Round two of this season’s ADAC Formula 4 saw Marcus Amand (US Racing) demonstrate emphatically that it will take more than a difficult start to the weekend to knock him out of his stride. After qualifying failed to go to plan, the 16-year-old fought back to claim a podium in race six of the season at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg.
The Frenchman failed to set a lap time in his 180-hp Tatuus F4 T-021 in qualifying for Saturday’s race, and subsequently missed the opening race. On Sunday, he climbed from tenth on the grid to finish seventh after a fiercely competitive race. This was enough to earn him second place on the grid for the final race at the former Formula 1 circuit.
Amand had passed pole-sitter Conrad Laursen (16/DNK/Prema Racing) by the time they reached turn one, and he then set about extending his lead. However, as at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), the safety car through an obstacle in his way. Amand defended his lead at the restart, but even he was ultimately powerless to stop Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Prema Racing). The 15-year-old Italian won all three races at the 4.574-kilometre track.
“I got off to a very good start and was able to open up a big lead over the second-placed car. The safety car phase did not help me, and I was then unable to keep up with Antonelli. Despite this, I am pleased with my first podium,” said Amand. Now in his second season in ADAC Formula 4, this was his first top-three finish and put him fifth in the championship. It was the second podium of 2022 for the racing team run by Ralf Schumacher and Gerhard Ungar: Kacper Sztuka (16/POL) finished runner-up in the third race of the season at the Ardennes rollercoaster.
