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Tyre pressure poker rewards Kévin Estre

The damp track surface in rainy Spielberg (Austria) made for an action-packed fifth round of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland. Frenchman Kévin Estre (Attempto Racing) once again added his name to the winners' list at the Red Bull Ring on Sunday. Second place went to Germany's Christian Engelhart (Konrad Motorsport) with Norbert Siedler (Aust Motorsport) from Austria scoring third. "The proper use of the tyres and optimal air pressure was my secret in such weather. I tried to preserve the tyres as long as possible so that I was still fast on the drying circuit. At the moment things are simply going really well for me," explained Estre after clinching his fourth win from five Carrera Cup races.

Due to a fluffed start, Siedler lost his hard-won pole position advantage. Estre, who had taken up the race from second on the grid, pulled past the 30-year-old Tyrolean and held tight to his lead position for the rest of the race. In the 32-strong field from eleven nations spectacular fights for positions were played out: Initially the rain-soaked track proved slippery but gradually dried up over the course of the race. Fe-lipe Fernández Laser (Konrad Motorsport) achieved his best result of the season with fourth, followed by Jaap van Lagen (NL/FE Racing by Land - Motorsport). Austrian Philipp Eng was the only driver to opt for slicks: After the start this at first threw him back to the last spot, but several laps before the chequered flag he ploughed through the field to pocket sixth place.

The two Porsche Juniors and rookie drivers Connor de Phillippi (USA/Förch Racing by Lukas Motorsport) and Alex Riberas (E/Attempto Racing powered by Motorvision) look back on their third race weekend in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland with mixed feelings. Yielding thirteenth and seventh De Phillippi earned valuable points towards the championship. "This weekend I learned how to overtake," says de Phil-lippi with a smile, "in the first race from 20th to 13, and in the second from 21st on the grid to seventh." Riberas finished ninth on Saturday and had to retire in lap 15 on Sunday. "The conditions were difficult and the track was extremely slippery. I still need to gain some experience," the 19-year-old summed up.

The race over 18 laps in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup based on the lightweight 911 GT3 RS road-legal sports car claimed many victims with sojourns into the gravel, col-lisions and drive-through penalties, this time costing them crucial championship points. In the overall classification, Estre extended his points' lead and ranks first with 94 points. The high level of competition is underlined by the close points' tallies of Engelhart in second (71 points), van Lagen (70), Siedler (68) and Edwards (65).

Races six and seven are contested from 14 to 16 June on the Lausitzring. On the 3.478 kilometre circuit in the state of Brandenburg, the pilots in their 450 hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racers can look forward to overtaking manoeuvres on the long finish straight. The twisty infield demands precision driving. Fans get a great view of the Porsche pilots with the grandstand on the finish line holding 25,000 spectators.

Result race 5:
1. Kévin Estre (F/Attempto Racing)
2. Christian Engelhart (D/Konrad Motorsport)
3. Norbert Siedler (A/Aust Motorsport)
4. Felipe Fernández Laser (Konrad Motorsport)
5. Jaap van Lagen (NL/FE Racing by Land - Motorsport)
6. Philipp Eng (A/Logiplus MRS-Racing)
7. Connor de Phillippi (USA/Förch Racing by Lukas Motorsport)
8. Marko Klein (A/ZaWotec Racing)
9. Fabien Thuner (CH/Attempto Racing powered by Motorvision)
10. Elia Erhart (D/Aust Motorsport)

Points' standings after 5 of 17 races:

Driver classification
1. Estre, 94 points
2. Engelhart, 71
3. van Lagen, 70
4. Siedler, 68
5. Edwards, 65

Rookie classification
1. de Phillippi, 30 points
2. Riberas, 21
3. Schmidt, 18

Amateur classification
1. Rolf Ineichen (CH/Konrad Motorsport), 74 points
2. Dominic Jöst (D/Attempto Racing), 64
3. Daniel Allemann (CH/Team GT 3 Kasko), 64

Team classification
1. Attempto Racing, 138 points
2. Konrad Motorsport, 107
3. Aust Motorsport, 83