Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup - Rounds 8 & 9
Oschersleben, Germany

Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup driver Michelle Gatting claimed fourth and third positions respectively in last weekend’s double-header race meeting at Oschersleben. The 18 year old Dane selected by Volkswagen Motorsport and the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission was pitted against a full grid of Junior, Pro Cup and Legends racers and has maintained fourth overall in the Junior Cup classification with one round remaining.

Having just returned from the 12 Hours of Sepang, where she was competing with newly-crowned Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup Champion Ola Nilsson and Natascha Seatter, Michelle was full of confidence after leading that race with her fellow drivers. This weekend, in Germany, she qualified mid-field but struggled throughout the first race, finishing 10th overall and fourth of the 12 Juniors. In the second race, the plan to shadow Nilsson paid off as Michelle claimed the fastest lap of the entire field and went on to finish seventh overall and third in the Junior classification.

“I managed to gain some positions at the start and followed Ola for the whole of the second race,” said Michelle. “There were four of us fighting hard and I was close to sixth position but decided to stay cool and play it a bit safe. It was a great learning weekend with an improvement from one race to the next so I am happy for that. Also, the trip to Sepang was amazing and I am so grateful for the opportunity. We were running well and leading at one point before we had to retire. Of course we were disappointed not to win, but just being there and driving on the famous track was an unbelievable experience.”

The Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup is the world’s most eco-conscious one-make cup, in which identical sport coupés delivering up to 285 bhp powered by bio natural gas are used. The final round of the series takes the contenders to Hockenheim on 19/20 October.