The traditional event with international participation, organized by the association Bergrennen Gurnigel, is the final race for the Swiss Mountain Championship 2022. In the various categories, about 220 drivers are expected at the start in Rüti near Riggisberg.

The winding, medium-fast mountain race course ends after 3734 meters in the Gurnigelbad and is considered technically demanding. In the starting area, on the Laas and in the finish bend, the audience enjoys a beautiful view of the racing action from the natural grandstands.

Eric Berguerand as good as champion
The focus of the 51st National Hill Climb on the Gurnigel - regardless of the weather - will be the battle for the day's victory. The favorite is Eric Berguerand with his approximately 500 hp Lola FA99. The 43-year-old family man from Charrat has already won four Swiss hillclimb races in record time this year.

Since 2018, the Valais native has also held the track record at Gurnigel (1:39.81 = 134.67 km/h), which will undoubtedly fall if the outside conditions are good. Berguerand is practically set as the 2022 Swiss mountain champion of the racing sports cars, as he mathematically only needs one more point, but this is already available for the finish alone.

Marcel Steiner does not give up
Local hero Marcel Steiner therefore has no great hopes of being able to prevent him from winning his seventh title (if you count the 2005 Berg Cup) at the wheel of his LobArt sports car.

However, because the Honda-based turbo engine developed in collaboration with Helftec Engineering from Hildisrieden LU is finally running well after a long trial period, Steiner will be giving his all to secure the first Gurnigel victory since 2012. After that, Berguerand won continuously before Thomas Amweg prevailed in the rain race of 2019.

Although the chance is minimal, the homeowner does not admit defeat yet.

Marcel Steiner: "I came pretty close to Eric last time in Oberhallau, but at Gurnigel I think he has more of an advantage with his optimal race car. At the home race, however, I'm always particularly motivated, so anything is possible."

Other contenders for the coveted overall winners' podium include Robin Faustini in the Osella FA30, who is confirmed as third in the championship, and Thomas Amweg in the Lola F3000 once driven by his father, mountain king Fredy Amweg, and now freshly restored. Amweg won the Arosa Classic Car hill climb for the sixth time last weekend in the Martini BMW F2 also formerly driven by his dad.

Joël Grand from Valais, on the other hand, will only start with the Reynard F3000 borrowed from Simon Hugentobler if it does not rain.

Fight for the third SM rank in touring cars
In the touring cars, Reto Meisel in the self-built Mercedes SLK 340 has been the champion since Oberhallau. Roger Schnellmann in the monstrous Mitsubishi Evo VIII needs only a handful of points to secure second place. Theoretically, Bruno Sawatzki and Frédéric Neff with their Porsche from the InterSwiss special car group are also still eligible for the second SM place, otherwise they will settle the third SM place among themselves. Only four points separate them.

Romeo Nüssli (gallery left, photo Cornevaux), whose strength at the wheel of the Ford Escort Cosworth in the rain is well known, also has a theoretical chance. In the event of success, however, Sawatzki and Neff would have to fail almost completely for Nüssli to advance from ninth to third SM place with the E1 group victory over Meisel and Schnellmann.

15th championship title ready for Martin Bürki
Only one more retirement can thwart Martin Bürki's fourth win of the Berg-Pokal for smaller displacement vehicles (Gallery right). Only defending champion Philipp Krebs (center gallery) and Sébastien Coquoz in the Opel Kadett C from the E1-2000 can still score the maximum number of points (80) if they win their classes again like Bürki.

Because he also has two zeros (absences in Hemberg and Oberhallau), Coquoz is out of the game. If the leader of the standings were to drop out, Krebs, like Bürki, would have a zero (for the absence in La Roche) and a fifteenth as his first strike result. As a further distinguishing criterion in the six mountain races counted, of which the four best results count, the number of opponents beaten is used - and then Krebs would be the mountain cup winner.

However, if MB only finishes and thus has at least one point credited to him as a second strike result, he secures title numbers 14 and 15 in his career, 13 with the optimal VW Polo 1600, nine of them in the slalom championship. The 54-year-old from Bern won two more titles in the Opel OPC Challenge in 2006 and 2013.

Philipp Krebs: "Martin does that. But it's always counted up at the end. You don't wish a failure on anyone, but my chance is still real."

Cancer takes leave of the Clio II
The Renault Classic Cup has already been decided in favor of Denis Wolf in the Clio III. In the one-make cup dominated by drivers from the Equipe Bernoise, however, the only way to victory is via the aforementioned Philipp Krebs, who has already won many times in his Clio II, which is more suitable for the track.

For Krebs, it will be the last race with the black car he has successfully driven since 2004 (!), as he is switching to a Clio RS III Cup and wants to show it to his opponents in 2023. Michael Schläpfer (Clio III) is also already runner-up and with only seven results from 13 possible races Krebs will probably be third.

Added value for drivers and the public
On Saturday, three practice runs for all categories are on the program from 7 a.m. until about 5:30 p.m.. On Sunday morning, the first race run will start at the same time. The classification will be based on the addition of the two fastest times.

