Six drivers in title fight at the finale of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in Abu Dhabi “As long as I have a chance I’ll fight”

Six drivers in title fight at the finale of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in Abu Dhabi

“As long as I have a chance I’ll fight”

Stuttgart. The 17-point advantage with which René Rast takes up the final round of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in Abu Dhabi is no guarantee for the title win – but is reason enough to put the champagne for the championship party on ice. “My position is quite good,” says the title defender from Germany heading to the last two races held as support to the Formula 1 weekend in the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi on 12th and 13th November. “I would like pole position for race one and a clean start. That would be a major step towards winning the title.” But the points’ leader should not expect an easy weekend in the desert. Six other drivers still hold chances to claim the title on the 5.554 kilometre Yas Marina Circuit – at least theoretically. At the end of a gripping season, this underlines impressively just how competitive the world’s fastest international one-make series is. Undoubtedly, René Rast holds the best cards. After a somewhat mediocre start to the season, the title defender went on to pocket four straight victories at the wheel of his 450 hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fielded by VELTINS Lechner Racing, which is based on the lightweight 911 GT3 RS road-going sports car. He won the street race in Monaco, the Porsche Carrera World Cup on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife as well as the rounds in Silverstone and on the Grand Prix course of the Nürburgring. But despite his advantage, the title battle for the front-runner has not yet been won, particularly with 44 championship points still up for grabs in Abu Dhabi. “Anything can happen there,” he says. “One retirement could change the whole situation.” As the toughest challenger to the leader, Kuba Giermaziak is determined to make the most of his title chance in Abu Dhabi. Driving for VERVA Racing, the Polish pilot contests his second season in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup and as the rising star of the year impressed not only with his wins in Budapest and Spa-Francorchamps. “René’s lead is huge. It’ll be extremely difficult to catch him,” says Giermaziak. “But as long as I still have a chance I’ll fight.” When asked about his tactics for the finale, he simply smiles. “I don’t have to think much about tactics, there is only one way to go – max attack and hope that he makes a mistake.” Trailing Kuba Giermaziak by just two points, Norbert Siedler also holds a promising position. “I believe my chance is good,” says René Rast’s Austrian teammate. “We contest two races in Abu Dhabi. Anything is possible.” He, too, must risk a great deal if he wants to have a crack at the title. “My gap is too large for me to play tactical games,” he says, and makes no secret of the fact that he is not totally happy with his season despite his decent results leading up to the final. “I still need a win, but I’ve still got two chances left.” Rounding off the top four title contenders is Sean Edwards. The hopes of the Briton for his first championship title in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup were dashed by his retirement at the previous race in Monza. Still, he has not given up. “We have nothing to lose,” says the Barcelona winner as he prepares to tackle the home race of his Abu Dhabi by tolimit squad. “We’ll do everything to take both poles and win both races. Then we can only hope.” Whilst his compatriot Nick Tandy (Konrad Motorsport) and Dutchman Jeroen Bleekemolen (Abu Dhabi by tolimit) as fifth and sixth in the overall standings also pin their hopes on the title, Kévin Estre has already achieved what he came for: Driving for Hermes Attempto Racing, the Frenchman celebrated his maiden victory in Monza in this popular brand trophy series - which has run as support to Formula 1 since 1993 – and secured the BBS Rookie of the Year title even before the season was over. The final races live on TV The two final races in Abu Dhabi will be televised live on TV stations Eurosport and Sky: Race one on 12 November is broadcast at 12.15 hrs on Sky and at 12.25 hrs on Eurosport, with race two shown on 13 November at 11.30 hrs on Sky and at 11.45 hrs on Eurosport. A wrap-up of the races is broadcast on Eurosport on 13 November at 23.00 hours in its “Motorsport Weekend Magazine”. Points’ standings after 9 of 11 races Drivers’ classification 1. René Rast (D), 141 points 2. Kuba Giermaziak (PL), 124 3. Norbert Siedler (A), 122 4. Sean Edwards (GB), 116 5. Nick Tandy (GB), 109 6. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), 108 BBS Rookie classification 1. Kévin Estre (F), 91 points Team classification 1. VELTINS Lechner Racing, 257 points 2. Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit, 221 3. VERVA Racing Team, 190

Public Relations and Media Motorsportpress Oliver Hilger

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, round 6 at the Formula 1 race on the Nürburgring/Germany Strong rivals pursue points’ leader René Rast Stuttgart. After a

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, round 6 at the Formula 1 race on the Nürburgring/Germany

Strong rivals pursue points’ leader René Rast

Stuttgart. After a successful guest appearance at the Porsche Carrera World Cup, the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup now returns for the second time this season to the Nürburgring on 24th July. It’s the 200th race in it’s successful history and rather than on the Nordschleife it takes place on the Grand Prix circuit. But the change of track doesn’t at all faze René Rast. “We’re doing well at the moment,” grins the points’ leader driving for the VELTINS Lechner Racing squad. “I don’t really mind where I win.”

