Weekend tip: Under the spell of the Nordschleife 🎥
SO YOU ARE THERE The 24 Hours of Nürburgring will be the focus of the upcoming race weekend. Formula 1 in Bauku is also vying for the favor of TV viewers. The ELMS and the WRC can be seen on the Internet. The trailer for the 24 Hours of Nürburgring 2021 shows beautiful scenes of years gone by - only the Nordschleife will be as in [...]
The trailer for the 24-hour race Nürburgring 2021 shows beautiful scenes of past years - only, as in the previous year, the Nordschleife is not lined by any fans.
On Thursday, 122 teams with three to four drivers each started practice and the first two qualifying sessions for the 49th ADAC 24 Hours of Nürburgring. Due to the changeable weather conditions, the times are not yet particularly meaningful, especially as the top 30 grid positions will not be decided until Friday evening's top qualifying session.
Two Bernese in a joint top car
The prestigious victory is decided among themselves by the factory-supported GT3 cars from the SP9 class. Several are manned by Swiss drivers, most notably the Audi R8 LMS with start number #2.
The special feature: For the first time, the two Bernese works drivers Nico Müller and Patric Niederhauser will take turns at the wheel of the same car, having always been friendly opponents in the past.
His teammates are the Germans Christopher Haase and Markus Winkelhock, who like Nico Müller (2015) have already won the classic. "Nidi" is also in action to support the customer drivers on start number #24.
Broadly positioned
Other Swiss with ambitions are Philip Ellis in the Mercedes-AMG #25, Simon Trummer and Jonathan Hirschi with the Ferrari 488 #26 of Octane126 from Wallisellen, who started from row 1 last year, and Alex Fontana in the Lamborghini Huracán #19.
Alexandre Imperatori from Fribourg will drive as every year in the Porsche (#18) of KCMG from Asia under Chinese license and Raffaele Marciello from Ticino in the Mercedes-AMG #7 with ASS license under Italian flag.
Three Swiss in TCR Golf
Among the fastest touring car teams is Max Kruse Racing's VW Golf GTI TCR #333, shared by Jasmin Preisig, Frédéric Yerly and newcomer Gustavo Xavier with German Mattias Wasel.
The two drivers from Appenzell and Freiburg already have two class wins in the Nürburgring endurance series to their credit in 2021, but none in the 24-hour race.
Great chances for victory or a podium by a Swiss or Liechtenstein's Fabienne Wohlwend in the BMW #167 exist in the V2T production car class. 24H Series champion Miklas Born and Ranko Mijatovic drive the BMW #159, Sven Friesecke the VW Golf VII #166 and Herbie Schmidt the Opel Astra OPC #162.
Here the current complete start list.
Everything live on TV or Internet
For those at home, TV station Nitro will broadcast the top qualifying sessions 1 and 2 live from 6.15 p.m. on Friday, June 4, and the race, which starts at 3.30 p.m. on Saturday, June 5, from 2.45 p.m. around the clock.
At the address 24h-race.com/live and with YouTube the Eifel classic and, on Friday evening from 6:30 p.m., the top qualifying session can be followed in the livestream. At 24h-race.com/results you will find the latest results, live timing and a detailed race ticker.
The two opening races of the FIA WTCR 2021, which will be held on Saturday morning, can be followed live on the free-to-air TV channel Eurosport 1 from 8.55 a.m. to 11 a.m.. Beforehand, there will be a preliminary report from 8.30 a.m. onwards.
Monaco is followed by Azerbaijan
After the 2020 Azerbaijan GP, like all overseas races, fell victim to the Corona crisis, the Formula One squad will return to the street circuit of the capital Baku for the sixth round of the World Championship in 2021.
The track layout combines two courses in one: One half is Monaco, the other Monza. The winding old town is reminiscent of Monte Carlo, while the long straights and heavy braking zones resemble the home of the Italian GP.
At defending champion Mercedes, the assumption is that Baku will be just as difficult as the completely abortive Monaco GP. So Red Bull-Honda and Ferrari are likely to put in another strong performance, and at Sauber Motorsport in Hinwil they're also hoping for an increase in points on Alfa Romeo Racing's account.
Michael Weinmann and F1 expert Marc Surer report from the SRF studio in Zurich on whether and how this will work out. Qualifying can be seen on Saturday from 1.55 p.m. to 3.10 p.m. on SRF zwei. Live coverage begins on Sunday at 1.50 p.m. on SRF zwei and continues from 3.05 p.m. on SRF info.
Delétraz defends table lead
The third round of the European Le Mans Series is scheduled for Sunday at the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet, starting at 11 am. Championship leader Louis Delétraz and his team partners are aiming for their third triumph in a row. The entire race can be watched under this Link be tracked directly.
Teaser for the ELMS 4-hour race at Le Castellet, where the LMP2 cars will decide the winner.
World Rally Championship in Sardinia
Just two weeks after Portugal, the WRC squad is on the road on the dusty gravel tracks of Sardinia. Pictures of individual special stages have been available since Friday morning on the YouTube channel of the WRC.
The free Austrian channel Servus-TV will bring a final report including the Power Stage on Sunday from 3:30 to 4:30 pm.
During the shakedown, the WRC drivers familiarized themselves with the Sardinian gravel tracks.
