The first race of the BMW M2 Cup at the Red Bull Ring couldn’t have ended in a more thrilling way: there was only one lap left for the 16-strong field to settle the battle for the positions after 30 minutes of racing between them. Eventually, two youngsters were in front. Theo Oeverhaus won from Colin Caresani and the new points’ leader, Louis Henkefend.
“Excitement all the way until the final lap, one couldn’t ask for more,” series manager Jörg Michaelis said. “Our drivers have staged an entertaining race against the backdrop of a beautiful scenery. That two of the youngest drivers in the field come out on top proves that the cup is the ideal platform for making first steps in professional motorsport.”
Oeverhaus was sharp right from the beginning. With a good start, he made the best of his pole position and completed his laps in the race totally unfazed. “It was a great race: from pole position to victory, it couldn’t have been any better,” the 16-year-old summed up. “The safety car didn’t make me nervous at all. Quite the opposite, in fact, it took some pressure away from me as Colin was no longer able to push and I could bring victory home.”
Behind the race leader, the safety car, deployed on lap 14 after Salman Owega’s BMW M2 CS Racing had ground to a halt, caused plenty of turmoil. One final lap of racing remained and there were three drivers still fighting for the remaining podium slots. Eventually, series’ newcomer Colin Caresani was second across the finish line. With a remarkable overtaking manoeuvre, Louis Henkefend still claimed third place. Davit Kajaia and Fabian Kreim rounded out the top five with Nick Hancke and Rodrigo Almeida next up.
The second newcomer in the one-make trophy, Michael Schrey, retired early, just like Owega. Quite disappointing for the youngest driver in the field, but at least, 16-year-old Owega managed to post the fastest lap time in the race.
In the drivers’ standings, Louis Henkefend reclaims the lead courtesy of his score of 20 points, bringing his total to 113. The reason: race winner Oeverhaus is a VIP starter this weekend and therefore not eligible to score points. This is making the battle for the title even more exciting: only one point down, Kreim is in second place while the experienced Kajaia is moving up to third.
The eighth race of the season in the BMW M2 Cup follows on Sunday, 5 September, at 11:05 and will be broadcast live on the stream on the official website. Winner Oeverhaus is starting from pole position again.
Colin Caresani | 2nd position, race 1
“I am definitely happy, but the race was really hard. This is the first time for me here at the Red Bull Ring and the first time racing in this championship. That is not really making things any easier for me, especially as far as overtaking is concerned. The pace was very good. Tomorrow, I want to be on the top step!“
Louis Henkefend | 3rd position, race 1
“I am very happy with third place. I had to fight quite hard and work my way up from a little bit further down. That worked out pretty well, so therefore, I am happy. Tomorrow, I am starting from seventh place again, so I should be able to make similar progress again.“
© 2023 Project 1 Drivetime GmbH
