A pioneer of the German MiniGP scene
The pilot from Mühlhausen, Fynn Kratochwil, has set a milestone in the history of the German FIM MiniGP. In an exciting finale in Bopfingen, he captured the FIM MiniGP Germany 2023 title, celebrating not one but two victories and rounding off the weekend with a third place. He thus secured the coveted trophy and the glory of being the first champion in this young motorsport series in Germany. Behind him, Jason Rudolph from St. Egidien finished second in the overall standings, while Anton Eilersen from Denmark claimed third place.
Pole position and race full of surprises
Under ideal weather conditions, Kratochwil already showed in qualifying that he could be the man of the weekend. He set the fastest lap with a time of 51.720 seconds and thus secured pole position. Anton Eilersen started from second position, followed by Jason Rudolph with only a minimal delay of 0.072 seconds.
The first race turned into a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Although Kratochwil initially took the lead, he crashed on the third lap. Fortunately, he remained uninjured and was able to regain his position in eleventh place. He fought his way to the front again, while Rudolph targeted Eilersen’s top position. But Eilersen couldn’t hold on to his luck either; he crashed on the tenth lap. The race stoppage ultimately resulted in Eilersen finishing the first race as the winner, closely followed by Rudolph and Kratochwil, who managed to grab third place despite his crash.
Dominant performance in second and third race
In the second race of Saturday, Kratochwil showed another masterful performance. He led the race from the start and managed to put a huge gap of 10.634 seconds between himself and his pursuers. Rudolph also held his own and secured second place. Casper Pennings from the Netherlands completed the podium. After this race it was already clear that Kratochwil had decided the FIM MiniGP Germany 2023 in his favor, while Rudolph could be pleased with second place overall.
In the final race of the weekend, Kratochwil again controlled the action from pole position. Rudolph and Eilersen, however, did not make the top position easy for him. On the seventh lap, Rudolph managed to pass Pennings and lead the chasing pack behind Kratochwil. At the end of the third run, the ranking was confirmed: Kratochwil, followed by Rudolph and Eilersen.
Kratochwil’s reaction and outlook for the FIM MiniGP World Series Final.
“I am over the moon with the overall win of the FIM MiniGP Germany. The weekend was very good from the start and we set the bike up well in the free practice sessions. I won two races and took out a third place after a crash, which I am more than happy with. I thank my team, Dirk (Heidolf), who prepared the bike very well again, and my family,” said Fynn Kratochwil.
With their outstanding performances, Fynn Kratochwil and Jason Rudolph have qualified for the FIM MiniGP World Series Final in Valencia. Kratochwil awaits the event with mixed feelings but high ambitions. “The World Final in Valencia is where the best of the best are. We have already participated in races in Spain and Italy. There I was already able to get two podiums and won a race. I’m hoping for a lot, but I’m going there with not too many expectations and see how it goes.”
Conclusion
With his impressive performance, Fynn Kratochwil not only won the FIM MiniGP Germany 2023, but also opened a new chapter in German motorcycle racing. It remains exciting how he and his pursuer Jason Rudolph will do in the FIM MiniGP World Series Final in Valencia.