Colin jamie bönighausen

Duis aute irure
dolor henderit

from the kart to the internationale Porsche Sport

Maiden victory in the
Porsche Carrera Cup for Colin

After the first race weekend of the championship in the Middle East, 19-year-old Colin Bönighausen is leading the overall standings.

The youngster from Lower Saxony started his second year in the Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East last weekend as one of the favourites. The first two races of the 2024/2025 season were held at the Bahrain International Circuit in the support program of the FIA WEC. Colin Bönighausen fulfilled his role right from the start and secured grid positions 2 and 1 in the 35-minute qualifying session.

With the air temperature already well over 30 degrees on Saturday morning, the German got off to a very good start from pole position. Colin immediately moved to the inside so as not to give his opponents the slightest chance. He drifted out of the first combination of corners and Janne Stiak, who followed behind him, was immediately on the tail of Colin‘s 911 and passed him a few moments later.

That lasted for nine laps before Bönighausen not only pressed the headlight flasher, but also the throttle three laps before the end. Bönighausen prepared the decisive attack with several manoeuvres, and all the pressure caused Stiak to make a mistake. “CJB” capitalised on this with ice-cold precision to pass him. For one lap, Stiak desperately tried to counterattack despite the slipstream advantage, but then Bönighausen in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup pulled away in the ‘du’ design and extended his lead to two and a half seconds. “This victory also belongs to my engineer Frank Funke, who worked with me alone for the first time on a race weekend. Even without a faster reference, we found a good setup that enabled me to manage the tyres properly.” That was ultimately the key to his first victory in the Porsche Carrera Cup.

Colin shares first place in the overall standings after the first of six rounds with Stiak who won the first race on Friday under floodlights. “I was a bit faster than him, but I have to be at least half a second faster per lap to be able to overtake safely.” The two German drivers in the international line-up left their mark on the first race weekend at the Bahrain event, beating British Porsche Junior James Wallis by several seconds. The next race weekend of the Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East will be held at the end of November as part of the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Qatar. Before that, Colin has to get back to work and his apprenticeship.

Interview with Colin Bönighausen before Middle East season gets underway

Before the start of the new Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East season this weekend in Bahrain, German racing driver Colin Bönighausen gives us an outlook on his second year in the series in an interview.

How would you summarise your first Porsche Carrera Cup season in Germany?

“All in all, I'm very satisfied. There was a further improvement in my performance, even if the results didn't always reflect that. I couldn't do anything about the retirements ... of course you can always optimise something, but that's nothing out of the ordinary in your debut year. Fourth place in qualifying at the Sachsenring and the podium finishes in the rookie classification were certainly the highlights. Next year’s goal is working on consistency – then we can make the next leap forward!”

What are your expectations going into your second season in the Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East?

“I want to fight for victories regularly and – if I can drive the whole season – also for the championship title. But it's also about simply having a good time and having fun. For me, the opportunity to race is a dream come true.”

What are the biggest differences between the Cup in Germany and the one in the Middle East?

“The qualifying format is different. In contrast to 2x30 minutes, we only have 1x35 minutes available in the Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East. The fastest lap counts for the starting grid of the first race, the second fastest lap for the second race. You must make good use of the two sets of tyres available. The cars are the same as in Germany, and all drivers have the same material at their disposal. It's the little things that make the difference.”

Which team are you starting with in the Middle East?

“I'll be competing under the CarTech Motorsport banner, as I did in Germany recently. I'm also pleased to have the same engineer with me, Frank Funke.”

Which drivers do you regard as your biggest rivals?

“Janne Stiak from Germany, whom I already know from the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany, and Porsche Junior James Wallis from England.”

Which track are you looking forward to the most?

“I really like Bahrain, but Abu Dhabi is also a highlight. We drive most of the races on Formula 1 circuits and some of them are also on the F1 programme or the FIA World Endurance Championship.”

