Niels Langeveld was forced to endure an unfortunate WTCR meeting at the Hungaroring last weekend, as a disappointing qualifying session for the Dutch driver led to a best result of 18th in the third race of the weekend. On the upside, Langeveld and his Comtoyou Team Audi Sport outfit have identified the cause of their poor performance, and together they are looking forward to the meeting at the Slovakia Ring in two weeks' time.

Langeveld was in confident mood going to the second WTCR meeting of the season. The Hungaroring had no secrets in store for the Audi Sport driver, as the Budapest circuit is a track where the Dutchman has previously excelled. "I really felt that we could do well here and that I could at least be the fastest Audi driver. I had a good feeling about it in free practice, in which I ended well up the order."

It all failed to materialise in the crucial qualifying session, however. "I made four attempts, but neither of them worked out. I just couldn't get below the 1.53.8 mark. Of course, I did all I could to analyse the problem along with the team and my race engineer Herman de Jager, leaving late at night and returning to the track early in the morning, as I didn’t want to leave any stone unturned. But I failed to produce the result, so I'm very disappointed in the weekend."

Langeveld wasn't the only one suffering from a challenging race meeting. Despite his disappointing results, the Dutchman left several big touring-car names in his wake. "That’s the moment you realise you are in a world championship. Drop a few tenths here and there, and you’re nowhere – even the guys with several touring car titles. Everyone has a hard time in the WTCR, we all have to fight our own corner."
 
Langeveld tried to get the best out of the three races, but that was anything but easy, racing at the back on a drying track. His second race ended prematurely when a teammate left him little space, their wheels interlocking before the pair went off. "In that one race altogether I've been hit more times than in the whole last season in TCR Germany combined! I've collected a lot of knocks at the Hungaroring, so at the Slovakia Ring it's time to hand them out."

''Personally I can't wait, if it were up to me we’d race there tomorrow! I had a great two-day test at the Slovakia Ring, and with the team we found out why we lacked performance. That's why I'm going to Slovakia with a very positive feeling. Hungaroring  was not the weekend I had hoped for, so let's reset and recharge – and then we'll go for it with renewed spirit!"

​Audi Sport driver Niels Langeveld’s WTCR debut has failed to live up to his expectations. On the streets of Marrekech the Dutchman dropped out from the first race while in the second and third races he gathered no more than two 18th places. However, Langeveld feels that his tough baptism on the world touring-car stage has a silver lining.
 
Having been signed by Audi for his first season in the FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) this winter, Langeveld was eagerly awaiting his debut appearance in the Audi RS3 LMS of Belgian outfit Comtoyou Team Audi Sport. The WTCR’s format – very different from what he was used to in TCR Germany – didn't worry him in the least. "Last season I drove 14 races in seven weekends, now I have 30 races in ten meetings. That’s more than double – but I love it! I'm happy with the additional track time, which can only be advantageous to a rookie like me. The fact that practice, qualifying and the races follow each other shortly is also fine by me. Waiting often makes me sluggish and then the nerves start to build up. So it's great that you don't hang around too much!"
 
The Marrakech street circuit would be the backdrop for Langeveld's debut. Not just a circuit he had never driven before, but also a circuit that is very different from what he is used to. "I drove a lot in the simulator and watched videos. That way I could imagine what it would be like ‘in real life’. For the rest I just let it happen. Actually it turned out to be easier than I thought. That is, easier to keep the car away from the wall! As it turned out, there wasn't much chance of that happening. There is run-off almost everywhere if you misjudge your braking."
 
However, it turned out to be anything but easy to get the vital last few tenths out of the Moroccan street circuit. Langeveld was hampered by a first free practice session that started in the wet. "How about a drying track for getting to know the circuit and getting a feel for the car for the rest of the weekend! As a rookie, I was one step behind from the start, as qualifying would be about tenths, even hundredths. For that you have make it click – and for that, experience does count."
 
According to Langeveld, making it click is what needed for a place in top-12 qualifying. This time, however, the Audi Sport driver failed to do better than 18th while team mate Jean-Karl Vernay was just three tenths faster and qualified seventh. "Yes, it was that close. Getting into the top-12 is crucial in WTCR – it makes or breaks your weekend, especially at Marrakech, where overtaking is notoriously difficult. I made mistakes in the first two runs, which meant I had just one run left to do it all. If that goes perfectly, you're in the top 12. I think the problem is a combination of me not being able to squeeze out the maximum and the car not being 100% either yet."
 