The last time there were three races on the Gurnigel was at the unforgettable 100th anniversary race in 2010. Twelve years later, they want to offer riders and the public more again. But there are no more historic racing cars.

Tickets can be purchased most easily and quickly with a discount in advance via the homepage. There you can also find more information and a lot of interesting facts about this mountain race on the Gurnigel, which was already held in the pre-war period.

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Did you miss the Oberhallau hill climb last weekend? Or had no time to visit? Or just there got the desire to experience such action right again?

No problem ... on September 10/11 there will be the next chance - and with a little luck you can be there for free!

Anticipation after two years of forced break
On the second weekend of September 2022, the 51st edition of the Mountain race at Gurnigel in the picturesque Gantrisch region. Due to the Corona pandemic, the Verein Bergrennen Gurnigel (VBG) had to refrain from hosting the event in 2020 and 2021 with a heavy heart.

All the more reason for all the employees on the organizing committee, led by the new president Kurt Ruchti, to look forward to the race engines being fired up again in the paddock and at the start in Rüti near Riggisberg after a two-year forced break.

From 1910 to the present
The history of the automobile sport classic at the gates of Bern goes back to 1910. This makes the mountain race on the Gurnigel one of the oldest of its kind in Europe.

After being marred by rain in 2019, the VBG is fervently hoping for beautiful, mild late summer weather. Then up to 15,000 spectators should once again fill the natural grandstands along the 3734-meter-long, driving-demanding route to Gurnigelbad.

This year, Gurnigel counts as the sixth and final round of the 2022 Swiss Automobile Mountain Championship, so the final championship decisions in the expiring racing season will be made at around 6 p.m. on September 11.

Fill out and submit form
AutoSprintCH is giving away 10 x 2 spectator tickets. Simply fill in the form below and send it off - and with a bit of luck, you and your companion will be a guest at the upcoming 51st National Hillclimb Race on Gurnigel.

Information about the entire program and interesting facts about teams, pilots and vehicles are currently available at the Website of the organizer.

The closing date for entries is 2 p.m. on Monday, September 5, 2020. The winners will be notified in writing.
The legal process is excluded.

It's that easy - fill in and win!

According to estimates by the pro Bergrennen Oberhallau association, which had everything well in hand, around 16,000 spectators came to the Klettgau region of Schaffhausen on both days. In ideal outdoor conditions, they witnessed an indomitable Eric Berguerand and a strong challenger Marcel Steiner on Sunday.

Failed the control
First Steiner, who started earlier in the LobArt sports car, undercut the track record of 1'08.00 set by Berguerand in 2018 by three hundredths in the first race run, before the Valais native realized 1'07.56 a few minutes later.

In the second run in warmer temperatures, the Bernese managed a 1'07.85, to which Berguerand responded with another best time on the three-kilometer track. However, because the Lola FA99 including driver fell slightly short of the required minimum weight of 640 kilograms during the control measurement by ASS, the jury subsequently cancelled his supposed record run. It would have been 1'07.32. So Steiner was de facto the new leader without knowing it.

Berguerand then safely covered the third run shortly after 6:20 p.m. in 1'07.70, so that in the end he was 56 hundredths ahead of Steiner in the addition of his two times.

Eric Berguerand: "My Lola was exactly as heavy as it needed to be, only I didn't know that there was a total weight that was 80 kilos higher. In the evening, the conditions for a new record time were then no longer so good."

Decision at Gurnigel
Steiner, for his part, was also never so fast at Oberhallauer Berg and accordingly set a new sports car record.

Marcel Steiner: "The car and engine are good now, I just have to get better. I haven't yet found the confidence to step on the gas or stay on it at the right moment with the turbo engine."

What he never says, although he could attach: The LobArt with him on board is also 60 kilos heavier than Berguerand's self-made, optimal racing car. A handicap that, under normal circumstances, he will not be able to make up for even on September 11 at the mountain race on Gurnigel.

Hausheer will definitely give it a try there. If Steiner wins in a new record time, Berguerand would only have to finish in the classification to get the one point needed to secure the championship title.

Third SM rank to Robin Faustini
With three good 1'09 times, last year's winner Robin Faustini secured third place overall ahead of Osella brand colleague Joël Volluz. They too have never been so fast in Oberhallau and have clear upward potential for the future. Faustini is also already in third place in the championship, which was his declared goal for the season in addition to reducing the time gap to the top.

Only eight hundredths separated Michel Zemp (Norma-Honda) and Christoph Lampert (Osella-Honda) in the two-liter sports cars. Without Lampert's gearbox problems in what was actually the fastest second run, this duel might have had a different outcome.

Grands F3000 premiere at Gurnigel
Joël Grand pulverized the class record once again at the last event with the already sold Osella-BMW-Junior. For Gurnigel, the Valais native borrowed Simon Hugentobler's Reynard F3000. Faustini's dad drove this car to 7th place overall with severe handling problems due to the tires.

