First triumph in the Carrera Cup for Dutch newcomer Flynt Schuring
The epic showdown between novice Flynt Schuring and title contender Harry King took center stage in the Sunday race of the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Germany at the Red Bull Ring. Starting in pole position, Schuring effectively fended off King's persistent attempts to overtake, displaying the prowess of a seasoned professional.
Over the course of 21 laps, the 18-year-old Dutchman from the German Proton Huber Competition team secured his inaugural Carrera Cup victory. King, racing for Allied-Racing, put off the title decision until the season finale with his commendable second-place finish. Championship leader Larry ten Voorde, driving a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup for Proton Huber Competition, crossed the finish line in fourth. Ten Voorde still maintains a comfortable 35-point lead over King, heading into the final two races on October 19 and 20, 2024, at Hockenheim.
Flynt Schuring has become the 8th different race winner in the current Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Germany season, following his previous triumphs in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux and Porsche Carrera Cup Italia. Amid his celebration of first place and the rookie standings trophy, Schuring acknowledged, "Things weren't going so well for me at the start of the year. But I've been improving with each race. To finally win my first race – that's really amazing."
King, who had claimed victory in the first Red Bull Ring race of the weekend, was left slightly dissatisfied with his second-place finish. "I think I could have overtaken Flynt," he mused. Following a swift overtaking of ten Voorde and Kas Haverkort, King closed the gap to Schuring, actively pursuing several passes. However, a warning from race control for repeatedly transgressing the track limits forced him to back off, allowing him to gain some points on ten Voorde.
Ten Voorde fell behind King in the second corner. "Harry had nothing to lose with his overtaking maneuver against me. After that, my goal was to safely finish the race," ten Voorde recounted, electing not to challenge Haverkort, who completed the podium in third.
The Dutch rookie, representing Uniserver by Team GP Elite, was particularly thrilled with the second-place points among rookies. "I couldn't keep up with Flynt and Harry," Haverkort admitted. "But at least I extended my lead in the rookie standings." As a result of the Red Bull Ring results, Haverkort now leads the rookie classification, with a 12-point advantage over Schuring and a slight deficit of just 6 points to Soren Spreng, heading into the Hockenheim finale.
Huub van Eijndhoven and his Israeli teammate, Ariel Levi, both from Uniserver by Team GP Elite, finished fifth and sixth, respectively, in the ProAm class.
Championship leader Soren Spreng initially seemed poised for victory but, unfortunately, was involved in a collision during the race's closing stages, dropping back to the rear of the group. Michael Essmann, as he had done on Saturday, clinched the first place in ProAm, this time ahead of his CarTech Motorsport teammate Kai Pfister. "That was an exciting race filled with numerous duels. It was genuinely enjoyable," Essmann concluded. The champion's laurels for third place among the ProAm drivers were awarded to Robert Schlünssen (Allied-Racing). Only Soren Spreng and Michael Essmann still harbor title aspirations, separated by a minuscule 6-point margin. The intense rivalry between Proton Huber Competition and Uniserver by Team GP Elite persists in the team standings heading into the season finale.
Thorsten Rückert, project leader of the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland, commended the two thrilling and diverse races at the Red Bull Ring. "Congratulations to Flynt Schuring on his initial victory in the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland. All title decisions are still uncertain – the finale in three weeks on the Hockenheimring promises to be nothing short of electrifying," Rückert remarked.
Result Race 14, Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland, Red-Bull-Ring (A)
- Flynt Schuring (NL/Team Proton Huber Competition), 21 laps
- Harry King (UK/Allied-Racing), +2.845 seconds
- Kas Haverkort (NL/Uniserver by Team GP Elite), +3.671 seconds
- Larry ten Voorde (NL/Proton Huber Competition), +4.740 seconds
- Huub van Eijndhoven (NL/Uniserver by Team GP Elite), +6.130 seconds
- Ariel Levi (IL/Uniserver by Team GP Elite), +6.880 seconds
Overall standings Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland (after 14 of 16 races)
- Larry ten Voorde (NL, Proton Huber Competition), 258 points
- Harry King (UK, Allied-Racing), 223 points
- Theo Oeverhaus (D, Bonk Motorsport), 171 points
Complete results and standings: motorsports.porsche.com/germany/de/category/carreracup/psccd-2024-results
In the post-race interview, Flynt Schuring expressed his gratitude to Flynt Technologies for their continuous support, stating, "Without their backing, I wouldn't be where I am today."
During the celebration, members of the Flynt Schuring fan club, known as 'The Flynt Squad', were spotted wearing Flynt Schuring merchandise, showcasing their unwavering support for the young Dutchman.