Langeveld feels his first race was reasonable nonetheless, despite not making the finish. "I got stuck behind Gordon Shedden, an Audi teammate, so you have to be more careful. Towards the end of the race the car developed braking problems. I rammed into the back of poor Augusto Farfus, who fortunately was able to continue. My fortune was that hitting Farfus rubbed off my speed, otherwise I would have ended up in the wall..."
 
A parc fermé error after qualifying meant that Langeveld had to start at the back of the grid for the second and third race, finishing 18th in both. "At that moment, the weekend was effectively over for me. So I had to set new goals: an entire delegation from Audi had come over and I wanted to show them that I’m able to finish races. The second race I had a very good start, and I immediately made up a few places. In the third race the start wasn’t that good. I rattled off the laps nice and clean but already my mind was on the next championship round at the Hungaroring."
 
In all, Langeveld endured a tough WTCR baptism but he still sees a silver lining. "It didn’t go as I had imagined. But I know the reasons why. The team and I know exactly what we need to improve in order to be there next time. That's why I'm stepping away from this weekend with confidence – a weekend we will just have to forget about. I will be on the pace at the Hungaroring. I know the place. There, my teammate will benefit from me, and I will benefit from him."

​Sassenheim, February 7, 2019 – It’s a long cherished dream come true for Niels Langeveld. On the back of two strong ADAC TCR Germany seasons that delivered Audi’s first TCR Germany win, Audi Sport Customer Racing decided to sign Langeveld for the top-level touring-car championship in the world – the FIA WTCR. “My world has completely changed! This is fantastic recognition for my achievements in the past two seasons”, says a happy Langeveld.
 
To his surprise, Langeveld was approached by Audi Sport last month. His ADAC TCR Germany results had made such an impression that Audi made him an amazing offer. “They offered me a contract as an Audi Sport driver in the FIA WTCR presented by Oscaro. I grabbed it with both hands. I’m a professional racing driver now”, he says with a smile.
 
Langeveld will join the Comtoyou Team Audi Sport, with the experienced Frédéric Vervisch as his team mate. Both will race the Audi RS3 LMS that is so familiar to Langeveld. “Each manufacturer will field four cars. The other two Audi racecar will be piloted by Jean-Karl Vernay and Gordon Shedden and entered by the Leopard Racing Team Audi Sport – both drivers with an impressive track record in touring cars. The same applies to the FIA WTCR as such, by the way – it has the best touring-car drivers in the world, and it’s a great feeling that I will now be fighting them.”
 
After 11 years in motorsport, this step has allowed Niels Langeveld to reach the level that he dreamed of as a child. The dream started by playing TOCA on the game console and began to take shape when he joined the Suzuki Swift Cup in 2008. Having taken the series’ crown in 2010, Langeveld showed that he is capable of fighting for the title in every championship in which he subsequently competed. In 2012, he was champion in the Renault Clio Cup Netherlands before landing the 2015 Renault Clio Cup Benelux title. In 2016, Langeveld proved that he was equally capable at an international level by claiming the highly competitive SEAT Leon Eurocup at his first attempt.
 
In 2017, Niels switched from one-make championships to a multi-manufacturer touring-car series for the first time, taking on more than 40 other touring cars in ADAC TCR Germany. The Audi RS 3 LMS was a very particular choice as Audi hadn’t managed to take a win in any TCR championship. Langeveld changed this by claiming a stunning victory at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben in Germany. That was no coincidence as Langeveld dominated the entire weekend to win again in his home event at Zandvoort.
 
These were the results that Audi needed, and soon a strong bond developed between Langeveld and the German manufacturer. In his second TCR Germany season in 2018, Langeveld claimed seven podiums and two wins, and finished every race. It speaks volumes for the competitiveness of the series that these results were not enough to lift the crown.
 
A look at Niels Langeveld’s performance statistics shows that Audi made a considered decision to sign the Dutchman. Langeveld has taken part in 143 races and won no less than 36, a win ratio of over 25%. In over half of the races he ended up on the podium. 40 times he started from pole position.
 