Colin was able to set some fastest times during the tests a few days ago. Points will be on the line for the first time this Friday at the Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East season opener at the Sakhir International Circuit in Bahrain.

Ready for the season finale!

Round 8 of the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Germany takes Colin Bönighausen to the Hockenheimring (18–20 October) next weekend. This also marks the end of Colin‘s debut season in the world‘s most prestigious Porsche cup series.

For the last event of the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Germany season, Colin Bönighausen has set himself the objective of “performing as well as possible” and perhaps taking home another rookie trophy. He recently achieved this with third place at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. Bönighausen last raced at Hockenheim, the former
home of the German Grand Prix with its iconic Motodrom, two years ago: “The track is cool. Especially the first corner, where you really take the curb on the inside. The only thing you must watch out for is the track limits at the exit.” The fast right-hand
kink after the hairpin is also a courageous spot in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, “you have to drive a little over the dirt on the inside so that you can go full throttle”. This week, Colin was back testing with his Munich-based team CarTech Motorsport in preparation for the grand finale of his debut season in the German Carrera Cup.

In the rookie championship, Colin is the best German in fifth place going into the final, ahead of him are all Dutch drivers with a longer motorsport CV. But Colin is trying to make up for his lack of experience, for example by guest appearances in the popular Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux. Last weekend, the 19-year-old took part in the finale in Zolder, Belgium, in a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car from Bas Koeten Racing. With lap times in the top 5, Bönighausen finished third and second in the rookie rankings.

18–20 October Hockenheim (GER) Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland with DTM

LIVESTREAM Saturday from 10:30

LIVESTREAM Sunday from 10:45 - all on YouTube

Another rookie podium, but ...

Racing driver Colin Bönighausen left the Sachsenring with a smile and a tear in his eye. After a successful qualifying session, it was „only“ enough for a top 10 finish and third place in the rookies‘ classification.

Races 11 and 12 in the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Germany were once again more for the faint-hearted. The “miniature Nordschleife” near Hohenstein-Ernstthal offers hardly any passing spots, the 24 participants had to fight all the more harder. “The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is constantly sideways. There are many medium-fast corners and long left-hand corners. Because the Porsche‘s drivetrain is at the rear, you have nothing to work with at the front – it‘s tricky, but also fun.”

Colin Bönighausen (CarTech Motorsport) was, in his own words, “simply too cautious“ this time. A third place in Race 2 in the rook-ie category should really be celebrated, but the expectations in the Bönighausen team have risen and considering the good start-ing position after qualifying, much more would have been possible.

Colin qualified on positions 7 and 4, which were the strongest results in qualifying this season. „CJB” started the second race in a lane directly behind Porsche Cup hotshot Larry ten Voorde. “That‘s cool, of course you expect a lot from that.” In the first race, however, Bönighausen was the victim of a collision not filmed by the TV cameras early on: “First I got hit in the back right, which is why I went wide in turn 1. Two or three drivers got through on the inside and we continued side by side, but unfortunately someone on the outside crashed into my radiator.”

The second race was interrupted several times by a safety car period, and it was clearly difficult to find a rhythm. Colin had the speed, but lost out in some situations and ultimately dropped back to ninth place overall. However, behind Van Soelen and De Haan, he still managed to finish third in the rookie category, which cannot be rated highly enough. However, Colin is self-critical: “Both fast laps in qualifying were really great. I’ve learnt a few rituals that help me to get into the right mode.” The co-operation with the team is getting closer and closer, and the improvement continues: “Now I have to work on my consistency,” says Colin.

Colin is now off to Paris before the next race: “I’m going to Disneyland with my girlfriend for our anniversary.” From the rollercoaster, however, it’s back to the racetrack in a fortnight’ time when the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Germany returns to the DTM schedule at the Red Bull Ring in Austria: “I like the Red Bull Ring, but I’m still going into my first Carrera Cup race on this circuit without any expectations.”

