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Pole to flag victory for Sean Edwards

Only at the start did pole-sitter Sean Edwards have to fear for his position at the lead. Taking up race seven of the Carrera Cup Deutschland season from the second grid spot, Kévin Estre (Hermes Attempto Racing) pulled alongside the Deutsche Post by tolimit pilot from Great Britain at the entrance to the first corner. Edwards, however, did not open the door to the Frenchman. Estre braked too late, had to take the wider line - and Edwards pushed through to defend his lead. The reigning vice-champion pulled ahead to bring home his third win of the season. Kévin Estre followed him over the finish line in second, with René Rast (Germany, Team Deutsche Post by tolimit) finishing the 19-lap race on the 4.326 kilometre Red Bull Ring in third.

The top drivers of Sunday's race reflect the top positions of the overall classification. Carrera Cup newcomer Estre, who has already notched up a win on the Nürburgring as well as two second places this season, travels to races eight and nine on the Norisring in Nuremberg as the points' leader. Sean Edwards now ranks second overall, followed closely by his teammate René Rast, who lost the top spot yesterday. The two-time champion of the international Porsche Mobil1 Supercup came from sixth on the grid and in a perfectly prepared and executed overtaking manoeuvre he bagged first the winner of race six, Austria's Norbert Siedler (Konrad Motorsport), followed by Denmark's Nicki Thiim.

In a repeat of Saturday's race, Lausitzring winner Thiim again clinched fourth. Driving for Hermes Attempto Racing, the Dane has now moved into fourth overall in the championship standings and now has to concentrate on making up the 25 points to the leader in the second half of the season. Norbert Siedler, the current top man of the Porsche Supercup, saw the flag at his home race in fifth. Sixth across the line was a driver who only joined the Carrera Cup at the second race weekend and for whom the rollercoaster circuit in Spielberg is obviously very familiar. David Jahn from Germany took up the race in the 911 GT3 Cup fielded by Attempto Racing in eleventh and gave an impressive performance with inspired overtaking manoeuvres.

The two Porsche Juniors also did themselves proud. Both got away cleanly at the start and made up places. After claiming a surprising third place from Saturday's race, local hero Klaus Bachler (Team Deutsche Post by tolimit) came from tenth to finish a commendable seventh. After a fluffed qualifying, Konrad Motorsport pilot Michael Christensen started the race from only twelfth. The Dane fought valiantly, especially in the closing laps, against seasoned campaigner Jaap van Lagen (FE Racing by Land-Motorsport), who finished last year's Spielberg race in first place. Skilfully, the junior fended off the Dutchman's attacks to finally secure eighth place. Van Lagen finished in ninth with Austria's Clemens Schmid (SWITCH IT Lechner Racing) claiming tenth at his home event.

The seventh race of the season was interrupted by a safety car phase which lasted five laps. In the first race lap, Christina Nielsen (Denmark, Farnbacher ESET Racing) unluckily became wedged between two rivals. When her 911 crashed into the barriers, the vehicle was so badly damaged it had to be towed to the pits.

This evening TV station Sport1 broadcasts Sunday's Carrera Cup race from 20.30 hours. On June 4th, the Monday after the race weekend, news station N24 televises the 30-minute "Porsche Carrera Cup Magazin" at 18.30 hours. Sport1 broadcasts Carrera Cup highlights on Saturday 9 June, from 17.00 to 17.30 hours.

Sean Edwards (winner): "Now that was a really great race. I'm really thrilled about my win. My start wasn't that great, and that's why Kévin pulled alongside me. But he braked too late for the corner so I was able to defend my lead. After the safety car phase we pulled clear of the rest of the field. Kévin was just as fast but he didn't get a chance to overtake. At the half way point I was a little quicker and was able to then control the race."

Kévin Estre (second): "I got away better at the start than Sean, but I made a braking error in the first corner, dived inside on the dirty side, lost grip and had to take the wider line. Of course that gave Sean the lead. At first I could match his pace, but later he picked up speed. So I just concentrated on bringing home a safe second. It's very cool to go to the Norisring as the points' leader."

René Rast (third): "Damage control I would say. From sixth on the grid to finish in third is okay. All in all it was a fair race, the overtaking manoeuvres were perfect. I have to work on my qualifying performance. It's taking me too long to get into the swing of things. Now I've unfortunately lost my points' lead but the season is still long. So I'm feeling confident that I can still secure the title."

Klaus Bachler (Porsche Junior, seventh): "I'm feeling just great. To have finished in third and seventh at my two home races is just fantastic. After a good start today I was running in seventh place. After the safety car phase I was sixth. I tried to overtake the guy in front but I didn't manage it. In the end I secured seventh and was able to build a gap to the driver behind me. It can continue like this."

Michael Christensen (Porsche Junior, eighth): "Okay, let's say it like this: I made the most out of a bad grid position and I'm satisfied with that. My start was really good and I was running behind Klaus. But I had Jaap van Lagen breathing down my neck and that kept me busy. Because of that I lost contact to the guys in front. Still, I managed to fend off Jaap and hold on to my position."

Result race 7
1. Sean Edwards (GB), Team Deutsche Post by tolimit, 33:44.172 minutes
2. Kévin Estre (F), Hermes Attempto Racing, + 1.925 seconds
3. René Rast (D), Team Deutsche Post by tolimit, + 4.102
4. Nicki Thiim (DK), Hermes Attempto Racing, + 5.785
5. Norbert Siedler (A), Konrad Motorsport, + 6.192
6. David Jahn (D), Attempto Racing, + 7.222
7. Klaus Bachler (A), Team Deutsche Post by tolimit, + 8.255
8. Michael Christensen (DK), Konrad Motorsport, + 11.270
9. Jaap van Lagen (NL), FE Racing by Land-Motorsport, + 11.637
10. Clemens Schmid (A), SWITCH IT Lechner Racing, + 12.078

Result Amateurs
1. Andreas Mayerl (A), Konrad Motorsport, 34:14.782 minutes
2. "Bill Barazetti" (D), MRS GT-Racing, + 8.730 seconds
3. Harrie Kolen (NL), Land-Motorsport, + 14.296

Points' standings after 7 of 17 races
Drivers' classification
1. Kévin Estre (F), 106 points
2. Sean Edwards (GB), 99
3. René Rast (D), 96
4. Nicki Thiim (DK), 81
5. Jaap van Lagen (NL), 75

Team classification
1. Team Deutsche Post by tolimit, 199 points
2. Hermes Attempto Racing, 190
3. Konrad Motorsport, 136

Amateur classification
1. "Bill Barazetti" (D), 118 points
2. Wolf Nathan (NL), 106
3. Harrie Kolen (NL), 104

Rookie classification
1. Kévin Estre (F), Hermes Attempto Racing, 106 points
2. Michael Christensen (DK), Konrad Motorsport, 63
3. Philipp Eng (A), MRS GT-Racing, 44

Preview to races 8 and 9 on the Norisring
Alone because of its Monaco flair the short 2.3 kilometre Norisring circuit is a highlight on the calendar - for drivers and fans alike. The only street course of the year on 29 June to 1 July races past the famous stone grandstands and past the Dutzendteich. Braking for the Grundig hairpin offers overtaking chances lap after lap and is guaranteed to provide thrills. Last year Kévin Estre was a guest driver in the 2011 Carrera Cup on the Norisring and saw the flag in tenth. With its two straights, two hairpins and one chicane, this is not actually the most demanding circuit on the calendar but it does have its particular challenges with the bumpy and changing surface.