As was the case in 2016, Jannes Fittje will again be a member of ADAC Sports Foundation next year. Fittje, who has taken part in motor racing since he was seven and has already passed through important rites of passage along the way by contesting the Formel ADAC and the ADAC Formula 4, is pleased to still be a member of the squad, to which 33 juniors from ten different motor racing disciplines belong. "The ADAC Sports Foundation is helping me further my development in the sport and has been a strong partner during the past two years. It’s a great honour to still be part of the squad next year."

Fittje's record this season has been mixed. "Things went really well to begin with, and we were consistently among the front-runners, but unfortunately, we lacked the necessary speed towards the end,” he told us. Racing for Kerpen-based US Racing in 2016, he secured three podiums in Oschersleben and at the Lausitzring, finishing seventh overall in the standings. Still, Fittje felt quite positive as he reflected on the past season: "I've learned a lot despite my patchy results and taken on board a great deal for my future development."

Fittje received more good news after the names of the sponsorship squad were announced. At AUTO BILD Race Night during the Essen Motor Show, he was presented with his award for coming fourth at the end of the year in the Deutsche Post Speed Academy. The 17-year-old has been on their prestigious sponsorship programme since 2016. "It was a very special evening for me. To stand on the stage where Alex Zanardi had just received his lifetime achievement award was really great," said Fittje, describing how he felt.

After a season in the Formel ADAC and one in the ADAC Formula 4, Jannes Fittje is now working on his programme for 2017: "We're currently considering a number of options. At any rate, I'm looking forward to the new season and the challenges it will bring."