Colin won a BMW M2 Cup race here last year – might this be a good omen?

Impressive performance
at the Nürburgring

Double podium for Carrera Cup rookie Colin Bönighausen (CarTech Motorsport) at the Nürburgring and the important conclusion
by the end of the weekend: “I can keep up with the front runners!”

Last weekend, the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland (PCCD) celebrated the 400th race of the one-make cup together with more than 60,000 fans. Colin Bönighausen, who has been part of the German championship for eight races since the start of the season in Imola in April, again lined up on the grid. This still relatively
short time in the Carrera Cup “shark tank” has not stopped the 19-year-old from going all out. In Rounds 9 and 10 at the Nürburgring, he added two more trophies to his previous three rookie podiums: two third places in the rookie classification and the first ever double podium for Colin in the PCCD! These results were also the continuation of Colin‘s ongoing development: “The race pace was strong, and I also managed the first lap well in both races,” said the driver from Lower Saxony. Considering that Colin is the only real rookie among the Supercup-experienced drivers Robert de Haan, Kas Haverkort and Flynt Schuring from the Netherlands, his performance must be rated even higher.

However, Colin’s overall position within the field of 26 starters is just as important. In contrast to the DTM race on Saturday, apart from a few drops of rain it remained dry in both races at the PCCD. Even without support ‘from above’, Colin was able to put himself in the limelight with overtaking manoeuvres despite starting 13th and 16th on the grid and ultimately finished both races in 10th place. “I was even eighth on Saturday, but unfortunately I got a 5-second time penalty.” Colin had an unfortunate collision with another driver: “From my point of view, it would have been my corner ...” However, because the second driver ran out of road, Colin was given a subsequent penalty: “Giving way is still not an option, otherwise any weakness is immediately exploited by the opponents,” says Colin, who otherwise made a name for
himself with confident and absolutely fair manoeuvres.

Colin’s race pace clearly shows that he has made his mark in the Cup. His father Klaus Bönighausen adds: “The races in Assen (in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux, note) proved that he can work his way to the front with his speed, even from a worse starting position.” Further up the field, there are advantages to be enjoyed, as Colin can now report from his own experience: “Of course the level is higher, but the battles for position are more fair and less unpredictable – which makes it more fun!” Colin is in 5th place in the rookie standings with three events to go, but he has recently been able to close the gap to 4th place. The hunt for points continues in a fortnight’ time at the Sachsenring, where Colin will gain his first experience during a test drive beforehand.

COLIN‘S NEXT RACE: 6–8 September Sachsenring (GER) Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland with DTM

Bönighausen mit Vollgas ins zweite Halbjahr

Rennfahrer Colin Bönighausen aus Isernhagen bei Hannover startet am kommenden Wochenende (16. bis 18. August) am Nürburgring in die zweite Saisonhälfte, für die er sich einiges vorgenommen hat.

Weiteres Rookie-Podium zuletzt im Benelux-Cup in Assen
Neues Fahrzeugdesign und neue Partner für Colins Neunelfer
Rennen am Nürburgring leitet zweite Saisonhälfte im PCCD ein

Nach mittlerweile sieben Podestplätzen in den Rookie-Wertungen des Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland und des Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux ist Colin motiviert, noch eines draufzusetzen. Die nächste Chance dazu gibt es kommendes Wochenende mit der Fortsetzung des Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland am Nürburgring. „Die Top-3 in der Rookie-Gesamtwertung sind noch nicht außer Reichweite und wären ein tolles Ergebnis“, so der Isernhagener vor den Meisterschaftsläufen 9 und 10.

