French driver Marvin Klein emerged victorious after a dramatic fourth round of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in Spielberg. His BWT Lechner Racing teammate, Robert de Haan from the Netherlands, secured second place – enough to put him at the top of the championship standings at the halfway mark of the Supercup season. Porsche Junior Alessandro Ghiretti (Schumacher CLRT) completed the podium in third. Misfortune struck former points leader Theo Oeverhaus (Proton Huber Competition), who failed to finish after being shunted out of contention by another competitor.
Due to track repairs on the 4.3-kilometre Grand Prix circuit, the race was delayed by around 40 minutes and shortened to a 17-minute sprint plus one lap – an excuse the 30 drivers gladly took to turn up the heat in the dash to the flag.
The BWT Lechner Racing drivers dominated the action from the outset. Klein got the jump on polesitter de Haan at the start, seizing the lead into Turn 1. The duo steadily pulled away, benefitting from fierce battles further down the field. Teammate de Haan admitted fault for losing the lead: “My mistake. I had to let Marvin through at Turn 3. He drove a fantastic race and fully deserved to win. I’m still happy though – leading the championship at the halfway mark puts me in a great position going forward.”
Success and disappointment were close companions
Third-placed Ghiretti had mixed feelings: “I’m pleased for the team – they did a superb job again, and my 911 GT3 Cup was excellent. But I didn’t make the most of it. I briefly held second place, but then made a small mistake and dropped two spots. Third in the race and second overall in the rankings is a good result, but I know there are a few things I need to work on. We definitely had the potential for more.” It was a disappointing weekend for previous points leader Theo Oeverhaus. After starting from 12th on the grid, the Porsche Junior was forced into the gravel in the opening lap, falling to 17th. Two laps later, the Imola race winner was hit by another driver in Turn 3 and shunted into retirement. “That was not a good day,” he said, visibly frustrated. “First I messed up the start, then I got shoved into the gravel. And then another driver took me out – and it wasn’t the first time. I won’t say much more about it.” The incident relegates him to third in the standings, 9.5 points behind de Haan.
Top-Rookie once more: Flynt Schuring
Fourth and fifth went to Israel’s Ariel Levi (Team GP Elite) and Frenchman Mathys Jaubert (Martinet by Alméras), respectively. The Frenchman took his first points of the season. Flynt Schuring (Schumacher CLRT) from the Netherlands finished sixth and once again took top rookie honours. Meanwhile, Briton Gus Burton was left bitterly disappointed. After running a strong race in sixth, he was pushed into a spin on the final lap and fell back to 18th.
The hundreds of thousands of spectators in Spielberg were treated to plenty of position changes. Despite tight battles – with a few bumps and trips through the gravel – all but one driver saw the chequered flag, underlining the high level of skill across the field.
Next round: Spa thrills guaranteed
Next stop: the roller coaster of the Ardennes. Round 5, held alongside the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix, promises to be another highlight – not just thanks to iconic corners like Eau Rouge, La Source and Blanchimont. As ever, Spa’s unpredictable weather adds extra suspense, while the circuit’s strong overtaking opportunities ensure there's no shortage of action.
