A leaving do in style

Günther secures second overall after great weekend

Maximilian Günther bows out in style after two years in Formel ADAC. The Deutsche Post Speed Academy protégé secured the runner-up title ahead of time during the season finale at the Hockenheimring. Thus, the 17-year-old repeated his success from last year when he also finished his rookie season in second place overall. Maxi notched up more career highlights in Hockenheim to mark the end of his time in Formel ADAC.

Firstly, he secured double pole in qualifying, and subsequently went on to achieve a historic success with second place on the podium in the opening race. The young Bavarian now leads the list of all-time greats in this category with a total of 21 podiums in the Formel ADAC. Maximilian just missed another top-three finish in the second race, placing fourth.

Championship title as runner-up now defended – how would do you rate that achievement?
Maxi, summing things up briefly: “It was an enormous success, given our situation.” In Hockenheim, Maximilian wrapped up the title of runner-up with a clear lead. In the overall standings, he slotted in directly between the two drivers fielded by the team champions. After his outstanding rookie season of 2013, winning the championship had been Maximilian´s express goal. In the end, however, his title rival had a superior total package. Maxi: “All in all, they were simply better placed and we always achieved the maximum.” In terms of figures, that´s six pole positions, four wins, ten podiums and four fastest laps. Maximilian was the second most successful driver of 2014 in each of these categories.

Double pole to finish season – how did that come about?
Fact: In the seven-year history of Formel ADAC, Maximilian is by far and away the most successful driver in qualifying. 14 pole positions clearly show his speed in a racing car. At Hockenheim, the ADAC Sports Foundation protégé was more than two tenths of a second faster than the runner-up. Maximilian: “It gave me an incredible boost. I lost half a second down the straights on the middle sector, because the other cars had a great deal more top speed. However, I gained six tenths over the challenging third sector that puts big demands on driving skill and that´s how I won through in the end.”

Maxi´s lessons from the Hockenheimring
1. “Never bury your head in the sand, always achieve the maximum – and then you will be rewarded.”
2. “Hockenheim proved it: You can always finish up front, if everything goes just right.”
3. “You learn how to battle wheel-to-wheel in the midfield. That will really stand me in good stead in the future.”

What next?
The season is over after eight race weekends in all, but life continues at top speed for Maximilian. Next goal: to become ‘Germany´s Motorsport Junior of the Year´. Since the beginning of the year, Maxi has led the overall standings of the Deutsche Post Speed Academy – Germany´s most successful motor racing support programme. There´s a good chance that Maximilian will secure victory overall after coming top in two of three assessments periods. He would then be following in the footsteps of former successful winners, including Formula 1 stars Nico Hülkenberg and Adrian Sutil.

Foto: ADAC Formel Masters