Auftrieb gibt Colin seine zuletzt gezeigte Leistung bei einem weiteren Gaststart im Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux: Nach der kurzen Sommerpause erzielte der 19-Jährige Anfang August vor 95.000 Fans am TT Circuit in Assen nämlich ein weiteres Topergebnis. Im Team von Bas Koeten Racing hatte Colin nach einem unglücklichen Qualifying in den Rennen viel gut zu machen. Er steckte nicht den Kopf in den Sand des nahegelegenen Wattenmeers, sondern ging auf der 4,555 langen MotoGP-Rennstrecke auf die Jagd. So gelang es dem Niedersachsen im zweiten Rennen vom – normalerweise – aussichtslosen 20. Startplatz bis auf Rang 6 nach vorne zu fahren und damit mehr als ein Dutzend Piloten zu überholen. „Ich konnte viele Gegner schon in der Anfangsphase des Rennens hinter mir lassen. Ich habe versucht, jeden Fehler der anderen Piloten auszunützen und mit fairen Überholmanövern Runde für Runde Boden gut zu machen.“ Rang 6 gesamt war auch gleichbedeutend mit dem dritten Platz bei den Neueinsteigern.

In seiner Debütsaison im am härtesten umkämpften Markenpokal der Welt hat sich der 19-Jährige sowohl als eingeschriebener Teilnehmer in der deutschen als auch als Gaststarter in der Benelux-Meisterschaft gut eingelebt: „Ich fühle mich im Porsche 911 GT3 Cup-Auto zuhause. Nachdem ich mich im Qualifying zuletzt weiter steigern konnte, möchte ich jetzt meine erste Runde verbessern. Da geht es um die richtige Positionierung in jeder möglichen Situation.“ Etwas, das man nur mit viel Erfahrung lösen kann.

Ab dem Rennen am Nürburgring zeigt sich Colin dann auch mit neuer Farbgebung. Sein Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, vorbereitet von CarTech Motorsport, wird in türkis an den Start rollen. Die Agentur DEINE LOBBY erweitert ihre Zusammenarbeit mit Colin und übernimmt nun auch die Vermarktung. Aus diesem Anlass und um neue Partner bestmöglich präsentieren zu können, wird das Design des Fahrzeugs angepasst und der Wiedererkennungswert gesteigert. Mit der Dresdner Firma Widuro, Spezialist für maßgefertigte Fenster, Türen, Sonnenschutz und weitere Bauelemente, konnte vor dem Rennen am Nürburgring bereits der erste neue Partner präsentiert werden.

Die weiteren Termine des Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland 2024:

16.–18. August Nürburgring (DEU)

6.–8. September Sachsenring (DEU)

27.–29. September Red Bull Ring (AUT)

18.–20. Oktober Hockenheimring (DEU)

Full throttle into the second
half of the season

This upcoming weekend, racing driver Colin Bönighausen will start the second half of the season with the Porsche Carrera Cup,
for which he has set his sights high.

After six podium finishes in the rookie classifications of the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Germany and the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux, Colin is motivated to go one better in the near future.

He will have his first opportunity to do so on 2, 3 and 4 August at the TT Circuit in Assen. In addition to the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux, Formula 1 cars, superbikes and superkarts will also be contesting at the Jack‘s Racing Day, which attracts more than 50,000 fans to the traditional race track in the Netherlands. Colin already knows the track from a test drive in the BMW M2 last year: „The track is better known as a motorbike track and has lots of fast corners, overtaking is tricky without hard braking points.“ Larry ten Voorde, multiple Porsche Supercup champion and one of Bönighausen‘s opponents this weekend, has also announced his participation: „Nobody has the car under control like him - he is certainly the benchmark for everyone else.“ Bas Koeten‘s team, with whom Colin has already competed at Spa and Zandvoort in 2024, will serve as the team next weekend.

The 19-year-old has now settled in well in his debut season in the world‘s most fiercely contested one-make cup: „I feel at home in the car. The retirements were a bit unfortunate. Now that I‘ve
improved further in qualifying, I want to improve my first lap. It‘s all about finding the right position in every possible situation.“ Something that can only be mastered with a lot of experience.

