Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup - Rounds 4/5
Red Bull Ring, Austria

Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup driver Michelle Gatting finished 11th and 13th in the double-header race in Austria this weekend. The young Dane selected by Volkswagen Motorsport and the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission looked set for a position within the top eight during qualifying until track conditions changed and she dropped from eighth to 18th.

This weekend’s race at Spielberg was the first double-header of the season, featuring races on Saturday and Sunday around the 4.326 kilometre Red Bull Ring circuit. The regular 21 drivers in the Junior and Pro classifications were once again joined by stars competing in the Legends category, taking the grid up to a total of 25 racers.

“The first race was very good,” said Michelle. “My start wasn’t great but I managed to recover two positions and then the safety car came out. After that, I had great speed and having saved my ‘push to pass’ until the end, managed to climb to 11th; it was a satisfying race.”

In the second dry race on Sunday, Gatting adopted the same strategy but with those behind her using their push to pass early in the race, the young Dane was forced to fight back. “I dropped to 16th and managed to climb to 13th, but it was a disappointing result. Now I’m really looking forward to the next event on the famous street track.”

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 sixth race takes the contenders to the Norisring street circuit in Nuremberg, Germany (29/30 June).