In the two-liter race cars, Joel Burgermeister exploited the power of his turbo engine in the Tatuus F4 Evo. After unexpected 1'15 times, Philip Egli in the much older Dallara was also more than happy with second place ahead of oldie Roland Bossy in the more modern Dallara F3. Bad luck had Christian Balmer, who flew over an embankment with his Tatuus Honda and retired.

Second SM title for Reto Meisel
For the first time this season, the overall winner in the touring cars was not Reto Meisel, but Roger Schnellmann in a Mitsubishi. The man from Schwyz was eleven hundredths ahead of the man from Aargau. However, the record of Ronnie Bratschi, who was only present as a spectator, remained unmatched.

On the other hand, Meisel in the Mercedes SLK340 improved his own class record, although he didn't risk the shirt off his back to secure his second SM title after 2016 with the same car ahead of schedule. Congratulations!

Hermann Bollhalder in the Opel Speedster remained just above his own record in the E1-3000. In the E1-two-liters Reto Steiner in the Ford Escort defeated the numerically strong competition, and in the IS-2000 Jürg Ochsner from Oberhallau in the Opel Kadett celebrated what was already his eighth emotional home victory.

Bürki ahead of another title win
As E1-1600 winner, Stephan Burri was a touch (0.02) less fast than Martin Bürki with his VW Polo in the IS-1600, unlike a week ago. Bürki's engine, as it turned out on Monday, had a loss of pressure, otherwise it would have gone much faster. At the home race on the Gurnigel, he is aiming for another win in the mountain cup in the direct E1 class duel with Burri.

Bruno Sawatzki in the Porsche 991 GT3 Cup took the group win in the InterSwiss by three hundredths ahead of Frédéric Neff in the 996 Turbo - this was Sawatzki's revenge for Anzère, where he lost despite setting a new track record. One of the two will probably be SM third in the touring cars. After his accident with the Lotus Exige, Chris Steiner is no longer eligible for the under-staffed SuperSeries, but wants to be on the grid at Gurnigel.

Denis Wolf was already the champion in the Renault Classic Cup. The tough three-way battle with him and Michael Schläpfer, who was leading after race 1, was won by Philipp Krebs in the Clio II, just like a week ago in Les Rangiers. However, after a rollover by Jürg Brunner, who was a brilliant second a week ago, the mood in the Clio camp was somewhat dampened. But the young Toggenburg driver remains a promise for the future.

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The project will be based at Audi Sport's site in Neuburg an der Donau near Ingolstadt. This will be the first time in more than a decade that a Formula 1 powertrain has been built in Germany.

GP sport as a demanding development laboratory
Audi announced the entry on Friday morning ahead of the Belgian GP at Spa-Francorchamps. At the event, Markus Duesmann, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, and Oliver Hoffmann, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development, answered questions in the presence of Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali and Mohammed ben Sulayem, President of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).

Markus Duesmann: "Motorsport is an integral part of Audi's DNA. Formula 1 is both a global stage for our brand and a demanding development laboratory. The combination of high performance and competition is always a driver for innovation and technology transfer in our industry. With the new regulations, now is exactly the right time for us to enter. Because Formula 1 and Audi are both pursuing clear sustainability goals."

Actively shaping the transformation of Formula 1
Crucial to the entry is that the world's most popular racing series becomes more sustainable and cost-efficient. The new technical regulations, which will apply from 2026, focus on greater electrification and sustainable fuel.

In addition to the existing cost cap for teams, a cost cap for power unit manufacturers will be anchored in the regulations in 2023. Formula 1 has also set itself the ambitious goal of becoming a CO2-neutral racing series by 2030.

Oliver Hoffmann: "In view of the major technological leaps that the series will make toward sustainability in 2026, one can speak of a new Formula 1. Formula 1 is transforming itself and Audi wants to actively accompany this journey. A close link between our Formula 1 project and AUDI AG's Technical Development will enable synergies."

Requirements met
From 2026, the proportion of electric power in the power unit, consisting of electric motor, battery, control electronics and combustion engine, will increase sharply compared with today's Formula One powertrains.

The electric drive will then have nearly as much power as the combustion engine, which comes to around 400 kW (544 hp). The highly efficient 1.6-liter turbocharged engines will run on sustainable synthetic fuel - another Audi requirement for entry.

The power unit will be built at Audi Sport's state-of-the-art motorsport competence center in Neuburg an der Donau, not far from AUDI AG's corporate headquarters in Ingolstadt. This site already has test rigs for Formula 1 engines, high-performance electric motors and batteries.

Sauber with Audi instead of Alfa Romeo?

The necessary expansion in terms of personnel, buildings and technical infrastructure is currently being undertaken there, and all the essentials should be in place by the end of the year. A separate company was recently established for the power unit project as a 100%ige subsidiary of Audi Sport.

Audi will communicate a decision as to which team will compete in 2026 by the end of the year. Sauber Motorsport in Hinwil, where there is an optimum infrastructure already used by Audi for the Le Mans prototypes, for example, is certainly one of the options. Especially since Alfa Romeo announced its cooperation with Sauber Motorsport as of the end of 2023 only two hours after Audi's announcement..,

F1 decision determines motorsport direction
Audi Sport is pooling its resources for the Formula 1 project. Audi is therefore discontinuing its LMDh project. Audi Sport had already suspended development of the sports car for endurance racing recently.

