Niklas Krütten celebrates first Formula 4 podium finish in Abu Dhabi

Second guest start for German BWT Mücke Motorsport youngster in Formula 4 UAE
Podium debut and fastest lap in fourth race at Yas Marina Circuit
Niklas: “It’s great that I was in contention for victory on only my second race weekend.”

Niklas Krütten has been meticulous – and successful – in his preparations for a first season in Formula 4. At the weekend, the 15-year-old from Trier was once again competing in the Formula 4 UAE (United Arab Emirates) series, an ideal arena in which to further familiarise himself with the 160bhp open-wheel racing car. The BWT Mücke Motorsport junior pitted himself against an international field of drivers in four 30-minute races at the famous 5.55km Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

On his only second formula racing weekend, Krütten achieved a major success with a Top Three finish in the fourth and final race on Saturday, his first podium in Formula 4. Having started from second place, he quickly moved up to P1 and posted his first leading laps in single-seater racing. In an intense fought battle, the talented German teenager secured second place ahead of David Schumacher, the son of former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher. To crown the achievement, Krütten set the fastest race lap in a time of 2:12.219 minutes.

In the previous race, he had improved on his grid position by two places to take the chequered flag in fourth. As for the first race on Friday, Krütten had to retire, having started from sixth place. In the first of the three Saturday races, he started from the pit lane and crossed the finish line in seventh place.

The purpose behind these guest appearances in Formula 4 UAE is to get young Krütten match fit for his rookie campaign in both the German ADAC Formula 4 and the Formula 4 Italian Championship. In 2018, he will contest both series for the full duration of the season, which amounts to a total of 14 race weekends. His ADAC Formula 4 campaign begins on 13th April with the season opener at Oschersleben.

Three questions for Niklas Krütten

Niklas, how does it feel to have made your first podium appearance in a formula race?
It really is a great feeling to be on the podium. Considering the well-known names that are also in the line-up here, that means a lot to me. It’s great that I was in contention for victory on only my second race weekend. Thank you to my guys at BWT Mücke Motorsport – it’s been such fun working with them.

The race was action packed. Tell us how you saw it from your point of view.
I had a decent start from second place and actually led the field for several laps. My team-mate had superior speed for a while, so I didn’t defend my position too hard when he moved to overtake, and then we drove pretty much together through the field. I dropped back to third place at one point but stayed focused and fought my way back into second place with two laps to go.

What have you learnt from your second formula race weekend, and in what respects do you think you have made improvements?
I have once again learnt an incredible amount and improved in many areas over the weekend. For example, in my race starts and in one-on-one situations. This is quite different from karting. Likewise, how to handle the tyres. Tyre management with a formula car is very important, for example, how to get them up to the right temperature. Data analysis with the team is also very different from how I’ve known it in kart racing. I’ve made another leap forward over the weekend, and I’m now looking forward to the start of the ADAC Formula 4 season.

Photo: Adriano Coutinho