​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.

Sassenheim, 9 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.

 ​Sassenheim, 9 March 2018. Niels Langeveld has just one goal for his second TCR Germany season: to be the champion along with his team racing one GmbH. "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 I think an advantage for the 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.

Martin Kohlhaas is also excited for another season with Niels Langeveld behind the wheel of his Audi RS3 LMS. ''Additional to this Niels Langeveld in 2017 did a really great job and I am honestly proud about to work another year with this ambitious driver. Last year the team grown together and I had a great experience with Niels. This is a perfect basis for the further working relationship, so that for the upcoming ADAC TCR Germany season we have major plans and at least there should be a place on the Podium by the end of the Championship.''

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, The Netherlands, June 12, 2017. Niels Langeveld’s speed shown in TCR Germany qualifying on the Red Bull Ring in Austria went unrewarded, as a fire extinguisher going off prevented the Dutchman from taking part in the second qualifying session. As a result, he was forced to start both races from 40th position. Nevertheless, Langeveld managed to pass 28 competitors to finish 12th in what he his team labelled “a magical race”. In his Audi RS3 LMS he looked set for a repeat performance in the second race, but then a hit by another driver's tyre caused damage to his power steering and prevented Langeveld from finishing the race.
 
Niels Langeveld came to the Red Bull Ring with the idea of ​​being at the front right away. In a field of 40 TCR Germany racers, the reigning SEAT Leon Eurocup champion knew the key to success would be a good qualifying. In free practice, Langeveld and his Racing One team worked hard on the correct set-up for their Audi RS3 LMS. Langeveld found the pace just in time and took fifth position in his session before moving on to the second session, which would determine the top-twelve for the first race.
 
However, as he stepped into his Audi to do the next session, an unfortunate accident caused the rest of his weekend to go up in smoke, as he inadvertently hit the fire extinguisher next to the seat. This went off immediately and covered the Audi cockpit in foam. As a result, Langeveld was unable to take part in second qualifying and was forced to start from the very back of the field in both races.
 
Disappointed by his cruel luck, but at the same fully motivated by it, Langeveld started the first race from 40th position. In an unprecedented race of overtaking, the Dutchman passed one opponent after another, crossing the finish line in twelfth, having completed 16 laps of the Austrian Formula 1 circuit a mere 16 seconds behind the race winner. "It was time to show everyone what I'm capable of in a racing car. It was a wonderful feeling passing so many cars," said Langeveld with a smile after an amazing race.
 
His remarkable race left friends and rivals in awe, while his Racing One team spoke of a “a magical race”. And so Langeveld was full of optimism at the start of the second TCR Germany race on Sunday afternoon.
 
Again starting from last position on the grid, Langeveld set off on another race filled with overtaking moves, passing five cars after just four turns. Lining up for another attack into turn five, Langeveld's Audi was hit hard on the right front when his rival slammed the door on him unexpectedly. The big blow caused the power steering to cut out and Langeveld had to return to the pits to have the damage repaired. This took so long that his race was effectively over. His team still sent him out to test whether the car was still in good order, but Langeveld came into the pits again to park the Audi in the pit garage.
 
Langeveld was obviously disappointed with his weekend, but did see the positive aspects: "We found a good set-up and in the first race I proved that I’m able to match the fastest drivers in TCR Germany. Of course I was unlucky, but sometimes that just happens. It’s no reason to let your head drop. I'm very confident we will be ready to fight for the podium at the next event at Oschersleben."

Klik hierWhereas in previous years, each time moving up to a new championship, Niels Langeveld always managed to be on the pace right from the start, he was unable to find the necessary speed in the first TCR Germany round at Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. As a result, he could not achieve the lap times that the top ten were setting. Langeveld finished twelfth in the first race while in the second race, the reigning SEAT Leon Eurocup champion had fought his way up to eighth when he touched the brakes too hard and got stuck in the gravel trap.
 
Langeveld hadn’t been able to test much in the Audi RS3 LMS but was confident of a good result at Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. The circuit has a difference in altitude of 23 metres, has a length of 3.667 kms and is known to be a very fast with many turns.

The first free practice on Friday went well, Langeveld posting fourth fastest time in a field of 41 drivers. Langeveld further improved on his time in second practice but was still pushed back to 13th, testimony of the competitiveness of this championship.
 
