Good things come to those who wait: It was already obvious at an early stage in the season that the American, 15-year-old Jak Crawford, was going to be one of the fastest drivers in this year's ADAC Formula 4 after he took two pole positions in the Lausitzring opener. However, Red Bull Junior Crawford has had to wait a little longer to secure a win. He's finished runner-up four times but finally broke his duck in the first race at the Nürburgring. "I'm just really happy," he told us. Crawford also scored valuable points in the other two races with fourth and third place. In the overall standings, he is now second on 30 points behind team-mate Jonny Edgar. There are nine races left, and Crawford has proved that he's prepared to wait for the right moment to strike...

Russian heart skips a beat: 15-year-old Vladislav Lomko was completely stunned. "To be honest, I still can't quite believe it," said a smiling Lomko after his triumph in the pouring rain. In Race 3 on Saturday, in really extreme, tricky conditions, Lomko drove from pole position to produce a perfect race and take his maiden victory in the ADAC High-Speed Academy. But what is more, this was Lomko's first-ever finish in the Top Five this year. Not even the notorious Eifel rain could put him off his stride. "It was just a question of staying in control. I only had one goal which was to be quick. That was the only thing could think of," he added.

Refreshing rain??!!: Speaking of Eifel weather, autumn may have only just begun in terms of the calendar, but it felt like winter was just around the corner this weekend. The drivers were faced with low temperatures in single figures for the morning sessions, plus, there was a lot of rain about. And even during the actual races, the weather put huge demands on drivers, who found it "really scary" when the heavens opened. However, some of them liked the challenging conditions. "It was great fun," said Tim Tramnitz after the rain-affected third round. Formula 1 will be taking place here in the Eifel in two weeks' time. Will F1 drivers face equally challenging conditions?

Superb setting: Taking a sneak-peak at what's happening on the rest of the programme at a top international event is now 'de rigueur' in the ADAC Formula 4. During these past two years, the juniors have twice raced within the context of the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Germany, which they obviously found very special. At the Nürburgring , the young talents were now lining up against the backdrop of the legendary ADAC Total 24-hour race. "It's totally amazing, because this 24-hour race is extremely popular in Germany," said Tramnitz.

Success in home fixture: With four podiums from two races, plus a double victory in the third race, US Racing's home fixture turned into an absolute triumph on Saturday; the outfit managed by Gerhard Ungar and Ralf Schumacher is based in Kerpen, only an hour's drive from the Nürburgring. In recent years, US Racing have dominated the ADAC Formula 4, producing the drivers' champion twice in a row and winning the team championship. This year, though, Van Amersfoort Racing have managed to draw ahead a little thanks mainly to championship leader Jonny Edgar, but Saturday at the Nürburgring could mark the start of a strong finish to the season for US Racing.

Season second-half: Four out of seven race weekends have now been completed on the ADAC Formula 4's packed schedule. The second half of the season has begun. The decisions in the fight for the title will come fast and furious with racing set to continue in three weeks' time at Austria's Red Bull Ring (16th-18th October). "I'm looking forward to it, said Tramnitz. "I've been there a few times to test drive, and the Red Bull Ring is a really nice circuit." And Lomko added: "I'll do my best there once again. Wonder how I'll do?" The drivers will have to show plenty of stamina during the final stages of the season, as the last three race weekends will take place within a four-week time frame.