Axel Sartingen got off to the best possible in the second round of the Ferrari Challenge at Spielberg in Austria. After taking pole in the morning qualifying session, he mounted the top step of the podium in Coppa Shell Race-1.
“I’m really thrilled: it was a perfect start to the weekend”, said Sartingen after the race. “Qualifying was extremely tight, and I only took pole ahead of Ernst Kirchmayr by a slim margin. Besides, Ernst is a very tough rival, and what’s more, today he was competing at home. In the end, I successfully managed the race and, despite being passed in the early stages, regained top spot after a long battle. I tried to cut past him every time he made a little mistake. I tried to pass him on the outside and then on the inside. It was a chess game where I studied every move and, in the end, took my chance. From then on, I was faster and managed to hold the lead. The emptier the tank, the more I was able to increase my speed and widen the gap. Then, on the last lap, the safety car came out”.