The title defender from Germany, who celebrated the greatest success of his career with the World Cup victory, is the man to beat in the world’s fastest international one-make race series. His start to the season was somewhat bumpy until he turned the corner with his victory in Monaco. Recently on the storied Silverstone circuit, the home track of his arch rival Nick Tandy (Konrad Motorsport), he celebrated his third straight win. This success saw his old self-confidence return: “Earlier on we had a couple of hiccups, but now we’re back in force.”

Despite Rast’s winning streak, the fight for the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup title is still wide open before the anniversary race on the Nürburgring. Competing for the Abu Dhabi by tolimit team, Britain’s Sean Edwards secured his place amongst the hot favourites with his win in Barcelona. Although he lost the points’ lead at Silverstone, he hasn’t lost his faith in claiming the title. “Despite this little misfiring we’re still looking good,” he says. “Now we just have to stick at it.” Germany’s Christian Engelhart (Konrad Motorsport), winner of the season-opener in Istanbul, also has new hopes. After a lengthy lean spell he finally yielded a good result with fifth in Silverstone.

Fighting to keep up with the front-runners are two drivers that started into the season as keen title aspirants: Nick Tandy and Jeroen Bleekemolen. The Briton fell from the top of the points’ table after retiring from the Porsche Carrera World Cup. He finished four of the five rounds contested by now in second place, but is still waiting for his first win. Ranking third overall, he needs every point to maintain his bid for the title, as does Jeroen Bleekemolen of Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit, who lies behind Austria’s Norbert Siedler (VELTINS Lechner Racing) in fifth. Bleekemolen, the two-time Supercup winner from the Netherlands, experienced a slow start to the season. With fourth place in Monaco as his best result to now he knows only too well that he has to pull out all stops if he doesn’t want to miss the championship boat. “On the Nürburgring,” he says, “only a podium result can help. Obviously a win would be the best. But with the competition at the top so close it’s going to be tough.”

In light of the strong competition, the performance of Supercup newcomer Kévin Estre is even more remarkable. The French Hermes Attempto Racing pilot raised eyebrows in Silverstone with third in qualifying, which he turned into his best race result of the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup season with fourth place. His next goal? “The podium,” he says confidently, “preferably on the Nürburgring.”

TV stations Eurosport (11.45 hours) and Sky (11.40 hours) broadcast the race on the Nürburgring live on 24th July. Moreover, Eurosport telecasts highlights at 23.00 hours in its “Motorsport Weekend Magazin” programme.


Points’ standings after 5 of 9 races*

Drivers’ classification
1. René Rast (D), 85 points
2. Sean Edwards (GB), 74
3. Nick Tandy (GB), 72
4. Norbert Siedler (A), 69
5. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), 58
6. Christian Engelhart (D), 53

BBS rookie classification
1. Kévin Estre (F), 50 points

Team classification
1. VELTINS Lechner Racing, 148 points
2. Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit, 130
3. Konrad Motorsport, 124

* It has yet to be decided if and when there will be a replacement for the cancelled Formula 1 race in Bahrain with two rounds of the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup.



Public Relations and Media
Motor and Sports Press
Oliver Hilger

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, round 5 at the Formula 1 race in Silverstone/Great Britain René Rast turns perfect lap to secure second pole position

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, round 5 at the Formula 1 race in Silverstone/Great Britain

René Rast turns perfect lap to secure second pole position

Stuttgart. A gripping qualifying at the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup weekend on the storied Silverstone circuit: Putting in an immaculate lap, René Rast (Germany) clinched his second pole position of the season in a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fielded by VELTINS Lechner Racing. Over most of the session, the top contenders were only separated by thousandths of seconds with the provisional pole changing several times until the title defender snatched the pole shortly before the end, relegating his teammate Norbert Siedler (Austria) to the second grid spot by 0.322 seconds. Supercup rookie Kévin Estre from France surprised with the third quickest time at the wheel of Hermes Attempto Racing’s Porsche, clinching his best qualifying result so far this season.