In addition to customer sport, Audi Sport will continue its innovation project with the RS Q e-tron in the Dakar Rally. Next year, Audi is targeting overall victory in the desert.

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After Hemberg/La Roche in June, the players in the Swiss Mountain Championship. 2022 will have another double-header with Les/Rangiers/Oberhallau. One week after the EBM run in the Jura, around 100 more riders will be competing in the fifth race of the season in Oberhallau.

Thanks to the proximity to the German and Austrian borders, quite a few participants come from neighboring countries. Oberhallau, for example, is part of the popular KW Berg Cup for touring cars. For the Swiss specialists from the IS and E1 groups, which are enormously strong in terms of numbers, this always offers an interesting comparison of times.

Steiner or Berguerand again?
After Eric Berguerand's absence in Les Rangiers gave him the obligatory strike result, the path to victory on the day in Schaffhausen's Klettgau once again only leads via the Valaisan in the optimum Lola FA99. The course records in Hemberg, La Berra and Anzère speak for him.

However, last Sunday Marcel Steiner offered the best performance so far with the newly motorized LobArt (Helftec-Honda-Turbo) by securing the clear victory in the Swiss classification.

It's quite possible that the Bernese will also manage an exploit against Berguerand in the Klettgau region of Schaffhausen. He himself is looking forward to it.

Marcel Steiner: "Things went very well in Les Rangiers, although I could certainly have gone a bit faster to finish second overall behind Merli instead of Petr Trnka. I can't say whether it will be enough to put Eric in trouble. We'll definitely give it a try."

Faustini has no illusions
Robin Faustini celebrated his first national stage win last year, but was aware that without Berguerand and Steiner (driving in the slower substitute car, the old Martini BMW, see video) it did not have the normal significance. In addition, weather luck was also involved.

Nevertheless, the 24-year-old from Aargau is a top contender for the podium, as is Joël Volluz in the second Osella FA30. Because Volluz will not be competing in the mountain race at Gurnigel (September 10/11) due to the clash of dates with the Rallye-SM in Morzine/Mont-Blanc, where he is involved as a helper in his girlfriend's team, the top four in Switzerland will meet for the last time this year.

If the weather holds, there should probably be a new course record on the three-kilometer course. The best mark was set by Eric Berguerand in 2019 in 1:08.00 (= 158.82 km/h).

Meisel reaches for the title
Another new record time in the touring cars, which Ronnie Bratschi, who is absent this year, realized in 2019 in 1:14.56, is one thing for Reto Meisel in Oberhallau, the early title win is another.

At the wheel of the optimal Mercedes SLK 340, a tenth place in Group E1 is enough for the man from Aargau to become Swiss Touring Car Champion for the second time after 2016. So in principle, only a technical defect or some other incident can prevent him from doing so.

Everything with rank and name
With Meisel, Roger Schnellmann in the Mitsubishi, Romeo Nüssli in the Ford Escort Cosworth, Bruno Ianniello in the Lancia Delta S4, Frédéric Neff in the Porsche 996 GT2 R as well as the Germans Holger Hovemann in the Opel Kadett GT/R with Corvette V8 engine and Jürgen Gerspacher in Simon Wüthrich's VW Golf Turbo, there is an impressive fraction of horsepower monsters at the start.

It starts on Saturday at 7.30 a.m. with the first practice runs and on Sunday at the same time with the first race run. The two best times from three scheduled runs will be scored.

Demonstration of e-Fuel
As reported three weeks ago online and in the latest print edition of AutoSprintCH (VIEWPOINT Race premiere) reports, there will be demonstration runs of Ligier racing sports cars whose engines run on synthetic fuel as part of the hillclimb race. They will be piloted by Le Mans winners Marcel Fässler (Saturday only) and Neel Jani as well as Benjamin Hotz (Sunday).

For those interested, further information is available in the Horag racing tent on Dorfstrasse. In addition to Markus Hotz, the founder of Horag Racing AG and initiator of the project, involved partners such as engine builder Mario Illien and autobau founder Fredy Lienhard will be on site.

Start list Oberhallau 2022

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For Jürg Aeberhard, the GT3 Cup races on the 3.722-kilometer Circuit de Dijon-Prenois could hardly have gone better. In qualifying, he demonstrated his talent as a rain driver on a wet track and secured the best time by 0.741 seconds.

It does not get better than this
From pole position, the garage owner from Biglen went straight to the front of the 18-car field in the first race and drove home the win safely under pressure from Jasinm Ferati. The 19-year-old from Winterthur crossed the finish line just seven tenths behind.

The junior, who is sponsored by Porsche Motorsport Club Suisse and Porsche Schweiz AG, had overtaken Gregor Burkard in the third of 18 laps and then set the fastest race lap on a now dry track in 1:18.677 minutes.

In the end, Burkard took third place just ahead of Alexander Schwarzer. The Porsche Racing Experience graduate had only started eighth and crowned his race to catch up with fourth place ahead of Ernst Keller.