Due to the large entry, qualifying in TCR Germany is split between two sessions. Langeveld's time was good for seventh, but his two fastest lap times were taken from him. "In the chicane I hit the flap on the inside and when you do that you exceed track limits," the Dutch driver explained. "A pity, as now I will have to start the first race in 13th."
 
The Audi is a difficult car with which to do the start, a known problem that will soon be solved with an update. So at the start of the first race, Langeveld lost a couple of positions, but then made his way forward during the 30-minute race. In 12th position he got stuck behind a VW Golf. This meant that Langeveld finished 12th in his first TCR Germany race. "I'm not happy with the result, but I have to say that the top 15 cars are very equally matched. At this track the Audi doesn’t have an advantage. It excels in a straight line but here the straight is too short to really benefit, while in the many turns the Audi is quite heavy."
 
In the second race, the top-ten started in reverse order, with Langeveld in 12th unfortunately not benefitting from that. Like in the first race, the reigning SEAT Leon Eurocup champion started in 13th but this time his start was much better and with some nice passes, Langeveld rose up to eighth position in the first few laps. On lap 4 and on the attack, he pushed the brakes too hard and the Audi got stuck in the gravel trap. "It was my own mistake," said a realistic Langeveld. "Not the debut weekend I was hoping for, but in the next race on the Red Bull Ring I want to be fighting at the front again."
 
TCR Germany’s competitiveness is apparent from the fact that the VW Golf behind which Langeveld got stuck in the first race won the second race. As this driver qualified tenth, and with a reversed grid in the second race, he started from pole position and again could not be passed.
 
Langeveld had envisaged his TCR Germany baptism in a different way. "We couldn't test much before this event, but I'm happy with the Audi, it's a wonderful racing car. Together with my engineer and coach Herman de Jager and my team Racing One we improved the handling of the car considerably. We expect to be more up front in the next race on the Red Bull Ring, a track that is more suitable to the Audi.”

​Having won two titles in a row, Niels Langeveld was swamped by offers from all across Europe. In 2015, the Dutchman was champion in the Clio Cup Benelux while last year he surprised all comers by taking the coveted SEAT Leon Eurocup title as a rookie. "It’s wonderful that I’m so popular", says Langeveld, smiling with confidence. "It allowed me to take a well-considered decision. In the end I chose to take part in ADAC TCR Germany, driving for the Racing One team. A fantastic championship with a huge field of 44 cars, and a team that is ready to go for the title with an Audi RS3 LMS TCR. The series and the car as well as the trust and involvement that I encountered from Racing One right from the start helped to settle the matter. I’m very much looking forward to it."
 
From the moment he clinched the championship at Barcelona in November 2016, Langeveld has been in talks both in Holland and abroad. The reigning SEAT Leon Eurocup champion wanted a fitting follow-up to his impressive motor racing career so far, and found himself in a luxurious position in which he didn’t need to look around for himself. Instead, he was approached by teams from several international championships. “It’s good to know that my performance was duly noticed”, Langeveld feels. “This resulted in a multitude of talks, some very difficult decisions, and a plan that slowly came to fruition. You can only choose once, so I wanted to be absolutely sure of making the right choice.”
 
Picking ADAC TCR Germany with Racing One as his next challenge was a well-considered decision, says Langeveld: “Team Racing One entered a VW Golf in ADAC’s 2016 German TCR championship, and finished fifth in the final team standings. This ambitious team from Andernach near Koblenz in Germany then ordered an Audi RS3 LMS for next season and went looking for a driver that would fit in with their title aspirations.” And so they ended up with the talented Dutch driver from Sassenheim. Both sides showed so much interest in each other that talks were followed up by a visit from Racing One to the Netherlands. “That was one of the things that clinched it for me”, Langeveld states. “Racing One really showed that they wanted me. With them, I know the team is fully committed to the challenge. I’m from the same mould, both passionate and professional. I’m confident of strong results against cars from brands such as Honda, Seat, Volkswagen and Opel.”
 
The Audi RS3 LMS is new to TCR but Langeveld is no stranger to the machine. “It’s built on the same chassis and has the same 330hp engine as the SEAT Leon I know from last year. The main difference is the Audi’s sequential gearbox.” In April, Langeveld will be given a first taste of the RS3 during a test at Oschersleben.
 
In the past years, Niels Langeveld has gathered a number of people around him who have become very important to him. Herman de Jager will again assist the multiple champion in 2017, both as an engineer and as a driver coach. “I’m happy that Racing One has created the possibility for us to stay together by taking him on in the team.”
 
