Phillip Oettl is in his second year in the Red Bull Rookies Cup, but today was his first win in the series. Oettl won the Red Bull Rookies Cup season opener after a fantastic battle around the Jerez track with Brad Binder.
Brad Binder led for the majority of the race, but with a lap and a half left, Oettl made a fantastic outbraking move to take the lead.
Oettl started from the second place spot, but a poor start dropped him down to the middle of the pack.
"It wasn't a great start." said Oettl. "I had to work hard in the opening laps to get back up into 2nd but then I was happy and I could find a good rhythm. It just kept going as fast as I could without making any mistakes and the bike was working very well so I felt good about catching Brad. As I caught him I was thinking that I would have to pass him on the brakes into the last corner but then I had the chance at the end of the back straight and I took it."
Binder was a little disappointed that he couldn't hold on for the race win, but he's confident about his chances during tomorrow's race.
"It was a quick pace, I was trying so hard and the bike started moving around a lot," said Binder. "It was really sliding and getting worse as the race went on, I just couldn't go any quicker. I know Philipp was coming and when he got alongside me at the end of the straight I though I could still get around on the brakes but he just moved me over and I had to go straight on. That was it. We'll try some changes for tomorrows race and I'll have a go at winning it."
The rest of the Rookies couldn't keep up with the top pair's pace, as both Binder and Oettl put in laps more than a second faster than their qualifying times.
Red Bull Rookies Cup Race Results - Race 1 - Jerez
- Philipp Oettl (GER)
- Brad Binder (RSA) +0.567
- Alan Techer (FRA) +14.692
- Lorenzo Baldassarri (ITA) +22.052
- Florian Alt (GER) +27.579
- Arthur Sissis (AUS) +29.964
- Xavier Pinsach (ESP) +30.054
- Aaron España (ESP) +30.214
- Javier Orellana (GBR) +40.625
- Lukas Trautmann (AUT) +40.703