Ferati fights his way back
Aeberhard also won the second race. In the 17 laps to the finish, the 36-year-old veteran built up a lead of almost 15 seconds over Ferati. Aeberhard was the only driver to almost consistently set times of under 80 seconds in his 515 hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup of the 992 model generation.

Ferati had lost his second place on the grid to Burkard on the first lap, but regained this position on the seventh lap. Burkard then also had to let Ernst Keller go before the race was over for him on lap ten. As a result, Schwarzer moved up to fourth place.

Jürg Aeberhard: "My weekend went perfectly. The last time I drove a race car in the rain was in 2014 - so I was all the more pleased with the clear pole on a wet track. I also remained absolutely faultless in both races. I was able to deliver my laps and even had some reserves at the end."

Two GT4 wins for Mottet
Alexandre Mottet (left gallery) also managed a masterstroke in the GT4 group. As before in Franciacorta, he held his own with his 425-hp 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport against the nominally much faster 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.

Mottet laid the foundation for this in the first sprint with a lightning start that took him from third place into the lead. As a logical consequence, Mottet also celebrated victory in Class 10 for cars with the so-called Manthey Racing Package ahead of Markus Lietzau.

Jean-Paul Chaligne had won the qualifying session on a wet track. However, the pole setter dropped back to fifth place in the overall standings and still finished third.

In the second GT4 sprint, Mottet again secured victory, although he had to give way to Lietzau in between. Lietzau successfully defended his second class place against Chaligne in a battle group.

Two Swiss win through
In class 11 for 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport without MR package, Andreas Ritzi took the win ahead of Remo Stebler after a strong performance in the first race. In the second, the winner was Jens Richter ahead of Stebler.

Paolo Locatelli and Valerio Presezzi took the overall victory in both races in their new 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.

There were two Swiss double wins in the international Open GT field. With his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, Loïc Villiger won the first race very narrowly ahead of Simon Willner. In the second sprint, Willner (gallery center in the lead) won by 1.5 seconds ahead of Philippe Menotti, both on a 911 GT3 R.

A master of constancy
Nicolas Garski continued his winning streak at the fourth race weekend of the Porsche Drivers Competition Suisse (PDC), but faced strong competition at Dijon-Prenois.

In the first race, Fide Scheer - also driving a Porsche 911 GT3 - copied the strategy of the defending champion and combined a relaxed pace on the track with high consistency. Result: Over seven scored laps, Scheer allowed himself only a 0.126-second deviation from his own average time. Garski, however, did even better, with the differences adding up to just 101 thousandths of a second.

The second run featured eleven timed laps, and this time Garski (Gallery right) even allowed himself a variation of just 78 thousandths from his average. Marius Hutmacher followed closely behind the winner with a total deviation of 0.117 seconds.

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The changeable weather, combined with several incidents, allowed only two practice runs on Saturday on never quite dry track in the Jura. And after a dozen drivers, the race organizers interrupted the first race run early Sunday morning for two hours.

After that, practically all participants in the 77th Int. Hill Climb St-Ursanne-Les Rangiers started from scratch, which was a special challenge for the newcomer and the less experienced. Christian Merli accepted it and mastered himself in the style of a great champion.

Demonstration of the European champion
Although the Italian could have easily taken home 25 European Championship points for the day's win without pressure from Simone Faggioli, who had already won here nine times, he undercut his compatriot's 2019 track record by a tenth of a second in the second race run.

The new record on the 5180 meter long course now stands at 1'39,201, which corresponds to an incredible average of 187,98 km/h - nota bene at a village crossing and three hairpin curves...

Christian Merli: "I didn't want to just dust off the day's win, otherwise you would have written that I had it easy. But after yesterday's conditions, everything was different again today. I tried it and it worked out."

In the addition, the first new day winner in Les Rangiers (gallery left) since Marcel Steiner 2010 remained with 3'19.739, however, above Faggioli's value of 2019, which should not diminish his performance in any way.

With a total gap of eight seconds, the Czech Petr Trinka secured second place overall and victory in the sports car category. In 2018 and 2019, he had won in the two-liter category. With 1'43.513, the budding European vice champion is now the third-fastest man of all time behind Merli and Faggioli.

Steiner wins SM ranking with Swiss record
Marcel Steiner (center gallery) delivered a great duel to the Eastern European, losing by less than a second. With 1'44.037, the man from Berne, for his part, realized the fastest time ever set by a Swiss on this course.

The LobArt chassis, the engine (Helftec Honda Turbo) and the driver are harmonizing better from race to race, which has involved a lot of fine-tuning for Steiner Motorsport for weeks.

Robin Faustini also faster than ever
With the 25 points for the victory in the Swiss classification, Steiner took over the second SM intermediate rank from Robin Faustini. However, the Aargauer once again showed a mature performance by realizing the fourth fastest individual time (1'45.519) at the first start in the Jura with the Osella FA30 - which cannot be compared in detail with Merli's same model.