As in previous seasons, Maverick Media will be around with their cameras to follow Langeveld on his adventures at the tracks. Social media have become a regular asset to Niels Langeveld’s communications strategy. “It’s very important to me to give my sponsors value for money. So I will post fun movies on my YouTube channel showing what I must do – and mustn’t do! – to race and compete and perform at this level. People seem to appreciate this since last year I also won the SEAT-run 2016 Driver Social Media League.”
 
The ADAC TCR Germany season starts late-April at Oschersleben and will mostly take place in Germany itself. Each weekend will consist of free practice sessions, a qualifying session and two 30-minute sprint races. “Last season, qualifying was one of my strong points, as I made the top-three in each and every racing weekend. With 44 cars in the field this year that will be a lot harder to achieve. I’m expecting gaps that can only be measured by thousands of a second.”
 
In July, the championship will visit Zandvoort during the ADAC GT Masters weekend, which has been a successful and well-attended event for years now.

Mugello (I), 18 juli 2016.

​Een langzaam leeglopende linkervoorband heeft ERU Prestige-coureur Niels Langeveld afgehouden van een nieuwe overwinning in de SEAT Leon Eurocup. De Nederlander, die van pole position was vertrokken, had zich op zaterdag 8,5 seconden losgereden van de rest van het veld toen hij na een safetycarsituatie enorm veel last van onderstuur kreeg. In plaats van een dominante zege werd het een vierde plaats. Na afloop bleek een lekke band de boosdoener. In de race van zondag startte poleman Langeveld vanaf de tiende startplek, vanwege de ‘reversed grid’ in de Eurocup. Na een moeizaam begin stoomde hij op naar opnieuw een vierde plaats. Voor het eerst een weekend zonder beker, maar zijn winnende snelheid geeft Langeveld een goed gevoel voor de rest van het seizoen.

​
Langeveld was naar Italië gekomen als de nieuwe leider in het kampioenschap, nadat hij op Paul Ricard geschiedenis had geschreven in de SEAT Leon Eurocup. Voor het eerst in de historie van de klasse wist een coureur in één raceweekend beide wedstrijden op zijn naam te zetten – en Langeveld was degene die het voor elkaar kreeg, als debutant in het kampioenschap nog wel.

Vol vertrouwen waren Langeveld en zijn team Baporo Motorsport naar Mugello afgereisd, het prachtige circuit in de glooiende Toscaanse heuvels buiten Florence. Op de baan van 5,2 km lengte, waar Ferrari geregeld tests en demonstraties uitvoert, moest Langeveld er in de vrije training even in komen. “We hadden goede snelheid, al moeten we nog wel wat stapjes maken”, zo keek de regerend Benelux Clio Cup-kampioen na de eerste sessie terug op zijn kennismaking met Mugello. “Maar hebben we alleen op oude banden gereden, dus we hebben er wel een goed gevoel bij.”

Dat bleek in de kwalificatie, toen Langeveld naar zijn derde pole position op rij reed. De Sassenheimer had er wel twee pogingen voor nodig. “Mijn eerste flying lap voelde goed, maar ik kwam nog wat tekort. Dat lag niet aan de auto, ik moest zelf gewoon geen foutjes maken, zo zei ik tegen het team. Ik ben toen nog eens gegaan en toen lukte het: vijf tienden sneller dan de eerste keer. Dat bleek goed voor de pole, met twee tienden verschil. Het was geen perfect rondje, maar wel goed genoeg.”

Na zijn derde pole op rij ging Langeveld op zaterdag op jacht naar zijn derde zege op rij. Tot het moment van de lekke band ging alles volgens plan, zo vertelt hij. “Ik heb dit seizoen nog nooit zo’n goede start gehad! Alles ging perfect, ik was een seconde per ronde sneller dan de rest. Ik had een gat van 8,5 seconden geslagen toen ik over de boordradio tegen het team zei: het enige dat er nog kan gebeuren, is een safety car. En ja hoor, precies toen kwam er een safety car…”

Langeveld raakte zo zijn zorgvuldig opgebouwde voorsprong kwijt, maar nog maakte hij zich geen zorgen. “Het was jammer, maar ik wist dat ik met deze snelheid een gaatje zou kunnen slaan. Helaas ging het na de herstart bij het aanremmen van de eerste bocht al mis: ik onderstuurde bijna de bocht uit! Ik dacht eerst dat ik zelf een foutje had gemaakt, maar toen gebeurde ’t bij elke bocht naar rechts. Vooral in de snellere bochten naar rechts liep de auto steeds naar buiten.”