Herman de Jager has been working closely with Niels Langeveld for ten years, and will join him in the FIA WTCR. It’s a big change for De Jager too – ten circuits around the world instead of seven events close to home. "It’s the crowning glory on our hard work. Fantastic that Comtoyou allows us to continue as a team. Niels and I can say everything to each other, not just if things go well but also if it doesn’t work out. That is important, as we bring out the best in each other – that’s necessary to be able to perform at a top level. I am really looking forward to next season and am curious to see if we can occasionally spring a surprise amongst all those big names. Seeing how Niels has performed so far, it would not surprise me at all", says a proud Herman de Jager about his pupil.
 
Starting Sunday, February 17, Niels Langeveld will present his own TV show on RTL7, in which he shows what is needed to forge a career in motorsport. "I will be taking the viewer along in my final season in TCR Germany, giving them a unique view behind the scenes", promises Langeveld.   
 
Niels Langeveld is at the beginning of a fantastic new challenge, the highlight of his motorsport career so far. "I would like to thank everyone who has supported me all along for giving me their trust. The people around me know how much I appreciate them, it is a special feeling to know that they believe in me. It’s fantastic that Audi Sport has offered me this unique opportunity. I am sure that I can show some amazing things. My next move is to prepare myself for the first tests in the Audi RS 3 LMS. The season will get going in Marrakech on April 5. It’s my goal to make my presence felt right there", says Langeveld with a combative spirit.

As a result of two great races at the Hockenheimring Niels Langeveld has concluded the ADAC TCR Germany championship in third. The Dutch racing driver crossed the finish line in fourth on Saturday while a hard-fought second position in the second race on Sunday brought his points total up to 403. With that, Langeveld completed a very strong season with a podium position in the final standings. Harald Proczyk is the 2018 champion, with Luca Engstler finishing as the runner-up. Langeveld is proud of his achievements this season: "Harald is the true champion as he made the least mistakes. I have been on the podium seven times in fourteen races, won twice and finished all the races. That this was not enough for me to claim the title says all about the competitiveness of ADAC TCR Germany!"
Trailing Luca Engstler by eleven points and Harald Proczyk by six, Niels Langeveld knew that he wasn't in control of winning the championship at the final round at the Hockenheimring. Getting the most out of the weekend would be his goal and so a top result in qualifying was of great importance. In the first session that worked out fine, Langeveld taking second in his racing one Audi and going on to the second session. In this session, the top-twelve qualifies for the first race and, very importantly, the top-ten also determines the reversed starting grid for the second race. In the second session, however, the Audi RS3 LMS’s tyre pressure wasn’t what it was supposed to be, leaving Langeveld to be satisfied with eighth starting position for race one and third for race two.
An engine change for Luke Wankmüller and a penalty for Benjamin Leuchter allowed Niels Langeveld to start the first race from sixth. His start was perfect, the Dutchman gaining two positions on the first lap. This meant that the top three were within reach but just when he was ready to attack his title opponent Luca Engstler he came under fire from Antti Buri. Langeveld had to make every effort to keep the Finnish street fighter behind him and that worked out fine, even though Buri was able to put his Audi's nose next to the racing one Audi every now and then. Langeveld, however, drove excellent lines and was able to stave off every attack. Then, on lap 12, Buri made contact with the car behind him and got stuck in the gravel. That took away the pressure from behind and Langeveld was able to fight his way back to the top three again. He closed the gap to Engstler but could not pass the lighter Hyundai so had to settle for fourth. Proczyk won the race and took the championship lead ahead of Engstler.
In the final TCR Germany race of 2018 still a maximum of 40 points were to be gained. Langeveld had to do the maths on the score that would still secure him the title and that turned out not to be an easy task. A win for himself with Proczyk no higher than seventh and Engstler no better than fifth would still hand the title to Langeveld.
 
