Rainer has done it again...

Many of the world’s most famous racing drivers from both past and present have achieved their biggest successes here.  Great names such as Ascari, Fangio, Senna, Petterson, Clark, Stewart and, most recently, Schuhmacher celebrated their biggest victories on this track in the land of the Ferrari. The old steep-banked curves are still there today. Hard to imagine how the masters of their day could drive there at all!  

Being able to drive on this racing track is almost a privilege and, as it is one of the many European tracks on the international Sports Car Challenge calendar, Rainer also came here for the penultimate race of the championships.

Given the somewhat unaccustomed experience of driving along the finishing straight at over 270 kph, Rainer approached the training sessions with slightly mixed feelings and a great deal of respect.

Unfortunately, the first sessions were held in the rain and thus prevented the expected speeds. It was not until qualifying on a dry surface that all drivers had to come to terms above all with the speed of the “Curva Grande” and then the infamous “Parabolica” where more than one driver has lost his life. Speeds of 200 kilometres per hour are achieved when exiting the “Parabolica” and the centrifugal forces pull at your helmet. Rainer’s sporting career has made his neck muscles very strong and he withstood the strain very well. Nevertheless: At 270 kph, the air turbulence shakes your helmet so strongly that the braking point is very hard to see.

The first race went pleasingly well and was again rewarded with third place. That was something that Rainer had not dared to dream of before the start of the season.

Being up there on the large Monza podium was a special moment for Rainer that many racing drivers have already experienced. As the wheelchair ramp was missing (!), his racing colleagues gladly carried him up to the presentation platform.

In the second race, Rainer was not the only one to misjudge the timing of the flag marshal and lost contact with his direct competitors, something he was unable to make up during the race.

Monza remains unforgettable and was something very special, a sporting arena whose atmosphere is unparalleled.

Now, there is another chance to achieve results at the final race of the season for the golden trophy in Hockenheim. We shall be reporting on this.