Local hero, Nick Tandy (Konrad Motorsport) had to settle for fourth on his home circuit where he had celebrated his first victory in the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup last year. Kuba Giermaziak (VERVA Racing Team) from Poland underlined his improving form on his 21st birthday with fifth on the grid, sharing the third row with double Supercup champion Jeroen Bleekemolen (Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit) from the Netherlands. Christian Engelhart (Germany), winner of the season-opener at Istanbul for Konrad Motorsport, secured the seventh spot ahead of Slovakian Stefan Rosina (VERVA Racing Team). The top ten of the fiercely-contested qualifying were all within seven-tenths of a second, with Britain’s James Sutton (SAS International), a guest driver from the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain claiming ninth place. Barcelona winner and points’ leader Sean Edwards (Great Britain) surprisingly put his Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit-run Porsche 911 GT3 Cup only on tenth.

René Rast (pole-sitter): “To be on pole in Silverstone is a very special feeling. I’m very confident for the race as I only just ran in my second set of tyres over one lap today. I hope to be able to make up a few points in the championship and I’m especially pleased about our team effort with Norbert starting beside me.”

Norbert Siedler (2nd in qualifying): “To have the first row occupied by VELTINS Lechner Racing – now that’s perfect. Still, I’m not entirely satisfied. With my second set of tyres I wasn’t able to realise everything that was possible today.”

Kévin Estre (3rd in qualifying): “To stand so far at the front of the grid is great, especially on a famous circuit like Silverstone. I didn’t get anywhere with my first set of tyres, I was far away from the top. On my second set I immediately put in my fastest lap. Of course, I’m very pleased with my third place.”


Qualifying result
1. René Rast (D), VELTINS Lechner Racing, 2:05.621 minutes
2. Norbert Siedler (A), VELTINS Lechner Racing, + 0.322 seconds
3. Kévin Estre (F), Hermes Attempto Racing, + 0.455
4. Nick Tandy (GB), Konrad Motorsport, + 0.461
5. Kuba Giermaziak (PL), VERVA Racing Team, + 0.474
6. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit, + 0.512


Public Relations and Media Motor and Sports Press Oliver Hilger

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, round 2 at the Formula 1 race in Barcelona/Spain

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, round 2 at the Formula 1 race in Barcelona/Spain

Winner of season-opener Christian Engelhart keen for a repeat

Stuttgart. After the riveting season-opener in Istanbul with Christian Engelhart pulling a surprise victory out of the hat, the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup travels on to the Circuit de Catalunya on 22 May. Twenty-three Porsche 911 GT3 Cup take off into the second race of the world’s fastest international one-make series on the 4.655 kilometre Grand Prix circuit on the outskirts of Barcelona.

“It was an awesome experience to kick off the season with the first Supercup win of my career,” says the German Konrad Motorsport pilot, Christian Engelhart. The fact that he has now raised expectations with his performance hasn’t unsettled him. On the contrary: “I clinched the pole and won the race, so I’ve shown that I have what it takes and I can hold my own against the best.”

One of the title favourites who had to queue up behind the round one winner in Istanbul is his British teammate Nick Tandy. The vice-champion, whose driver colleagues voted him this year’s title favourite in a survey at the start of the season, is looking forward to the Circuit de Catalunya. “It’s a very demanding and interesting track,” said Tandy, who clinched second in Istanbul. “Tyres definitely play a key role here, especially in the very quick corners. The slightest error in the technically difficult passage prior to the finish straight costs a lot of time and it’s almost impossible to make it up.”

Third place-getter in Istanbul, Austria’s Norbert Siedler from VELTINS Lechner Racing, notched up his first Porsche Mobil1 Supercup victory in Barcelona last year. However, his teammate René Rast (Germany) did not take the best memories home from the Catalonian city: Suffering a technical fault, the eventual champion was relegated to the other side of the pit wall last year right after formation lap. Sean Edwards is another who doesn’t look back fondly on Barcelona 2010: Driving for the Abu Dhabi by tolimit team, the Briton crossed the finish line in first only to be handed a time penalty due to a collision which shuffled him down the field to twelfth. The goal for his return to Spain is short and sweet: “Come first – and above all stay first.”