A perfect start from third moved Langeveld straight into the lead. He managed to create a small gap, but saw this evaporate immediately when the safety car came out after the first lap. With an excellent restart Langeveld immediately opened up a gap but had to surrender it once more as the safety car returned yet again. After a few more laps to keep the tyres warm, Langeveld repeated his strong restart and took off from his pursuers for the third time. Behind him, however, Proczyk and Engstler had also emerged, Proczyk in third, Engstler in sixth. The young German had made his way forward from the back of the grid and was lucky not to get punished by race control.
 Another safety-car situation in the closing stages of the race allowed Mike Halder to get hold of the rear of Langeveld's car, forcing the racing one driver to fight hard in order to keep the lead. He drove the ideal lines, but a big hit from Halder pushed Langeveld off the track, dropping the Audi down to fourth. Astonished that this action went unpunished, Langeveld first fought his way back up to third behind Proczyk. In the last lap, he went by the Austrian with a beautiful pass but leader Halder was to far away to go for the win. Langeveld finished second, giving him third place in the championship. Proczyk took TCR Germany 2018 title.
Langeveld: "I would like to congratulate Harald, he is the rightful champion. Of course I would have liked to reach my goal of winning the TCR Germany title. But I've raced so many great races this season, showing that this series is really competitive. On the final day of action, four drivers were still able to become champion in a field of 28 drivers, I think that says it all.  Everything has to be 100% to be champion. I've been on the podium 7 out of 14 races, won twice and everyone knows I'm a serious candidate for the title now. We are going to make plans for next season. All options are open, so that will be another exciting period. One thing is certain however, I want to fight for the title somewhere."
Results race 1
1. Harald Proczyk (O); 2. Mike Halder (D); 3. Luca Engstler (D); 4. Niels Langeveld; 5. Benjamin Leuchter (D); 6. Pascal Eberle (Zwi).
 
Results race 2
1. Mike Halder (D);  2. Niels Langeveld; 3. Harald Proczyk (O); 4. Luca Engstler (D); 5. Luke Wankmüller (D); 6. Niko Kankkunen (Fin).
 
Championship TCR Germany 2018
1. Harald Proczyk (O) 421
2. Luca Engstler (D) 414
3. Niels Langeveld 403
4. Mike Halder (D) 366
5. Antti Buri (Fin) 259
6. Max Hesse (D) 247

Racing the heavy Audi RS3 LMS at the German Sachsenring with an extra 30 kg of success ballast, Niels Langeveld knew it would be difficult to maintain the series lead in TCR Germany. In qualifying, the racing one-driver finished in tenth and that was good news as this gave Langeveld pole position for the second race. In the first race, the Dutchman finished sixth. In the second race, Langeveld was in the lead until the final lap when he was forced offline and, to his disappointment, fell down to fifth. The battle is on as in the season-closer at the Hockenheimring the three title candidates will have to give their best to be crowned 2018 ADAC TCR Germany champion.
The Sachsenring in the German state of Saxony is one of the oldest circuits in Germany and known to be unsuitable for the Audi. The circuit, with a length of 3,671 km and 14 turns, is a fast and challenging track but as the Audi RS3 LMS is 50 kg heavier than most of its competition and Niels Langeveld was carrying another 30 kg of additional ballast because of his good results at Zandvoort. The racing one racer knew everything had to be perfect to do well here.
In the first qualifying session, Langeveld set an eleventh time and that allowed him into the second session. With a few minutes on the clock in the second session, the Audi was tenth – a great result. Although the first race would be difficult, this meant the pole position for the second race because of the reversed grid for the top ten. The final minutes of the second session were teeth-grinding for Langeveld and his team racing one as any improvement by someone else would immediately turn the promising starting position into a position outside the top ten. Fortunately, that didn’t happen and Langeveld was assured of the best starting position for the second race.
The first race on Saturday started well, Langeveld immediately climbing to seventh. There he got stuck behind Michelle Halder in the Hyundai i30. With 80 kg more weight, Langeveld could not get past Halder, and was even pressured from behind, had to defend and lost a position. In the closing stages of the race Langeveld got lucky as two opponents in front of him went off track, helping him to finish the first race in sixth.
On Sunday, Langeveld knew he would have to pull out all the stops to keep the lead in the race. Very focused, he made a perfect start and immediately opened up a small gap to second-placed Michelle Halder. Title competitors Harald Proczyk and Luca Engstler also had good starts and moved forward quickly but a safety car was dispatched after the first lap because of various cars stuck in the gravel. At the restart, Langeveld surprised Halder with a brilliant diversion ploy giving him a lead of one and a half seconds. However, the Audi could not hold on to this gap, as little by little Langeveld saw his lead on the chasing group evaporate. On lap 15, with five more to go, Langeveld saw the Hyundai close up in his mirrors and he knew that a small miracle was needed to win the race.
When Luca Engstler, who had also won the first race, passed Halder, the lighter Hyundai was soon on the back of the racing one Audi. A great battle that lasted into the last lap was the absolute climax of this race, Engstler passing Langeveld several times on speed but each time the Dutchman managed to reclaim by driving better lines. However, the final lap would be his downfall because Langeveld couldn't close the gap in time for another overtaking attempt, going too far off line and taking the speed out of the Audi. Several drivers benefited, resulting in Langeveld dropping down to fifth.
 
