Mamerow would win over this field by a mere 1.7 seconds
Stuttgart. With a blitz start and an absolutely trouble free run, Chris Mamerow (Germany) won his home race of the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup in Hockenheim. After Bahrain, this was the second win of the season for the 23-year-old, who moves up to third in the points’ standings and within striking distance of second.
Mamerow’s team mate and pole-setter, Jaap van Lagen (Netherlands), finished the 14-lap race on the 4.57 kilometre Grand Prix circuit in second. With this success, the German Damac Kadac Racing team celebrated a double victory. The eighth of twelve rounds of the world’s fastest one-make trophy series, which ran in front of full grandstands as support to the German Grand Prix, featured many gripping overtaking manoeuvres.
Points’ leader Jeroen Bleekemolen (Netherlands, Jetstream Motorsport PZ Essen) took up the race from third on the grid to finish in third on the traditional German circuit and increase his lead in the championship to 34 points. The 26-year-old two-time race winner of 2008 profited from his toughest rival only earning one point. The vehicles of Bleekemolen and Jan Seyffarth (Germany, Konrad Motorsport) had touched when Seyffarth attempted to overtake at the beginning of the race. As a result the 22-year-old spun and fell back to 16th.
Coming out on top of a spirited fight for fourth was Damien Faulkner from Ireland, who ranks fourth in the championship. The winner of the season-opening round this year competes for the Austrian SAS Lechner Racing team. Taking up the race from eighth, René Rast (Germany, VELTINS MRS Racing) saw the flag in fifth. A dent in the front of his 420 hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup was visible proof of a fiercely-contested race. The 21-year-old currently leads the national German Carrera Cup series. After being suspended from contesting the Silverstone race, he currently ranks tenth in the overall standings of the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup. Nicolas Armindo from France (tolimit Motorsport) fended Faulkner and Rast off over many laps but couldn’t hold them off in the end and crossed the finish line in sixth.
UPS-Porsche-Junior pilot Martin Ragginger drove a brilliant race. The 20-year-old Austrian secured a commendable seventh in qualifying only to be relegated to 14th with a penalty as he had taken shortcuts several times. This seemed to motivate the youngster. The ambitious junior charged through the field to finish seventh. His 19-year-old team mate Marco Holzer (Germany) had to deal with his first retirement. For him, the race ended in the second lap with a technical problem as a result of a jostle.
Belgium’s David Saelens (Irwin Racing) also added to the excitement with spectacular overtaking manoeuvres. Starting from twelfth on the grid, the Belgian at times sat in seventh only to be pipped at the post by Ragginger in the last lap to finish eighth. Ninth went to Saelen’s team mate and quadruple Supercup champion Patrick Huisman (Netherlands), trailed by Sean Edwards (Great Britain) in tenth. Driving for Konrad Motorsport, the Briton had won his home race two weeks ago in Silverstone.
For guest starter Neel Jani his premiere in a GT race car was not rewarded with success. After a difficult qualifying where he received a penalty for taking shortcuts, the 24-year-old Swiss man got away well in the race and even made up places. But a driving mistake in the Sachs corner put a premature end to the reigning A1 Grand Prix world champion’s race.
Chris Mamerow (winner): “Like I said yesterday: Good start, win, happy... that’s probably how it looked from the outside, but the race was tough going. I pushed hard at the start to build up a bit of an advantage and tried to keep this gap until the end. With my win I think I’ve shown what I can do on this track.”
Jaap van Lagen (second): “That was the worst start of my life! But things like this happen. I’m happy to be second, albeit behind Chris, who knows his home track very well of course. I’m pleased for our team: double pole and double victory. That’s a reason to celebrate.”
Jeroen Bleekemolen (third): “I got away well in the race and was almost able to snatch the lead. When Jan tried to overtake our cars touched and afterwards my steering wasn’t quite right. So I attempted to carefully bring my third place home. Even though I hold a clear lead in the championship there are still four rounds to go and anything could happen.”
The next championship round of the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup takes place on 3rd August on the Hungaroring (Hungary). The race runs as support to the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Race results:
1. Chris Mamerow (D), Damac Kadach Racing Team, 24:38.170 minutes (155.956 km/h)
2. Jaap van Lagen (NL), Damac Kadach Racing Team, + 1.704 seconds
3. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), Jetstream Motorsport PZ Essen, + 4.768
4. Damien Faulkner (IRE), SAS Lechner Racing, + 5.705
5. René Rast (D), VELTINS MRS Racing, + 8.515
6. Nicolas Armindo (F), tolimit Motorsport, + 10.151
7. Martin Ragginger (A), UPS Porsche Junior Team, + 10.278
8. David Saelens (B), Irwin Racing, + 11.638
9. Patrick Huisman (NL), Irwin Racing, + 14.223
10. Sean Edwards (GB), Konrad Motorsport, + 15.485
Drivers’ standings after eight of twelve rounds:
1. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), 120 points
2. Jan Seyffarth (D), 86 points
3. Chris Mamerow (D), 79 points
4. Damien Faulkner (IRE), 78 points
5. Jaap van Lagen (NL), 75 points