 1991 and is now returning as a team principal, which shows the many and varied ways in which the ADAC's youth development programmes work."

List of entrants for the 2016 ADAC Formula 4 season

Start no /Driver/Team

2 Jannes Fittje, US Racing

3 Carrie Schreiner, US Racing

4 TBA, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.

5 Lirim Zendeli, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.

6 Mike David Ortmann, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.

7 Oliver Söderström, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.

8 Luca Engstler, Liqui Moly Team Engstler

9 Ricardo Feller, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.

10 Andreas Estner, RS Competition

11 TBA, KUG-Motorsport

12 TBA, KUG-Motorsport

13 Yannick Brandt, Lechner Racing

14 Thomas Preining, Lechner Racing

15 Michael Waldherr, Lechner Racing

17 Diego Ciantini, Jenzer Motorsport

18 Jan-Erik Meikup, Jenzer Motorsport

19 Fabio Scherer, Jenzer Motorsport

20 Kevin Kratz, Jenzer Motorsport

21 Michelle Halder, Liqui Molly Team Engstler

22 TBA, Motopark

23 Julian Hanses, Team Timo Scheider GmbH

24 Robin Brezina, Robin Brezina

25 Moritz Müller-Crepon, Van Amersfoort Racing

26 TBA, Van Amersfoort Racing

27 Louis Gachot, US Racing

28 Kim Luis Schramm, US Racing

29 Mick Schumacher, Prema Powerteam

30 Kenneth Gulbrandsen, Team Timo Scheider GmbH

33 Jonathan Aberdein, Motopark

35 Kami Laliberté, Van Amersfoort Racing

40 Leonard Hoogenboom, RS Competition

44 Juri Vips, Prema Powerteam

45 Toni Wolf, KUG-Motorsport

46 Mauro Auricchio, Team Timo Scheider GmbH

50 TBA, Rennsport Rössler

55 Marylin Niederhauser, Rennsport Rössler

66 Simo Laaksonen, Motopark

68 Juan Manuel Correa, Prema Powerteam

74 TBA, Liqui Moly Team Engstler

77 Job van Uitert, Jenzer Motorsport

79 TBA, SMC Schwärzler Motorsport Concepts

80 Felipe Drugovich, Neuhauser Racing

81 Nicklas Nielsen, Neuhauser Racing

90 Cedric Piro, Team Piro Sport Interdental

96 Joey Mawson, Van Amersfoort Racing

99 Sophia Flörsch, Motopark

The second ADAC Formula 4 season gets under way on the weekend of 15th-17th April 2016 at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. The ADAC's high-speed academy will contest its fixtures alongside the ADAC GT Masters on six race weekends and during the joint ADAC GT Masters/DTM meeting at the Lausitzring and in the context of the TCR International Series in Oschersleben. TV partner SPORT1 will broadcast races live on free-to-air TV as well as online and on mobile devices.

The ADAC Formula 4 will again rely on the services of tried and trusted partners during the 2016 season. Formula 4 racing cars powered by Abarth turbocharged engines and running chassis from Italian manufacturer, Tatuus, will be utilised. Italian premium tyre manufacturer Pirelli, who are well-known from Formula 1, and wheel manufacturer Motec will supply the ADAC Formula 4. Suspension springs manufacturer Eibach and DEKRA, one of the world's leading bodies of experts, are partners to the series. Auto Zeitung newspaper will continue in its role as official media partner.