Mattias Bjerre Jakobsen (18/DEN) and Riccardo Leone Cirelli (17/ITA, both BWT Mücke Motorsport) ended the opening free practice in the Prototype Cup Germany at the Red Bull Ring in first place. Just 0.03 seconds behind them in a wet session was the pairing of Mattis Pluschkell (21/Elmenhorst) and Maksymilian Angelard (18/POL, both BWT Mücke Motorsport), while Sven Barth (44/Eberbach) and Maxim Dirickx (21/BEL, both Aust Motorsport) took third place. As such, all the drivers still in with a chance of winning the title of best Junior finished in the top three.
“Riccardo drove for the first part of practice, after which I got into the car,” said Jakobsen. “The rain grew heavier with time, but we stayed on slicks and tried out various things. It was not easy to find the limit in those conditions.” Like Cirelli, his team-mate Pluschkell, who shares a car with Angelard, was able to take advantage of the better conditions at the start of the session. “I think we are on the right track,” he said, summing up his first few laps. The pink Mücke Duqueine also stayed on slicks for the whole session. “Even though the lap times were no longer so fast, it was still an important learning experience. Who knows what the weather will be like in the qualifying sessions and races.” Pluschkell does not want to read too much into his second place: “It feels good, but it counts for nothing yet. It starts to get important in the first qualifying session, when everything needs to come together.”
The Aust duo of Barth and Dirickx also made a good start to the final weekend of the 2025 Prototype Cup Germany. “Only Sven drove in FP1. I will be at the wheel for the second free practice,” said Dirickx, who currently lies second in the Junior competition but has his sights set on top spot this weekend. “I drove a few laps during yesterday’s test and had a good feeling.”
In fourth place was Zino Fahlke (18/Hergiswil), followed by newly-crowned champions Danny Soufi (22/USA) and Pavel Lefterov (27/BUL, all Konrad Motorsport), Michael Herich (48/Brühl) and Mikkel C. Johanssen (38/DEN, Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsport), newcomer Miro Konopka (63/SVK, ARC Bratislava), Trophy champion Thomas Ambiel (45/Eppingen, Rinaldi Racing), and Marcel Kopp (30/UAE) and Keanu Al-Azhari (17/UAE, both Mühlner Motorsport). Kopp got his first metres in the Prototype Cup Germany under his belt. “So far, I have one season of Radical racing in Dubai behind me, so I don’t have very much motorsport experience. Yesterday I sat in an LMP3 car for the first time. Today was my first outing in an LMP3 car in the rain. And I have never been to the Red Bull Ring before.” Shortly before the race weekend at the Nürburgring, he was in contact with team principal Bernhard Mühlner. However, the notice was too short for Kopp to get to the Eifel in time. “Instead, we targeted the finale at the Red Bull Ring. And now here I am, looking forward to the race weekend.”