In the overall classification, the 24-year-old had to concede defeat behind the German Alexander Hin in an Osella FA30 driven by Merli and the Spaniard Joseba Iraola Lanzagorta in a Nova sports car with an FIA-derated 1.7-liter turbo engine. Iraola's speed at the first start in Switzerland was impressive, however.

As eighth behind veteran Fausto Bormolini from Livigno in the fastest race car with free-standing wheels (Reynard K02), Joël Volluz was also quite satisfied, although he had already clocked 1'45.26 (2013) in the Osella FA30 in best times before his horror accident in Les Grippons.

Simon Hugentobler also had reason to be satisfied with himself. In the first race in three years, Faustini's dad drove the 25-year-old Reynard 97D, which he last piloted here in 2017, faster than ever before.

Zemp and Grand faster than ever before
In the two-liter race cars, Joel Burgermeister won in the Tatuus F4 Evo ahead of Philipp Egli, who in the Dallara-EPR-5, which had never been raced in the Jura in this configuration, pushed local hero Roland Bossy (Dallara F312-Spiess) to third place in the second race.

In addition to Steiner, Michel Zemp (right gallery) and Joël Grand also put in outstanding performances in the sports cars. Zemp was beaten by Frenchman Fabian Frantz, but no Swiss has ever been so fast in a two-liter sports car.

In the 380-kilogram Osella Junior with BMW single-liter engine, Grand lost only one second to the Norma-Honda of the Bernese in the faster second run, with which the Valaisan pulverized another class record. Luxembourg's Canio Marchione, also fast everywhere with an identical car, had to admit that he would not have beaten Grand even without engine misfires.

Reto Meisel after hell ride before title win
Reto Meisel was in a class of his own in the closed cars (see also video above). With a hell of a ride, as he called the second race run himself, he drove out the fourth group E1 record in a row with the Mercedes SLK 340 (lower gallery left) , which now stands at 1'55.030 (previously Bratschi 1'56.865 in 2019).

Since Roger Schnellmann retired with drive damage to his Mitsubishi in the first race and Bruno Sawatzki left the field to the superior Frédéric Neff in the Porsche 996 GT2 R in Group IS, Meisel is now alone at the top of the standings. Next Sunday in Oberhallau, six points or a tenth place in E1 will be enough for the garage owner from Leuggern to win his second title after 2016 if Schnellmann wins in record time. If not, Meisel could even afford two more zeros.

Second fastest touring car driver in the addition was the furious Italian Manuel Dondi in the Fiat X 1/9 with Alfa Romeo STW engine from the group of EM vehicles with performance factor 1. The Austrian Karl Schagerl, who was leading after race 1, would probably have cracked the two minutes at the first Swiss appearance, in contrast to Dondi, if the electronics in the 700 hp VW Golf TSFI had not suddenly played a trick on him after the start of race 2. Only after a reset was he able to continue the race with a long delay and thus save a few European Championship points.

Burri beats Bürki
New class records were also set in Group E1 by Stephan Burri in the 1600s, Sébastien Coquoz in the two-liters and Benoit Farine (Honda CRX) up to 2.5 liters. In the direct duel Burri (lower gallery center) beat the great champion Martin Bürki, whereby the two identical VW Polo were geared differently and Bürki was about 10 km/h short. But Bürki congratulated him spontaneously and without envy. Meanwhile, Coquoz realized the fastest time of an Opel Kadett on the track, which has been extended by eleven meters since 2016....

In the IS two-liter class, Manuel Santonastaso prevailed in the BMW 320si. And in the class up to 3.5 liters, Vanessa Zenklusen celebrated a well-deserved class victory over strong competitor Dominik von Rotz in an Audi A4 quattro after two spirited drives in the self-built Subaru Impreza Type R (gallery on the right).

Cancer Clio winner with luck
Philipp Krebs' victory in the Renault Classic Cup, on the other hand, was primarily a matter of luck. He experienced moments of shock in both heats and would probably have been beaten by Denis Wolf in the Clio III if his engine had not suddenly cut out briefly in the forest in the second heat.

Jürg Brunner also celebrated his first unexpected success as the runner-up in Clio II (like Krebs). Wolf, who is only fourth behind Michael Schläpfer and ahead of Stephan Zbinden (both Clio III), can hardly be denied the title.

Photos: Ramon Hänggi (Action) and Peter Wyss (Portraits and Videos)

Overall ranking Class ranking

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A slight drop in participants had, after all, been expected due to the switch from the normal 1.4 turbo gasoline engine to the electrically assisted mild hybrid model. However, with 15 registered drivers plus the Flammer Speed Team consisting of three additional people as well as two or three guest drivers, the Suzuki Swiss Racing Cup 2022 still cut a handsome figure as part of the 2022 Swiss Slalom Championship. Especially since the Suzuki drivers were fighting for fractions of a second in all positions. Quality instead of quantity.

Praise for all competitors
With current success reports after each race and analyses in the week after, we have honored the individual performances in each case on our homepage. Even Flavio Corezzola (gallery on the left, photo Denise Steinmann), who was usually last in the rankings, stood out in his own way by improving more and more and never letting his good mood be spoiled despite the red lantern. That's what you call sportsmanship.

