After a short late-summer break, the final third of the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux season resumed at Austria’s Red Bull Ring. Fittingly, the weather matched the autumn mood – challenging and unpredictable.
For Alex Reimann and EST1 Racing, the weekend delivered a true rollercoaster in the Styrian Alps, home to the high-speed, high-altitude Red Bull Ring circuit. Despite tough conditions, the team managed to secure a Rookie class podium while also facing their fair share of setbacks. Encouragingly, Reimann showed strong pace throughout as a promising sign, heading into the final phase of the season.
Coming into the weekend with a point to prove after disappointment at Assen, Reimann had a clear goal: to rebound in style. That began with navigating risky rain-soaked conditions in Race 1, There was a high risk of skidding on the straight sections because of the water on the road and as the cars were sliding off the track into the gravel. After surviving a chaotic first corner, Reimann kept a cool head and was rewarded with 3rd place in the Rookie class. The race was red-flagged and declared early, leaving him 7th overall, just behind stage winner and World Rally Champion Kalle Rovanperä.
In Race 2, held in drying conditions, Reimann initially picked up where he left off by gaining positions through the carnage of Lap 1 and climbing to 7th overall while Rovanperä spun behind him. But the Red Bull Ring would soon bite back, as a braking error into Turn 4 sent Reimann straight into the gravel trap, ending his charge and relegating him to a 14th-place finish.
Reimann reflected:
“The first race was one of the hardest I’ve ever done as visibility was terrible and the track was fully flooded, making it incredibly challenging. Even on the straights, the car was slippery. Losing control at 220 km/h is not a fun experience. But I learned a lot and am genuinely happy with the result given the conditions.
Race 2 was up and down and didn’t bring the result we were aiming for. Still, the speed was definitely there. I made it back up to 3rd in Rookie and 7th overall before a mistake under braking sent me straight into the gravel. In the end, I’ve learnt a lot of lessons from this weekend an i’m very happy with the progress we’ve made overall, even if Race 2 was tough. That’s part of the process.”
Before the Carrera Cup Benelux season concludes at Zolder, Reimann will head to Barcelona for the fifth round of the GT Cup Europe championship, taking place from 26–29 September.
📺 Both races are available to watch live or on replay for free:
👉 https://www.carreracupbenelux.com/liv
