2023 season: Swiss still in good shape 🎥
VERDIENT World Karting Championship in Franciacorta, 8h GT3 race in Indianapolis, season finale on the Nordschleife and in the middle of it all a Swiss title in Formula 4: the weekend again had a lot to offer from a Swiss perspective.
For once, Raffaele Marciello did not stand at the top of the podium in a GT3 race. At the Indianapolis 8 Hours, the fourth and penultimate race of the Intercontinental GT Challenge season, the newly-crowned GT World Challenge champion finished second with his two teammates Maxi Götz and Jules Gounon. Victory at the former GP circuit went to the BMW WRT team with Philipp Eng, Sheldon van der Linde and Dries Vanthoor.
After the penultimate IGTC round of the season, Gounon continues to hold a commanding lead in the drivers' standings. His lead over the runner-up is eight points ahead of the final Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi on December 9 and 10. Marciello also still has a mathematical chance of winning the championship.
Wins and titles for Ethan IscherÂ
Another Swiss GT3 driver also made it onto the podium: Patric Niederhauser. The driver from Bern, who has so far been beaten below par in the 2023 DTM season, scored third place in the finale of the Nürburgring Endurance Series.
Ethan Ischer secured two more victories and the title in the F4 CEZ, the Eastern European Formula 4 Championship. The driver from Vaud, who two years ago was still competing in the Swiss Kart Championship, drove a strategically clever race and took the title at the last race on the Balaton Park Circuit with just two points ahead of second-placed Reno Francot, who, like Ischer, drives for Jenzer Motorsport. Third overall was Michael Sauter. The driver from Solothurn also celebrated his first win of the season at the finale. The team title also went confidently to Switzerland: to Jenzer Motorsport.
Enea Frey recorded best result
Speaking of karting: At the FIA World Championship finale in Franciacorta (I), Enea Frey achieved the best result for Switzerland with 14th place in the OK category. The newly crowned Swiss OK Senior Champion Pascal von Allmen, after a top-10 result in free practice and a good pace in the Qulai heats, was involved in one or the other crash and, with a crooked chassis, had no chance in the end. Calvin Kunz also missed the final in the senior category. Best Junior was Matt Corbi, who finished 16th in the preliminary heat for the final (in Super Heat B) on Sunday.
But there were two podium places at the ROK Trophy in Lonato: Tiziano Kuzhnini was third in the Juniors, Sergio Koch second in the Cat. Super ROK.
Alfa Romeo in eighth place overall
Alfa Romeo F1 Team KICK scored a double points win at the Qatar Grand Prix in Losail with Valtteri Bottas eighth and Zhou Guanyu ninth. This result was the reward for a strong performance by drivers, pit crew and the entire team.
Alfa Romeo F1 Team KICK now has 16 world championship points under its belt and improved to eighth overall in the FIA Formula One World Championship Constructors' Championship as a result of the Qatar result.
Source: Car Sport Switzerland
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