He might be the surprise candidate among all the applicants for the Ravenol Media Award: Freddy Killensberger. The driver from Wortelstetten, Bavaria is the winner of the Ravenol Media Award. The 17-year old applied for the Ravenol Media Award with an elaborate cross-media campaign, showing a lot of personal commitment. This convinced the international jury. He will receive the award, which is endowed with prize money of 5,000 Euros, at the Essen Motor Show on Friday. Killensberger finished the 2013 season as the runner-up in the Trophy ranking for the GU-Racing team.
The quality of the Ravenol Media Award has continued to improve in 2013. Unlike in 2012, when the award was first established and was about collecting as many press articles about oneself as possible, the applicants had to be smart and to convince an international jury with creativity this time. Martin Huning, Ravenol Motorsport Director; Olaf Schilling, chief editor of Auto Bild Motorsport magazine and editor in charge of motorsports coverage in Sport Bild magazine; Wayne Riddell, editor of the first monthly motorsports magazine in South Africa; Peter Lim, professional photographer from Malaysia, and Bettina Eichhammer, responsible for the communication of the Formula 3 Association, took a close look at the submitted projects. In the end, Freddy Killensberger won the majority of votes. “I am very happy about that! The project took a lot of time, but it was definitely worth the effort,” says the award winner. “And 5,000 Euros are a lot of money for me, which I can now spend on tests in preparation for the next season.” The 17-year old had presented himself and his car in his home region, involving different kinds of media. “I felt like he showed a strong personal commitment. He fully focused on this one event and did his homework, just what you would expect from someone intending to pass the general qualification for motorsports,” says Huning. Killensberger will receive the Ravenol Media Award from the Ravenol Motorsport Director at the Essen Motor Show on Friday.
Rough diamond becoming a winnerThe Ravenol Media Award has certainly become established by now. That way, drivers are not only able to practice their skills on the racetrack but also make progress in handling the media within an ATS Formula 3 Cup season. “Just as it is in motorsports, the competition must be tough, because winning against tough opposition makes the win that much more valuable and credible,” says jury member Riddell. “Judging this award was really tough, as the finalists' projects were varied, advanced and extensive. There however can only be one winner and I believe, “we” the jury, have found that true gem that started the year out as a rough diamond and has ended the season well-polished.”
Olaf Schilling was also committed to his task as a member of the jury right away: “The Ravenol Media Award encouraged and challenged the drivers with regard to their creativity and self-promotion. The three favourites presented themselves extremely well and have enormous potential for further development. That already makes them winners now.”
The Ravenol Media Award will be awarded again in 2014.
