ADAC Formel Masters
2013 was a great year of entry-level championships with another strong year for FFSA-run French F4 and the overwhelmingly successful debut on BRDC F4 in the UK. However, even amidst those, a clear standout emerged in ADAC Formel Masters – the German series that continued its streak of strong grids and excellent racing.
The field might not have seemed particularly close to a casual onlooker, as Mucke’s Alessio Picariello dominated for a big part of the season and ended up winning by a large margin. However, apart from the imperiously quick and wheel-to-wheel savvy Belgian, there were lots of other drivers who made a huge impression.
Picariello’s teammate Maximilian Gunther was a force to be reckoned with in his rookie year, taking the fight to the championship leader on many occasions. Debutants from other squads made their mark as well – Neuhauser’s Nicolas Beer was an ever-present frontrunner in his first full-time year, while Formula BMW Talent Cup graduates Ralph Boschung and Marvin Dienst confirmed the high level of their previous championship.
Despite Mucke’s advantage, five different teams added victory trophies to their collections throughout the season and none of those wins were a fluke. As such, it made for some intensely close racing at the front, helped out by the fact the machinery was generally well-suited to wheel-to-wheel fights. In 2013, ADAC Formel Masters accustomed viewers to fights for the lead between more than two cars – and that was no small feat.
After a year of excellent racing and lots of promising drivers graduating the series, Formel Masters looks great ahead of 2014, occupying an essential place in the single-seater ladder.
Valentin Khorounzhiy