One driver who could foil these plans comes from Tandy’s own squad: Jeroen Bleekemolen, double Supercup champion from the Netherlands, finished sixth in Istanbul behind Sean Edwards and René Rast. In Barcelona, Bleekemolen should be good for at least a podium result. A dream for Kuba Giermaziak, as well. Like Christian Engelhart last year, the VERVA Racing team pilot from Poland is a rookie in the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup, and regards his seventh from the season-opener as just a stepping stone on his way to the top. His driver colleagues confirmed that he has the necessary skills: In the survey which put Nick Tandy at the top of the title favourites, Giermaziak was voted the driver with the best outside chances.

TV stations Eurosport 2 (11.45 hrs) and Sky (11.40 hrs) broadcast the race in Barcelona live on 22 May. Eurosport also televises highlights of the race at 21.00 hrs on its programme “Motorsport Weekend Magazin”.


Points’ standings after 1 of 9 races*

Drivers’ classification
1. Christian Engelhart (D), 22 points
2. Nicholas Tandy (GB), 18
3. Norbert Siedler (A), 16
4. Sean Edwards (GB), 14
5. René Rast (D), 12
6. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), 10

BBS rookie classification
1. Kévin Estre (F), 8 points

Team classification
1. Konrad Motorsport, 38 points
2. VELTINS Lechner Racing Team, 28
3. Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit, 24

* It has not yet been decided if and when the cancelled Formula 1 race and Porsche Mobil1 Supercup double-header in Bahrain will be followed up with a replacement.


Public Relations and Media
Motor and Sports Press
Oliver Hilger

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, round 1 at the Formula 1 race in Istanbul/Turkey

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, round 1 at the Formula 1 race in Istanbul/Turkey

Heading into the new season with 21 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

Stuttgart. The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup kicks off the new season on 8 May on the Formula 1 circuit in Istanbul Park. After the cancellation of the two season-opening rounds in Bahrain, drivers and teams are now looking forward to the belated start. “The break was long enough,” says title defender René Rast (Germany). “It’s high time that it finally gets underway.”

All systems are go for the popular one-make race series which has run as support to the Formula 1 races since 1993. In Istanbul Park, 21 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race cars line up to start, fielded by nine teams. With this, the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup again enjoys a strong turn out this year. “We have top class entries from teams and drivers,” says Jonas Krauss, who joined Porsche Motorsport in March as the new manager of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. Krauss is extremely pleased with the great potpourri of seasoned campaigners and talented youngsters. “The best drivers and teams from last year are back again this season. That just shows how popular this series is.”

At the wheel of the #1 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, René Rast leads the field into the new season on the 5.338 kilometre Grand Prix circuit at the Bosphorus. This season, the title defender drives for the newly-formed VELTINS Lechner Racing Team with Austria’s Norbert Siedler. His arch rival Nick Tandy (Great Britain), reigning vice-champion after three victories and winner of the BBS rookie classification, is back and again competes for Konrad Motorsport. One of the most serious aspirants for the title is Jeroen Bleekemolen. The double Supercup champion from the Netherlands has switched to the Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit, where he joins forces with another very strong contender, Britain’s Sean Edwards. Supercup record winner Patrick Huisman (Netherlands) races for Team Bleekemolen for the first time and is keen to secure his 25th Supercup win this season. His compatriot and teammate Sebastiaan Bleekemolen made a promising start to the motorsport season at the Sebring 12 Hours: At the endurance classic in Florida, he won the GTC class with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

The most prominent newcomer to the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup is Mathias Lauda (Austria). The son of racing legend Niki Lauda drove the VIP car as a guest of Porsche AG last year in Hockenheim – and now the former DTM pilot competes in the season-opener in Istanbul with Konrad Motorsport Austria. Also new to the series this season is the Attempto Racing team, who won the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland title last year with Frenchman Nicolas Armindo. This season the squad enters two Porsche 911 GT3 Cup manned by Robert Lukas (Poland) and Supercup-rookie Kévin Estre (France).

The race in Istanbul on 8 May is broadcast live by TV stations Eurosport 2 (11.45 hrs) and Sky (11.40 hrs). Additionally, Eurosport televises race highlights on Sunday at 18.15 hrs in its programme “Motorsport Weekend Magazin”.


Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup – Calendar 2011*

08 May: Istanbul, Turkey
22 May: Barcelona, Spain
29 May: Monte Carlo, Monaco
25 June: Nürburgring-Nordschleife, Germany
10 July: Silverstone, Great Britain
24 July: Nürburgring, Germany
31 July: Budapest, Hungary
28 August: Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
11 September: Monza, Italy

* It has not yet been decided if and when the cancelled Formula 1 race and Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup double-header in Bahrain will be followed up with a replacement.



Public Relations and Media
Motor and Sports Press
Oliver Hilger