After an enthralling race, Marvin Dienst took the chequered flag to claim the 2015 ADAC Formula 4 title after his main rival, Joel Eriksson, was given a drive through penalty from the lead, gifting Dienst the win and the 55 point gap in the championship he needs, going into the final two races.
Dienst had started on pole after impressing on Friday. The German driver made a good start as Eriksson challenged him in the early stages. With a 30 point gap going into the race, Eriksson knew he needed to finish ahead to have any chance of the clinching the title.
After the initial safety car, Eriksson took the lead into the first hairpin and continued to defend his lead throughout the race. Eriksson had had to make it past Lando Norris in the first few corners, but despite being pushed back initially, the Brit soon caught back up with the leading group.
David Beckmann and Mick Schumacher had both kept out of trouble and managed to find themselves in third and fourth as the top five broke away. The leading group changed positions a number of times but it was Eriksson who ensured his lead was not relinquished, as he constantly ran Dienst and Beckmann out of road.
The situation changed with 12 minutes to go as Dienst made a move into the stadium section. Eriksson ran him out of road and was given a drive through as punishment for not leaving a cars width.
Dienst would take the lead soon after, as Eriksson took his penalty. The confusion also saw Schumacher retire after he picked up a puncture.
The winner had been Tim Zimmermann, who had caught up and briefly ran second before the Mucke Motorsport cars quickly demoted him down the order.
With his main competition now eliminated, Dienst built up a lead to take his eighth win of the year and the season as both his main rivals failed to challenge. Beckmann would eventually finish ahead of Norris in second, also giving him the rookie victory and the lead of that championship.
In fourth was Zimmermann who held off Mike Ortmann in the closing stages. Ortmann’s fifth also means he gives up the rookie championship lead with fellow first-year Toni Wolf in sixth.
However; it was the battle for reverse grid pole that entertained the fans in the closing stages as Kami Laliberte was chased by Joey Mawson and Janneau Esmeijer, both of which had dropped to the back after incidents. Despite making a pit stop, it would be Mawson who would claim tenth as Eriksson had to settle for seventeenth.