The Cup coordinator, who also knows the scene as a driver, is full of praise for the whole group of participants anyway.

Christian Zimmermann: "There is nothing easier than the Suzuki squad. Everyone helps everyone and knows what it's all about here. I checked the cars often and there was never anything to complain about. Everything went cleanly and everyone seemed to want the other to succeed."

Three winners in seven races
The fact that the champion for once was not Marcel Muzzarelli but Fabian Eggenberger (center gallery, photo Ramon Hänggi) did the Cup good. It was an exciting duel at eye level, in which Sandro Fehr as overall third once interfered victoriously and which produced insane best times. This also caused astonishment and recognition in the national camp.

Only Patrick Flammer and Michaël Béring (gallery right, photo Peter Wyss) were able to break this trio in five of the seven races and secure one or the other podium place. While Flammer, as a hybrid pioneer, had already sensationally won the Ambri race in 2021, the Suzuki podium was a first for the man from Neuchâtel. However, in the 2022 season, which ended on June 25 in Chamblon, they did not manage to finish at the top of the Suzuki standings once. But that may well happen in 2023.

Generous prize money and bonuses
Because at the championship ceremony at the Emil Frey Classic in Safenwil, Sandra Fichte, who has been Head of PR & Marketing at Suzuki Schweiz AG for the past year, revealed on request that the success story would be continued with the racy Suzuki Swift Sport Hybrid in 2023 on roughly the same scale. Details will only be worked out in the course of the next few weeks.

Therefore, nothing major is likely to change in the regulations. The prize money (5,000 Swiss francs for the champion in 2022, then 500 Swiss francs less each year until the tenth place) and the participation bonuses (300 Swiss francs per race event) will also remain generous. The best in the Swiss championships in slalom, mountain and rallies, which are organized by Auto Sport Schweiz, can only look on this with envy. In addition, the three best Suzuki drivers also received tire vouchers from partner Yokohama.

The exact regulations with the conditions of participation can be found on the Suzuki Switzerland homepage.

Final ranking Suzuki Swiss Racing Cup 2022

auto.suzuki.ch/suzuki-swiss-racing-cup

The St-Ursanne-Les Rangiers International Hill Climb is unique in the Swiss Championship calendar. It has been part of the European Hill Climb Championship since 1972 and is loved, feared or shunned by the drivers.

The highspeed show in the Jura
The passage around the gas station at the end of the village of St-Ursanne and the subsequent full-throttle "Les Grippons," a left-hand bend under the highway bridge, are a treat for hillclimb racing connoisseurs and a test of courage for the drivers.

Unbeaten for years, Simone Faggioli covered the 5180 meters up to Les Malettes 2019 in 1'39,306 and an average of incredible 187,8 km/h. Notabene despite the two hairpin turns at the "Petit Susten" wonderfully clear for spectators and a third hairpin below the finish.

The two videos illustrate the track characteristics and the tremendous speed.

Christian Merli as the lone favorite
This year, multi-champion Faggioli is concentrating on the national championship and leaving the territory to compatriot Christian Merli (center gallery). The man from Trentino is therefore the crown favorite at the hill climb, which is being held for the 76th time, after always losing to Faggioli so far despite nerve-wracking, valiant opposition.

Since Merli also managed a 1'39 time three years ago, he can also be expected to set a new track record at the wheel of the optimum Osella FA30 with three-liter Cytek LMR V8 engine (gallery left). He last did so on August 7, 2022, at the FIA Hill Climb Cup in Osnabrück (report here).

Who is on the podium?
The battle for the places of honor on the overall winners' podium will also be exciting. In the absence of SM leader Eric Berguerand (who has never ridden there again since his serious accident in 2007), Marcel Steiner has always been number 3 behind the Italo duo in recent years.

Since Steiner does not want to equip the Helftec Honda turbo engine in the LobArt sports car with a restrictor prescribed in FIA races, the Bernese is primarily concerned with prestige and a full 25 points towards the Swiss championship.

Other podium contenders are Robin Faustini, Joël Volluz and the German Alexander Hin in their Osella FA30s, as well as the Spaniard Joseba Iraolo, who is always fast, at least in his homeland, and the Czech Petr Trnka in their sports cars. In the European Mountain Championship category 2 racing cars, Merli leads ahead of Trnka and Hin.

Robin's dad Simon Hugentobler makes a comeback with the "old" Reynard 97D and will try to leave at least one or more class opponents behind him. A total of 14 three-liter race cars from the E2-SC and E2-SS groups will be competing in the Start list.

Long-distance duels in the touring cars
The touring cars are completely divided into two categories. Since 2021, the European Championship has been contested in groups according to performance factor (Pf1 to 5), while the SM has been contested in the usual categories.