"I am satisfied with the first race, that was the best possible result for us here. The fact that the last lap of the second race cost me so many points is very disappointing. The whole race I was really fighting with the car and the tyres, the race just lasted one lap too long. But everything is still possible. The three of us are very close and it's going to be a great fight at the Hockenheimring to see who will be champion", said Langeveld with a fighting spirit.
 
Niels Langeveld is now third in the standings, eleven points behind Luca Engstler and six behind Harald Proczyk. With the points for qualifying (a maximum of 5) and the two races (a maximum of 80) the battle is still completely open and on 22 and 23 September at the Hockenheimring a titanic battle will determine whether Niels Langeveld can win his sixth career title.
Results race 1
1. Luca Engstler (D); 2. Mike Halder (D); 3. Harald Proczyk (O); 4. Antti Buri (Fin);
5. Michelle Halder (D); 6. Niels Langeveld.
 
Results race 2
1. Luca Engstler (D); 2. Michelle Halder (D); 3. Pascal Eberle (Zwi); 4. Harald Proczyk (O);
5. Niels Langeveld; 6. Theo Coicaud (F).
 
Standings TCR Germany 2018
1. Luca Engstler (D) 349
2. Harald Proczyk (O) 344
3. Niels Langeveld 338

​Sassenheim, .. March 2018. Niels Langeveld has just one goal for his second TCR
Germany season: to be the champion along with his team Racing One. "This will be
my tenth season in motorsport and until now I have managed to be champion in every
series in which I have participated. Last season we had a difficult start as we were
trying to find the right set-up for the Audi RS3 LMS but later we showed several times
that we are able to win in this competitive series. We have learned a lot, have come
very well integrated now and are aiming for nothing less than the 2018 title in TCR
Germany this time", says a combative Niels Langeveld.
Ten years ago, Niels Langeveld made his motorsport debut in the Suzuki Swift Cup, a
stepping-stone class for young racing talent. In his first season he raced to the rostrum four
times and in 2010 the fast Dutchman became champion. His next step was the Dutch
Renault Clio Cup, in which Langeveld managed to the title in his second season. In 2015, he
followed up with the title in the Benelux Clio Cup while in 2016 Langeveld proved how he has
grown as a racing driver by immediately winning the prestigious SEAT Leon Eurocup title as
a rookie among highly experienced SEAT drivers.
In his first TCR Germany season Niels Langeveld initially experienced a few setbacks in the
extremely large field of 44 TCR cars of varying makes but as soon as Langeveld along with
his Racing One team and coach/engineer Herman de Jager found a good set-up for the Audi
RS3 LMS they took a fantastic first TCR victory for Audi. On his home circuit at Zandvoort,
Langeveld also proved to be an unbeatable combination in his Racing One Audi.
In 2018, the FIA ​​will enter the TCR and that is a huge boost for Langeveld. "The Balance of
Performance, in which the cars are adjusted to each other, is becoming much more serious.
This will more of less even out the performance of the TCR cars, which is an advantage for
the relatively heavy Audi. We now expect to be able to fight for the title."
For the 2018 season Langeveld had to make a choice between participating in the ADAC
TCR Germany or the TCR Europe Trophy. "TCR Europe is a new championship and I first
want to see how that is developing. And I still have work to do in TCR Germany since until
now I have taken the title in every championship in which I participated," says a smiling
Langeveld.
Langeveld is particularly pleased that he will once again race for Racing One next season
while also working with his coach and engineer Herman de Jager again. "Besides that, I am
very proud that thanks to my loyal sponsors, and also including some new ones now, I
continue to be able to race at such a high level. As a bit of news, I will also be working for my
team this season, acting as a team manager in the GT4 European Series with two Racing
One Audi GT4s - a great new challenge in my racing career!"
Late-March, Niels Langeveld will be able to test the Audi RS3 LMS during three test days at
the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. There, the four-time champion and his team will
optimally prepare themselves for the start of the season on that same German circuit with
races on 14 and 15 April.