In de twee ronden die nog te gaan waren na het vertrek van de safety car zag Langeveld drie auto’s voorbijkomen, waaronder die van zijn grootste rivaal Stian Paulsen. De Noor schreef de race op zijn naam, terwijl Langeveld genoegen moest nemen met een vierde plaats. “Het bleek een langzaam leeglopende band linksvoor te zijn geweest”, vertelde Nederlander na afloop. “Misschien heb ik een schroefje opgepikt tijdens de safety car, je weet ’t niet. Er hoeft maar een klein gaatje in te zitten of je verliest meteen spanning – en dat is met een lage bandenspanning van 2,0 bar funest. Doordat ik nog vierde werd, is de schade te overzien, maar het is wel doodzonde na zo’n dominante race.”

Op zondag moest Langeveld vanaf de tiende plaats vertrekken, het gevolg van de ‘reversed grid’ in de Eurocup, die bepaalt dat de eerste tien uit de kwalificatie de tweede race in omgekeerde volgorde moeten vertrekken. Op Paul Ricard reed Langeveld van die plek naar een historische overwinning, maar op Mugello schatte hij zijn kansen minder hoog in. “Ik moet met deze pace naar voren kunnen rijden”, zei hij vooraf, “maar P1 is niet te doen. Hier is het moeilijker inhalen dan op Paul Ricard. Daarom neem ik in het begin niet te veel risico en spaar ik mijn banden. Dan hoop ik aan het einde mijn slag te slaan.”

Het strijdplan van Langeveld kwam precies uit, al begon de race niet naar wens. “Ik werd bij de start naast de baan geduwd, wat me flink wat posities kostte. Daarna duurde ’t heel lang voordat ik kon inhalen. Ik had niet de snelheid die ik had verwacht, misschien doordat ik naast de baan was geraakt. Als er vuil op de radiateur zit, kan hij minder koelen en schakelt de elektronica het vermogen terug. Toen ik eenmaal langs de eerste tegenstander was, kreeg ik meer rijwind en had ik eindelijk de pace. Anderen kregen toen ook meer bandenslijtage, waarna ik de een na de ander voorbijging. Maar de kop was toen al te ver weg om er iets aan te kunnen doen.”

Langeveld kijkt ondanks twee nette vierde plaatsen met gemengde gevoelens op het weekend terug. “Een eerste en een vierde plaats had ik mooi gevonden. Dit is wel een dompertje. Voor het eerst dit seizoen ga ik zonder beker naar huis. Maar ja, dat is autosport. Dan kunnen er altijd dingen gebeuren waar je geen invloed op hebt. Maar ik ben ook tevreden: ik heb opnieuw laten zien hoe snel ik ben. Niemand was mij dit weekend op snelheid de baas.”

De SEAT Leon Eurocup gaat nu zijn zomerstop in. In de zomer gaat Langeveld zich goed voorbereiden op de volgende races van het kampioenschap, op 10-11 september op de Red-Bull-Ring. Met het tempo dat hij op Mugello aan de dag legde, moet Langeveld ook in Oostenrijk hoge ogen kunnen gooien.

Paul Ricard (F), 5 juni 2016. Met twee zeges in de SEAT Leon Eurocup heeft de Eru Prestige coureur Niels Langeveld op het circuit van Paul Ricard een spectaculaire prestatie geleverd. Na drie races lijkt hij aanspraak te gaan maken op de Europese Titel.
Niels Langeveld startte op zaterdag vanaf poleposition en reed met grote overmacht als eerste onder het zwart/wit geblokt door. In de race op zondagmiddag vertrok Langeveld vanwege de ‘reversed grid’ vanaf de tiende startplek. Ronde na ronde passeerde hij zijn tegenstanders om na elf ronden ook deze race op zijn naam te schrijven. Mede dankzij deze historische prestatie gaat Langeveld nu aan kop in de Europese SEAT Leon Eurocup.

Niels Langeveld reed zijn eerste meters op het 5,8 km lange voormalige Formule 1-circuit pas op vrijdag tijdens de vrije training. Deze trainingen waren hard nodig om deze voor hem nieuwe baan te leren kennen, maar daarnaast moesten Langeveld en zijn team flink aan de slag om de juiste set-up te vinden. "Zoals we er na de vrije trainingen voorstaan hoop ik op een vierde plaats en met wat geluk misschien een podiumplek", was de inschatting van de regerend Benelux Clio Cup-kampioen.