Colin will soon be able to gain more experience in the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany, which continues at the Nürburgring in mid-August. „The top three in the overall rookie standings are not yet out of reach and would be a great result,“ says the driver
from Isernhagen. Starting from the race at the Nürburgring, Colin will wear a new colour scheme. His Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, prepared by CarTech Motorsport, will roll onto the grid in turquoise. The agency DEINE LOBBY is expanding its collaboration
with Colin and is now also taking over the marketing side. For this reason and in order to present new partners in the best possible way, the design of the vehicle will be adapted and the recognition value increased. New partners will be presented at the following races at the Sachsenring, Red Bull Ring and Hockenheimring.

Colin's next races:

2.–4. August Assen (NLD) Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux
16.–18. August Nürburgring (DEU) Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland
6.–8. September Sachsenring (DEU) Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland
27.–29. September Red Bull Ring (AUT) Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland
18.–20. Oktober Hockenheim (DEU) Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland

Colin Bönighausen becomes a shareholder at VPD Racing

The Austrian motorsport talent factory VPD Racing is
breaking new ground in promoting young talent: Colin
Bönighausen, who is only 18 years old, becomes a
shareholder of the team, bridging the gap between karting
and car racing.

- Racing driver Colin Bönighausen gets involved with VPD Racing
- Exchange of experience with benefits for karting customers

The Salzburg karting team VPD Racing led by Ernst Penninger
has already made numerous pilots better racing drivers and
has prepared them for their future career stages. One among
them is the German Colin Bönighausen. With the help of VPD
Racing, the 18-year-old successfully made the transition from
the KZ2 shift kart to the GT3 Cup Porsche last year. In 2023,
Colin will compete in the BMW M2 Cup as part of the DTM with
the aim of winning the championship title. However,
Bönighausen remains close to his motorsport roots and
underlines this relationship with an official part-ownership of
VPD Racing.

In this way, Colin continues to benefit from the know-how and
the large network of VPD Racing. On the other hand, he shares
his experience with the team and thereby supports its
customers. In addition, Colin Bönighausen will represent VPD
Racing as an "alumni" in car racing from now on, and he will
also be available as an instructor to both professionals and
amateurs.

Colin Bönighausen (li.) with Ernst Penninger (re.)

“VPD Racing made me what I am today”

Colin Bönighausen

“Colin's career path shows that, with the right attitude and great determination, you can make it into automotive racing even if the odds are stacked against you.”

Ernst Penninger

About Colin Bönighausen

Colin Jamie Bönighausen ("CJB"), born in Hanover (Germany) in 2005, has been involved in motorsport since he was ten years old. He is currently undergoing apprenticeship training to become a plant mechanic.

Like many racing drivers, the driver from Lower Saxony began his motorsport career in karting. The title in the ROK Cup Germany as well as numerous victories and top placings in the ADAC Kart Masters and the Rotax Max Challenge highlight Colin's career to date.

In 2022, he switched from racing karts to racing cars. He celebrated immediate success in the GT3 Cup Porsche and won the Porsche Sprint Challenge Central Europe in both the Sprint and Endurance classifications.

In 2023, Colin Bönighausen will compete in the BMW M2 Cup as part of the DTM events.

www.cjb-racing.de

deColin Bönighausen, new shareholder at VPD Racing:"VPD Racing has made me become the person I am today. I got to know and learnt professional thinking and working. The focus at VPD Racing is not only on results, but first and foremost on educating people to become better racing drivers. I like this philosophy, that's why I'm joining now. This way I can also give something back to the team in the future."

Colin Bönighausen

"Colin joined VPD Racing as a customer in 2019 and learned the sport, the technology and the business surrounding it with us. He is now taking this knowledge with him into car racing, without forgetting VPD Racing. He can become a role model for many other boys and girls in our team. Colin didn't have it easy in karting because he was simply too tall. But his path shows that with the right attitude and great commitment, you can make it in the world of motor racing despite barriers."

Ernst Penninger

CEO, VPD Racing

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