Nicki Thiim (DK/QPOD Walter Lechner Racing), Earl Bamber (NZ/Team 75 Bernhard) and Porsche junior Sven Müller (D/Team Deutsche Post by Project 1) finished round nine of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland on the podium. This result, however, created some confusion amongst spectators at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria, because local man Philipp Eng (A/Team Deutsche Post by Project 1) had in fact crossed the finish line first. Due to an appeal against the decision of the stewards, all results from the Spielberg weekend are preliminary. In this case, the international sporting regulations stipulate that the person concerned may in fact start the race, but is not permitted to climb the podium and be included in the list of results until a decision on the appeal has been reached by the sports tribunal in Frankfurt.
Norbert Siedler (A/ZaWotec Racing) headed into the race on the 4.326 kilometre circuit from pole position. The Austrian attempted to fend off Eng coming from second, but his compatriot held the better racing line and moved into the lead. Siedler was handed a drive-through penalty in the second lap after failing to line-up on the grid correctly. “It’s not exactly how I’d imagined it. We received a penalty and that was the end of my race,” stated Siedler. Eng held his lead over the 14 laps and managed to pull clear of the rest of the field. Behind him, a three-way battle played out from lap six between Thiim, Bamber and Müller. With two laps to go to the flag, Bamber attempted to take on Thiim, but the Dane fended him off. “I always seem to encounter Earl, but I know situations with him on the track turn out okay. It was an unbelievable race and great fun,” said Thiim. Bamber echoed his sentiments. “What a fantastic race! I got away cleanly and had a great duel with Nicki and Sven. It was a hard but very fair fight.”
Taking up the race from position six, Porsche junior Müller was flagged off in fourth at the wheel of his 460 hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Because of the pending proceedings with Eng, Müller currently ranks third in the standings. “I managed to get away well at the start and was even running third for a short time. But then I left too much room and Earl got past me,” said Müller. Christian Engelhart (D/Konrad Motorsport) saw the flag behind Müller and on the way posted the fastest race lap of the 37-strong field.
Porsche junior Alex Riberas (E/Attempto Racing powered by Häring) ranks ninth in the results’ list with his Porsche junior colleague Connor de Phillippi (Förch Racing by Lukas Motorsport) on eleventh. “I’m already looking ahead to Sunday’s race,” said Riberas, “because I start from pole position.” America’s de Phillippi can look back on a race of mixed fortunes: “I managed to make up some places, but I lost them later on. It’s really difficult to fight your way up the order on this circuit.”
After nine of 18 races, Bamber holds the provisional lead with 108 points. Behind him in second sits Austria’s Christopher Zöchling (A/Konrad Motorsport) with 100 points, followed by Engelhart with 97 points and Porsche juniors de Phillippi (94 points) and Müller (91 points) in fourth and fifth respectively.
