Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, race 15, Nürburgring
Porsche Junior Sven Müller (D/Lechner Racing Middle East) won round 15 of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland on Sunday. The 23-year-old from the tourist village of Bingen on the Rhine River prevailed over polesitter Philipp Eng (Team Deutsche Post by Project 1) and Michael Ammermüller (D/The Heart of Racing by Lechner) on the Nürburgring, relegating them to the other podium steps. “This marks my fifth time on the podium in the Carrera Cup this year, twice as the winner. I wasn’t able to contest four races because of a clash of commitments. The most important thing for me is that I have the feeling that I’m improving from race to race,” said an obviously pleased Müller.
Right at the start, Müller got the jump on Eng at the wheel of his 460 hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Even at the restart after a safety car phase in the first lap, Müller kept his cool and gave Eng no chance to get by. The Lechner pilot held his closest pursuers at bay to the flag. Eng, who had clinched the title before the end of the season at Oschersleben, had to settle for second place after scoring three wins in a row. “Unfortunately I fluffed my start and couldn’t overtake Sven because he got off the line perfectly. With eight wins under my belt this season I have to be content with second place this time, although I noticed that it wasn’t easy for me,” said Eng. Securing two third places, Ammermüller summed up his weekend: “My races were okay. At the top we all drove about the same speed and that’s why I couldn’t achieve more today.”
Scoring fourth place, Christian Engelhart (D/TECE MRS-Racing) earned important points towards the vice-championship title. Nicki Thiim (DK/Küs Team75 Bernhard) finished in fifth ahead of Christopher Zöchling (A/Konrad Motorsport). Spaniard Alex Riberas (E/The Heart of Racing by Lechner) clinched seventh ahead of Swiss Jeffrey Schmidt (CH/Lechner Racing Middle East). Porsche Junior Matteo Cairoli (Team Deutsche Post by Project 1) took the flag in ninth. “I had trouble with the setup and experienced oversteer. The track conditions were different from yesterday: It was warmer and windier and the car setup wasn’t quite right. But I wasn’t perfect either and that’s why I finished on ninth,” explains the 19-year-old Italian. Robert Renauer (D/Herberth Motorsport) rounded off the top ten.
In the overall classification after the Nürburgring race weekend, Eng holds an unassailable lead with 268 points. At the two remaining races, a total of 40 points are still up for grabs with five aspirants still in the bid for the vice-championship title: Currently Engelhart sits second with 171 points ahead of Schmidt with 159 points. Only one point separates Ammermüller (158) from Schmidt. Holding 147 points, Riberas ranks fifth overall. With 145 points, Thiim also has theoretical chances to claim the runner-up title.
The final race weekend of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland is contested from 16 to 18 October at Hockenheim.
Race 15 result: 1. Sven Müller (D/Lechner Racing Middle East) 2. Philipp Eng (A/Team Deutsche Post by Project 1) 3. Michael Ammermüller (D/The Heart of Racing by Lechner) 4. Christian Engelhart (D/TECE MRS-Racing) 5. Nicki Thiim (DK/Küs Team75 Bernhard) 6. Christopher Zöchling (A/Konrad Motorsport) 7. Alex Riberas (E/The Heart of Racing by Lechner) 8. Jeffrey Schmidt (CH/Lechner Racing Middle East) 9. Matteo Cairoli (I/Team Deutsche Post by Project 1) 10. Robert Renauer (D/Herberth Motorsport)
Points standings after 15 of 17 races: Drivers’ classification 1. Philipp Eng (A/Team Deutsche Post by Project 1), 268 points 2. Christian Engelhart (D/TECE MRS-Racing), 171 points 3. Jeffrey Schmidt (CH/Lechner Racing Middle East), 159 points 4. Michael Ammermüller (D/The Heart of Racing by Lechner), 158 points 5. Alex Riberas (E/The Heart of Racing by Lechner), 147 points
Rookie classification 1. Alexander Toril (E/Market Leader Team by Project 1), 49 points 2. Richard Charles Goddard (AUS/TECE MRS-Racing), 22 points 3. Luca Rettenbacher (A/Konrad Motorsport), 9 points
Amateur classification 1. Rolf Ineichen (CH/Konrad Motorsport), 276 points 2. Wolf Nathan (NL/Land-Motorsport), 256 points 3. Ralf Bohn (D/Herberth Motorsport), 226 points
Team classification 1. Team Deutsche Post by Project 1, 373 points 2. Lechner Racing Middle East, 308 points 3. The Heart of Racing by Lechner, 306 points
