Time to learn for the academy of speed: the starters in the ADAC Formula 4 have completed some very intensive test days as they prepare for the upcoming season. The ADAC Formula 4 completed a total of six sessions at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben, giving the talented drivers plenty of opportunities to use these tests and acquire insights ahead of the seventh season, which will start from 11th to 13th June at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. The races will be broadcast free of charge on TVNOW (will be known as RTL + in the future), Germany’s leading streaming portal.

The fastest driver during testing was Oliver Bearman (15, Great Britain, Van Amersfoort Racing), who finished top in two of the six sessions. Bearman recorded a lap time of 1:23.525 minutes on Monday morning, which was still the best time when proceedings drew to a close. His closest challenger was Valentino Catalano (15, Germersheim, BWR Racing), who recorded a time of 1:23.822.

Tramnitz: “We found a good setup and I have learned a lot”
Rookie champion Tim Tramnitz (16, Hamburg, US Racing) produced a convincingly consistent level of performance. The Hamburg native was fastest in four sessions – on a wet track on Monday morning and in Tuesday’s sunny conditions. The changeable conditions on Monday in particular also provided teams and drivers with valuable insights ahead of the new season.

“I am very pleased with the testing and of course, recording best times in these sessions is great for my self-confidence,” said Tramnitz. “We tried out some different things and found a good setup. I have learned a lot.” The rookie champion is aiming to take the next step in the upcoming season. Having celebrated his first race win in the ADAC Formula 4 at the 2020 season finale, the Hamburg native hopes to be involved in the title race this time.

Newcomers settling in quickly
Luke Browning (19, Great Britain, US Racing) reached the top three on three occasions after his introduction as the third driver for US Racing during testing. The British Formula 4 champion quickly settled into the new environment of the ADAC Formula 4. World kart champion Taylor Barnard (Great Britain, BWR Racing), Vlad Lomko (16, Russia, US Racing) and Cenyu Han (16, China, Van Amersfoort Racing) all posted good times.

Newcomers Bence Valint (16, Hungary), Nikita Bedrin (15, Russia), Joshua Dufek (16, Austria/Switzerland) and Michael Sauter (16, Switzerland, Sauter Engineering+Design) also used the tests to get used to their new surroundings.

There are just seven weeks to go until the season starts on the Red Bull Ring Formula 1 circuit. This will be the first time that a new season gets going in Styria – the academy of speed will be appearing there as part of the supporting programme for the ADAC GT Masters.

2021 ADAC Formula 4 calendar, subject to alterations