​Sassenheim, August 6, 2018. Niels Langeveld has scored his fourth podium finish of the
2018 ADAC TCR Germany season. At the Nürburgring the racing one driver from
Sassenheim in the Netherlands claimed the third position in the first race of the weekend,
scoring valuable points for the championship. In the second race the Audi RS3 LMS driver
was less successful and finished eleventh. Langeveld, the number two in the championship,
closed the gap to leader Harald Proczyk from 22 to 10 points, and with three events to go,
and the next two races at Circuit Zandvoort, the ADAC TCR Germany title fight will go down
to the wire.
The German Nürburgring was host to round four of the prestigious ADAC TCR Germany
championship. After his commanding victory at the Red Bull Ring, Niels Langeveld was
determined to continue his string of successful races at the world famous Eifel track.
In free practice Langeveld immediately had the right pace and with a third and seventh
position the Audi RS3 LMS driver was in the top of the 26-car field. In qualifying session one
a tenth position was enough for the driver from Sassenheim in the Netherlands to advance to
the second part of qualifying in which the top twelve competes for the best twelve starting
positions. Langeveld once again proved he can perform extremely well under pressure and
claimed the fourth starting position for race one, and with the reversed top ten, the seventh
starting position for race two.,
From fourth position on the grid, Langeveld didn’t have a very good start and lost one
position. But before the end of lap one, the Audi driver was back in fourth and gained another
position when the driver in front of him was penalized with a drive through penalty for a jump
start. The racing one Audi couldn’t match the pace of the top two and lost contact in the
second part of the race. Langeveld had some pressure from the drivers behind him, but it
was never that much that he had to defend his position very hard. After twenty laps
Langeveld finished in third position, his fourth podium finish of the season. Because Harald
Proczyk, his closest rival in the title race, scored no points, Langeveld retook the lead in the
championship with a four points margin over the Austrian driver.
In the second race Langeveld had to start from seventh position, and with Proczyk in fifth
position, the racing one driver knew it would be a tough fight. The race didn’t go according to
plan for Langeveld. After the start the Audi driver remained in seventh position, but got
caught up in a battling group and lost a few positions. Langeveld was in eleventh position
when the safety car came out and the race was red flagged after an accident had caused
severe damage to the safety barriers in one of the corners of the track. Thus Langeveld
didn’t get the chance to retake some positions and finished eleventh. As Proczyk finished in
fifth position, Langeveld lost some points compared to his closest rival in the title race. But
looking at the race weekend overall, Langeveld closed the gap to the leader from 22 to only
10 points.
“A weekend of mixed feeling. In the first race it was already difficult to keep the pace and
there was pressure from behind all the time. We changed a few things in the setup of the car
for race two, but that didn’t work out. First of all, the Nürburgring is not an Audi circuit, but we
didn’t have the pace I had hoped for, especially not in race two. But we know where we went
into the wrong direction and still we could close the gap to the leader. We are in the title race
and it will be close until the last race of the season,” said Langeveld about his weekend at
the Nürburgring.
The next round of the ADAC TCR Germany championship is one Langeveld is really looking
forward to. From August 18 to 19 Circuit Zandvoort is host to round number five of the series.

Zandvoort is Langeveld’s home track and most favourite circuit and it’s also the track where
he achieved so many successes. With the support of the Dutch spectators and under the
watchful eye of his fans and partners, Langeveld will do everything he can to make the
Zandvoort race one to remember. “Zandvoort suits the Audi much better, and after we won
the second race there last year, we are definitely looking for more,” said a competitive
Langeveld.

​Niels Langeveld has convincingly taken his first ADAC TCR Germany victory of the
season at the Red Bull Ring. In both free practice and qualifying, the Dutch driver was
the fastest man on the Austrian Formula 1 circuit before going on to claim a dominant
victory in the first race on Saturday. In Sunday’s second race Langeveld had to start in
tenth, due to the reversed grid, after which a bad start made him have to settle for
eighth. In the TCR Germany standings Langeveld is now runner up, just a short
distance away from Harald Proczyk.
 
After six weeks of waiting, Niels Langeveld was hungry for success. Knowing that the Audi
RS3 LMS had been equipped with a new engine and turbo, the racing one driver and his
team started the free practice sessions on the 4.3 km Formula 1 circuit in good spirits. They
weren’t disappointed, as Langeveld was on top form and proved to be the fastest driver in a
huge field of 30 TCR Germany cars.
  