Voor aanvang van de kwalificatie op zaterdagmorgen hadden Langeveld en zijn engineers hard gewerkt aan de set-up en met een fantastisch resultaat, de coureur met de opvallende kaas-helm reed strak naar de poleposition. "Waanzinnig", vond Langeveld. "Gisteren waren we echt zoekende en was zowel deze nieuwe baan als het vinden van de juiste set-up nog een probleem. En nu staan we gewoon op pole, helemaal geweldig!"
Bij de start van de eerste race op zaterdagmiddag kreeg Langeveld direct een flinke tik die hem even van zijn lijn bracht. Gelukkig had hij voldoende snelheid om als leider de eerste bocht in te gaan. De gehele race lang moest Langeveld volop in de verdediging, maar hij wist zijn concurrenten achter zich te houden en kwam een kleine twee seconden voor de nummer twee Mikel Azcona Troyas over de finish. "Het was een zware race. Ik ben deze baan nog steeds aan het leren kennen, moest echt super geconcentreerd rijden en ook nog de aandringende rijders achter me afhouden. Super dat dit gelukt is."

In de SEAT Leon Eurocup wordt de startopstelling voor de tweede race bepaald via de zogenaamde reversed grid, waarbij de top tien van de eerste race in omgekeerde volgorde van start gaat. Voor Langeveld betekende dit dus een tiende startplek. Met de op Silverstone opgedane kennis dat er in de beginfase flink contact is besloot de Sassenheimer na de start even rustig af te wachten. Op een set nieuwe banden, die hij voor deze race bewaard had, wist hij al snel drie posities goed te maken. In de derde ronde reed hij al op de vijfde positie achter klassementsleider Stian Paulsen. Ook deze Noor, die bezig is met zijn derde seizoen in de SEAT Leon Eurocup, kon de ontketende Langeveld niet lang achter zicht houden.

Na vijf ronden lag de SEAT met startnummer 10 al op podiumkoers, maar het gat naar de twee koplopers was bijna vier seconden. Toch vond Langeveld een ronde later al de aansluiting en kon de strijd om de overwinning met nog vijf ronden te gaan beginnen.

Lucille Cypriano zag de Nederlander levensgroot in haar spiegels en verremde zich onder deze druk bij het ingaan van de chicane. Ze stak rechtdoor en kwam net voor Langeveld de baan weer op, maar even later moest ze zich onder de enorme druk toch gewonnen geven.

Al snel moest ook Julien Briché er aan geloven. Langeveld sloot aan, stak zijn SEAT in dezelfde ronde nog binnendoor bij de Fransman en gebruikte de drie resterende ronden om zijn voorsprong op te bouwen naar een comfortabele marge van 4,9 seconden.

Niels Langeveld kon zijn prestatie na het passeren van de finish zelf nauwelijks geloven. "Ongelofelijk, twee overwinningen op een baan die ik helemaal niet kende. Vanaf de kwalificatie klopte echt alles, we hadden de SEAT echt helemaal top afgesteld, de tractie bij het uitkomen van de bochten was geweldig. Ik was de hele race rustig en geconcentreerd en toen ik langs Briché reed wist ik dat ik de race ging winnen", was de nieuwe klassementsleider helemaal tevreden.
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Met deze dubbelzege schrijft Niels Langeveld geschiedenis in de SEAT Leon Eurocup, want nog niet eerder was het een rijder gelukt om met de reverse grid beide races van een evenement te winnen. "Ja, dat is ook wel een leuk feitje", lachte de dolgelukkige racewinnaar. "Maar ik vind het met name geweldig voor mijn sponsors en het team dat ik nu ook in het klassement aan de leiding ga. Ik voel me sterk in deze auto en hoop deze resultaten de rest van het seizoen door te kunnen zetten."

Race 7 & 8 in de SEAT Leon Eurocup vinden plaats in Italië op het circuit van Mugello. Op 16 en 17 juli gaat Langeveld op deze 5.245 lange piste in Toscane zijn koppositie in het klassement verdedigen. Voor de gevestigde orde is het duidelijk dat nieuwkomer Niels Langeveld een nieuwe standaard in het klassement heeft gezet.