Fighting start to new Carrera Cup season for Team75 Motorsport
Exciting season opener in Imola – points, podium finishes and first chances to shine
The first racing weekend of the new Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Germany season in Imola offered some exciting head-to-heads, hard-fought podium battles and valuable experiences for Team75 Motorsport. The Palatinate team put in a promising performance right from the outset and established a great starting position for the rest of the season with multiple podium finishes and a top-ten result.
Saturday race:
Intense jostling for position and first successes
Saturday began with a variable qualifying: whilst Senna van Soelen secured a decent starting point for the race with sixth place, Daniel Gregor (19th place, fourth among the rookies) and Michael Essmann (23rd place, pro-am pole) were left with a fierce battle to catch up.
All three drivers gained ground in the race. Senna was catapulted to fourth place after the start and held this position for a long time against strong competition, but ultimately dropped two places in the final stages to finish in sixth. Daniel fought his way forwards and secured his first podium finish of the series, with third place in the rookie rankings. Michael Essmann managed a tactically clever race, won the pro-am rankings and crossed the finish line in 21st place.
Thoughts on the race:
A hard race with some intense head-to-heads. I truly gave my all – we can be happy with sixth place, but we still have some work to do.
Senna van Soelen
A rookie podium finish on my first race – big feelings! That shows we can still do more.
Daniel Gregor
After what was not a perfect start, I was able to work my way forwards. First place is always great!
Michael Essmann
Sunday race:
Top-ten result and amateur podium
On Sunday, the team faced yet another challenge: Senna started the race from tenth place and at one point fought his way up to seventh, until a collision knocked his rhythm and sent him back to tenth. However, he still secured a solid top-ten result.
Daniel put in a strong performance and had managed to fight his way up to 16th and third place in the rookie rankings. But then came the bitter end: brake problems caused him to crash into the tyre wall, and although he did not suffer any injuries, he was forced to retire from the race early.
Michael Essmann once again battled through the hard-fought pro-am rankings. He temporarily dropped back to fourth place, but was able to work his way forwards again with a clever manoeuvre and crossed the finish line as second in the pro-am rankings (25th overall out of 32 starters).
Thoughts on the race:
A good race, but a shame that I was knocked back by the collision. We were aiming for a top-ten result – and we managed it.
Senna van Soelen
Up until the accident, things were going very well. But we win and lose together as a team – we will be back on the attack in Spa.
Daniel Gregor
Lots of intense jostling for position and wild head-to-heads – ultimately I managed to secure second place.
Michael Essmann
Verdict and outlook
Team75 Motorsport put in a strong performance for their first racing weekend in Imola. The team have shown that they are able to compete in both the overall and the class rankings. They will now be focusing on the next race in Spa-Francorchamps (8-10 May 2025), when the drivers will be on the attack once again.