Austrians overcome drama in Silverstone GT3

Intrepid Force Rotax’s most senior driver Dominik Kraihamer teamed-up with famous Austrian downhill skier Hans Knauss for the opening rounds of the FIA GT3 European Championship at Silverstone, it what was a drama-packed start to the season. Racing with the Salzburg-based team S-berg Racing in the V10 Lamborghini Gallardo, Kraihamer is one of the youngest drivers in the series.

The weekend began cold, cloudy and windy in true British form. In the first free practice, Knauss just missed out on being in the top 10 before Kraihamer was given some laps to get used to the circuit which is a favourite for many drivers, with its long straights and combination of tight and slow corners.

Unfortunately three laps into the initial qualifying, the rear axle broke and Knauss was unable to better his 39th position, which is where they would start on the grid for Race 1. This also made it impossible to post a time in the next session, leaving Kraihamer to start from pit lane come race 2 Sunday afternoon.

15 minutes prior to the first race, the stewards declared it wet but all the teams opted for slicks in any case due to the dry racing line. Avoiding the early carnage of cars spinning off the track, Knauss got the Lambo up to 18th by the driver change at half way. Kraihamer lost several laps when it began to rain but the young rookie made up for lost ground, to bring the S-berg entry home in 18th.

The final race was wet and foggy, although the teams were still running on dry tyres. Kraihamer claims it was an “interesting” beginning to his second ever race in cars, when he started from the pitlane and then had three laps under the safety car. “Yeah, it was different not starting on the grid, but I was quite happy with how the results turned out overall. I managed to be in 25th from P42 but then we had some problems with the car during the pitstop and it took longer than expected. We lost about 5 places, but Hans [Knauss] was able to get back up to 25th by the end.

It really was an incredible experience being part of the GT event. The teams and atmosphere really made it special. It’s just so big! The S-berg team’s good and they’re really keen to help me understand what I need to do with regards to the racing. The most challenging part was getting used to the braking and shifting. I think Hans [Knauss] was happy with our partnership and if finances permit, I’m hoping to join him again in Monza for the next two rounds in May.”

For Team manager/owner Hans Weitgasser, the results were very promising for the young team, for this being their first time racing together and Dominik’s debut into cars. “The drivers did extremely well considering the problems we were faced with and the track conditions. I really believe they make a good team and compliment each other. Dominik is a talented young driver who listens to our instructions and is able to work with the team well.”

Round 3 & 4 of the FIA GT3 European Championship take place in Monza, Italy on May 17-18

Leave a Reply