"It's great when you're fastest in free practice," said Langeveld, "but it has to be done in
qualifying." In his first run he set fifth time, but gradually dropped down to eighth. That was
sufficient in itself for continuing to the second qualifying session for the top twelve, but
Langeveld decided on a second run to clock the fastest time. In the final seconds of this
session, the Finn Antti Buri managed to improve that time by a thousandth of a second but
Langeveld was able to start the second session with a good feeling. In this session he left no
doubt that the racing one-racer was the man to be beat at the Red Bull Ring, taking pole
position for race 1. This also meant Langeveld had to start in tenth for the second race, due
to the reversed grid for the top ten.
 
Langeveld was planning to create a gap to the Audi of his direct pursuer Antti Buri as soon
as possible, to avoid giving the Finn a chance to get into his slipstream. Langeveld’s start
was good and his plan of attack succeeded, as the racing one Audi soon opened up a gap,
allowing Langeveld to focus on setting consistent lap times. A safety-car period after
incidents on the track brought the field back together and this meant Langeveld had to start
all over again. His restart was perfect and again he did not allow Buri to get into his
slipstream. With great lap times, all within a margin of three-tenths of a second, his
opponents were unable to threaten the fast Dutchman for a moment and so Langeveld
convincingly scored his first victory in TCR Germany 2018. "Great that everything is finally
right, I knew this victory was coming," said the racing one driver with a smile.
 
In the second race, it was important to quickly move forward from his tenth starting position.
This plan unfortunately failed to succeed as Langeveld made a bad start. "My own fault",
Langeveld confessed. "I let go of my clutch too early, got the power down too late and
instead of winning positions I lost four."
Patiently Langeveld had to fight to make his way forward again and that worked well in the
beginning of the race. In eighth, however, he got stuck behind an opponent and had settle for
that position. "Very bitter, since my strongest opponent Harald Proczyk won the race and
scored valuable points. But there are four more events, including at Zandvoort, and I'm
confident that securing the ADAC TCR Germany 2018 title is still possible for me."
Again Langeveld must be patient, however, as the next races in TCR Germany are at the
Nürburgring in Germany in early August. Two weeks after that event, Langeveld will take on
his strong German competition at his favourite home track.

Following two dramatic free-practice and qualifying sessions, Niels Langeveld succeeded in his
mission of damage control at the Autodrom Most in the Czech Republic with two very strong
races from the back. An engine change forced the Dutch racing one driver to start the first race in
27th and last, but he still managed to finish 11th. In the second race, Langeveld started 13th and
fought his way up to fourth, in the process clocking the fastest lap of the race. This encouraging
result gave the Dutchman a heads up after his bad start to the weekend. Langeveld now lies third
in the standings, still within reach of championship leader Harald Proczyk.

​​After his strong start to the season at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben, Niels Langeveld and his
racing one team were eager for a good follow-up on the 4.2 km Autodrom Most in the Czech Republic.
With both Langeveld and the Audi RS3 LMS in good shape expectations were high.
  
During free practice, however, Langeveld noticed that the Audi seemed to run on three cylinders, having
a major impact on his lap times. It was hard to immediately find the cause and so during qualifying a
reset of the Audi had to be performed. This seemed to help as in his first run Langeveld drove third
fastest time. During his second run the right suspension broke, meaning that he was unable to improve
on his time. Having qualified in 13th, Langeveld was not allowed to move into second qualifying session
for the top 12 which with his broken suspension would not have been possible anyway.
Unfortunately, Langeveld’s suffering for the weekend was not done yet. After a thorough check of the
Audi engine with an endoscope his racing one team found out that the mass electrode was broken and
burned into one of the cylinders. This meant an engine change, resulting in Langeveld having to start the
first race from the 27th and last position.
Provoked, but not defeated, Langeveld was now into damage-limitation mode for the weekend, fighting
his way forward lap after lap but at the same time fully aware that he needed to be patient as the safety
car was deployed several times in succession, preventing Langeveld from moving up. But as soon as the
cars were released again, Langeveld continued his race of catching up on the leaders, moving up from
27th to a very respectable 11th position at the finish.
In the second race on Sunday, the number 14 Audi started in 13th. Again, Langeveld knew he had to be
patient in marching his way up to the head of the field. To make matters worse, however, was he
immediately tapped at the start, and noticed that his steering got skewed. This did not prevent him from
gaining many positions yet again. Passing opponents lap after lap he managed to climb up to an
incredible fourth position. Well on his way to the top three, though, his advance was thwarted from
behind by championship leader Harald Proczyk as in the closing stages of the race the Austrian saw a
gap that wasn’t there and tapped Langeveld on the right backside of the Audi. Using his incredible skills,
the racing one-driver managed to keep the Audi on track while the race director ordered Proczyk to hand
back his unlawfully gained position, but Langeveld had already managed to retake the spot himself.
Unfortunately, the gap to the top three had grown too large and the race was too short to catch up, but
Langeveld could be satisfied with fourth position.
   