Thus it comes to the long-distance duel between the strongest Swiss Reto Meisel in the Mercedes SLK 340 and Roger Schnellmann in the Mitsubishi monster from the group E1 with the Austrian Karl Schagerl in the approximately 700 HP strong VW Golf Turbo (gallery right, photo: Michael Tratinak, Hillclimbfans), the infernal Italian Manuel Dondi in the Fiat X 1/9 with Alfa Romeo STW engine and the Croatian Domagoj Perekovic in his Mitsubishi, all from the EM group 1.

For the Swiss, of course, it's all about the championship points, for the foreigners it's about important European Championship points. But only one person can become the overall touring car winner and thus the successor to Ronnie Bratschi. The track record holder from the canton of Uri will only be there as an observer because his Mitsubishi is not ready for action due to a lack of spare engine parts. Bratschi hopes to at least be able to test somewhere in the fall.

Equally interesting will be the comparison of running times between local hero Frédéric Neff in a Porsche 996 GT2 R and Frenchman Nicolas Werver in a 997 GT3 R, who is always strong in the Jura.

It all starts on Saturday at 7 a.m. with the first of three practice runs. The first of two races will also start at 7 a.m. on Sunday.

Mountain race revivals in eastern and western Switzerland
The other two events are also worth seeing, although they are not about best times. The "Historic Hillclimb Walzenhausen-Lachen" high above Lake Constance and the "Historic Hillclimb Ollon-Villars International Motor Race" in the canton of Vaud are reminiscent of earlier hillclimbs with their periodic revivals that are postponed due to Corona.

This clash of dates is unfortunate, because both events attract a nice field of participants from historic sports vehicles with two, three and four wheels. In Walzenhausen, the majority of participants are from the German-speaking part of Switzerland, including a number of modern racing cars. Among the gems are Fredy Lienhard in a Ferrari 333SP, Peter Sauber in a Sauber C1, Formula 2 by and with Fredy Amweg, local hero Erwin Steingruber, Roger Moser and Jo Vonlanthen, and Lukas Eugster and Christoph Lampert in their modern two-liter sports cars.

With Agostini, Stewart and Siffert
In Ollon, meanwhile, the French and some foreigners are in the majority. Stars include motorcycle icon Giacomo Agostini, Jackie Stewart (probably only in a Ferrari on Saturday afternoon), and Nicolas Prost and Philippe Siffert, the sons of two F1 legends.

The automotive focus will be on the sports and racing cars of Cegga from Aigle, who have made history at many a Swiss mountain race, especially with honorary OC president Georges Gachnang (91).

More info is available on the Internet. With the best will in the world, no recommendations can be made...

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Races 15 and 16 on a 2.6-kilometer circuit in the South Korean capital of Seoul brought the 2022 Formula E World Championship to a close. After retiring on Saturday, Edoardo Mortara in the car of ROKiT Venturi Racing, a customer team of Mercedes, secured his fourth victory of the season on Sunday morning CEST.

Starting from second place, Mortara snatched the lead from pole setter Antonio Felix da Costa on the second lap with an impressive maneuver and did not relinquish it again until the finish after 34 laps (see video).

Master of constancy
Unfortunately, the Geneva driver no longer played a role in the fight for the world championship title due to the zero on the previous day - the fifth in the 2022 season. In the end, only Stoffel Vandoorne from the Mercedes EQ factory team and the previous day's winner Mitch Evans from Jaguar Racing fought it out between themselves.

The Belgian, who arrived in South Korea with a nice points lead, could no longer be displaced from the top of the standings, which he successfully defended thanks to his consistency. The former McLaren GP driver only won the race in Monaco, but only had one retirement and otherwise finished in the points every time - that's how you become a champion.

With the points scored by last year's champion Nyck de Vries (in ninth place in the world championship, only half as many as Vandoorne), the Mercedes EQ Formula E team once again secured the team championship. In 2023, with the new Gen3 cars, McLaren will take over the Germans' place with the same organizational structure.

Four wins this season were not enough
Vice world champion Evans and Mortara, who is now third in the world championship, each have four victories to their name, but they also had to deal with more accidents and incidents that cost them points. Having held the championship lead during the course of this season - after races 2 to 4 as well as after rounds 10 and 11 - the Geneva native could not really be happy about the victory in Korea either.

Edoardo Mortara: "It was a very good last day of racing. But to be honest, there's still a lot of frustration in me. There was more in it for us over the course of the season. At the previous double rounds in New York and London we weren't competitive enough and also made mistakes. Otherwise, we were fast everywhere. I therefore have mixed feelings."

A year ago, the Italian-Swiss (born, raised and resident in Geneva) already had the world championship title in his sights and then "only" finished second overall behind Dutchman Nyck de Vries on Mercedes in the electric racing series, which will be awarded a world championship title for the first time in 2021.

Two disappointing season from Buemi
Sébastien Buemi only scored two more points thanks to ninth place in the final race, the 100th round of Formula E since its debut in the fall of 2014. Nevertheless, as in the previous year, his eighth electric season ended in disappointment.

In total, the Vaudois only scored points five times, so that the champion of the second interannual season 2015/16 has to settle for 15th place in the championship. Fifth place in Race 1 of New York was his best result and also from Nissan e.dams.

Formula E 2022 World Championship Final Standings

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