Jeffrey Schmidt consolidates second place in championship at Norisring
123,000 spectators saw Jeffrey Schmidt deliver another strong performance during the Norisring weekend. The 21-year-old Swiss driver consolidated second place in the high-calibre Porsche Carrera Cup with two fifth-place finishes. It was once again a technical problem that cost him a potential podium.
Jeffrey, you’ve come away from each race this season with a points haul in the double-digit range. Most drivers would be very happy with such a result…
Yes, that’s certainly no mean feat. In every race so far, I’ve finished in the Top Six. But the raw results don’t show what we were really capable of here at the Norisring. In the second race, I was cruising along in third place and was well on the way to my next podium. Suddenly, I had trouble with the transmission and I couldn’t engage any of the gears on Turn 4. A couple of other drivers went past because I was unable to defend my position. Unfortunately, that put the podium out of reach and I had to settle for fifth place.
It seems that you’ve had more than your share of bad luck in recent weeks.
You could say that. In the last Supercup race, which took place in the context of the Formula 1 weekend at the Red Bull Ring, I ran out of luck and missed out on a podium due to a problem with the engine. This is all very unfortunate, and I’m hoping we have a bit more luck in the next race. It’s certainly not down to my driving performance. Hopefully, we’ll be spared any further problems from now on. If so, I think I’m in with a good chance of more podiums. Because after all, that’s the reason I compete.
In the first race, you also came fifth. Were you satisfied with that performance?
Yes. The first race went well for me in the circumstances. After a mediocre qualifying, I had to start in ninth place from a less than ideal position. The basic plan was to gain places and to score as many championship points as possible. And that’s what I managed to do. I was able to overtake some of my opponents and then build up a gap. I think that I got the maximum possible out of the situation. Over the course of the race, we demonstrated our superior speed, and that gives me great confidence for the upcoming races.
How did you cope with the weather conditions in Nuremberg?
Qualifying in the wet was a real challenge, especially on this narrow street circuit. The Norisring punishes every little mistake. If you lose control of the car, you find yourself going into the wall. In the chaos caused by the rain, I initially had no idea where I was in the running order. In the end, I qualified third, missing out on pole position by just three tenths. That shows how competitive the Carrera Cup is, even in these difficult conditions. With my second fastest lap, I secured P9 for Saturday’s race. I obviously wasn’t too pleased about that.
From here, you go straight on to the Porsche Supercup. What are your expectations for next weekend at Silverstone?
I have fond memories of Silverstone. I drove my very first race in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup there in 2013. I’m looking forward to returning to this legendary circuit. On those famous corners such as Copse, Maggots and Stowe, you can feel yourself in touch with motor racing history. It’s an extremely fast track, which doesn’t make things easy for our cars because we don’t have a lot of aerodynamics. It’s a matter of getting into the rhythm of the track as early as possible during free practice. Our speed has been very good recently, and if the package as a whole is right, I think I’m capable of a top result in the battle for the rookie championship.