"It was an emotionally tough weekend. After the problems in practice and qualifying, I managed to
minimize damage with these results. I am now third in the standings, with championship leader Proczyk
still in view. I wouldn’t have dared hope for that on Friday. It's great to be able to overtake for so many
positions during a race, but I hope to start the next races in June on the Red Bull Ring from the front of
the field again", says Langeveld with a laugh.

Finishing second in the first race and third in the second race at the German circuit of Oschersleben has handed Niels Langeveld a fine start of the season in TCR Germany. With the first of seven racing weekends gone, the racing one driver is second in the championship and well underway towards his goal of taking the 2018 ADAC TCR Germany title. "Consistent performance is incredibly important in this strong championship, so I am very happy with having taken two podiums from seventh and fourth on the grid. I immediately showed that I’m one to watch", said a satisfied Langeveld.
​
Just before the start of qualifying, a sudden cloudburst caused the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben to be flooded. In first qualifying, Niels Langeveld set fourth fastest time on rain tyres in a field of 28 drivers, granting him a place in the second session in which the top-12 compete for the best starting positions. For the second session, the drivers were forced to make a difficult tyre choice. The track was still very wet so Langeveld opted for rain tyres, setting second fastest time, but with two minutes remaining slicks proved to be faster. As a result, the Dutchman dropped back to eighth on the grid for race 1 and third for race 2. When a competitor was disqualified Langeveld eventually lined up seventh for race 1 and fourth for race 2.

In the first race on Saturday, the team racing one driver made a fantastic start from seventh on the grid, going on to complete a very strong first lap. Taking fourth into the first turn, Langeveld was able to take advantage of two competitors colliding in front of him and duly took over third place while being able to follow the leading duo. Putting pressure on Harald Proczyk in front of him, he waited for a chance to take second. However, it did not come to that, as the leading Mike Halder was penalised for the first-corner touch, and that handed Langeveld second position. For a long time, the Audi driver was looking for a chance to attack Proczyk but that seemed impossible without taking unnecessary risks. Taking second place in the season opener, however, left Langeveld well satisfied.

In the second race on Sunday, Langeveld started fourth as a result of the top-ten’s 'reversed grid'. Again, the Audi RS3 LMS made a fabulous start. In the early stages, the racing one Audi took over third by pushing Luca Engstler into a mistake. However, a huge crash involving many TCR cars caused havoc on the track. The race director decided to stop the race in order for the track to be cleaned up, but this also meant that the race was shortened.

The race was restarted with just 13 minutes left on the clock. Race leader Antti Buri turned out to have made a false start in the initial phase and was penalized with a drive-through penalty. This put Langeveld in second. He was able to hang on to that position until the final two minutes when third-placed German Mike Halder saw a gap that wasn’t quite there, hitting Langeveld on the right which meant the Dutchman almost lost control of the Audi. With great precision, Langeveld managed to keep the Audi on track and could only prevent worse by making his car as wide as possible, but unfortunately he had lost second position in the process. Oddly enough, the stewards neglected to issue a penalty for Halder’s action and so Langeveld finished the second race in third.

As the race was shortened, only half points were handed out for this second race. A pity for Langeveld as it kept him from taking the lead in the ADAC TCR Germany standings.

The next races will take place on 27-29 April, at the Autodrom Most circuit in the Czech Republic. "I hope to be able to perform well at Most and score a lot of points again. In this championship I see six drivers competing for the title and I think the most consistent one will win it. I am very happy with the support of my team racing one and my coach/engineer Herman de Jager. Together we form an excellent team and that could be decisive this year", Langeveld concluded after his excellent start to the season.