Category: 2025

Kevin Petit and Reto Meisel are the dominators of the mountain classic
Christoph Lampert best Austrian
New course record and top performances in the Almenland
Wedding bells on the Rechberg – a weekend full of love

A huge stone falls from the heart of the triumvirate at the top of the organization: “We expected an enormous response, but what happened from Friday to Sunday here on the Rechberg exceeded our wildest expectations!”

Peter Eibisberger: “We can only say thank you. To the authorities – first and foremost the Styrian provincial government and Governor Mario Kunasek. The district authorities, the two municipalities of Fladnitz an der Teichalm and Semriach. The supporting clubs KDW Motorsport and Auer Power Motorsport with all their helpers, the fire departments with their great private commitment and the blue light organizations – they all contributed significantly to the success of this event, and to all the landowners who made sure that everyone had their place – whether participants or visitors.”

Mario Klammer: “I can only agree with Peter. The FIA – the highest motorsport federation in the world – had extremely complimentary words this year, which motivate us even more for the next edition in 2026. Personally, my biggest thanks go to the fans who came to us in droves. They were so disciplined, thoughtful and thus helpful for the entire process, which is something you only see in motorsports. We have only received the best feedback from our police – thank you for that!”

Christian Ferstl: “I now know every street post on the Rechberg by its first name, because I’ve been living virtually on the mountain for the last two weeks. Our cooperation with the road maintenance department, the support associations and all landowners was borderline brilliant! Everywhere we were welcomed with open arms and really everyone helped out where they could. This makes work fun and I take my hat off to the entire population from Tulwitz to Rechberg-Dorf! They live with the naturally arising restrictions that this mega-event brings with it, and at the same time use every opportunity to contribute somewhere helpful.”

A wonderful proof of love was also celebrated this year. A couple from Germany fell in love with the beautiful ambience on the Rechberg last year and decided to get married here. And the municipality of Fladnitz actually made it possible and so there was an absolute premiere. Never before has there been a real, valid wedding at a race track on a race weekend in Austria. Congratulations to the newly married couple!

On the sporting side: There was a lot going on this weekend on the 4,440-meter-long race track. Saturday with its two practice runs already gave the fans an insight into what they can expect on Sunday – namely hill climb racing at its very best.

238 starters (including 8 ladies!) tackled the Rechberg on Saturday. Many established Rechberg connoisseurs competed for the best training times with “first-timers” who had come to eastern Styria for the first time. However, the top pilots have not yet shown what they are really capable of. There were also some technical failures to report. Karl Schagerl was one of them. However, he immediately loaded his VW Golf R TFSI onto the trailer and drove home (Purgstall, Lower Austria) to repair his gearbox, but unfortunately he did not have the necessary parts in stock. As a result, Schagerl was unable to start on Sunday.

It was therefore clear that there would be a new touring car winner this year. Reto Meisel (SUI) had the best prospects for this in his Mercedes-Benz SLK 340 Judd V8. He put his training results to the best use and secured the basis for overall victory in the touring car category with a time of 1:58.271 in the first race.

Second fastest was Dan Michl (CEZ) (1:59.307) on Lotus Elise Hartley, third time went to Igor Stefanovski (MKD) (1:59.930).

The fastest Austrian in Category 1 was Kevin Raith in his Porsche 992 GT3 Cup, who put up an excellent fight against the strong competition and finished just behind the podium.

A look at the proto types shows us how incredibly fast the top riders are. Kevin Petit (FRA) improved the track record in the first heat with his Nova NP 01-2 Honda Turbo to 1:43.343. Christian Merli (1:44.405) on a Nova NP 01-2 Cosworth took second place ahead of Spaniard Joseba Iraola Lanzagorta on a Nova NP 01-2 Honda Turbo (1:45.277).

Here, Christoph Lampert was once again the Austrian figurehead. He drove his new machine (Nova NP 01-2 Honda Turbo) to the finish line with a time of 1:49.765. And this despite the fact that Christoph Lampert was only able to test just under 40 kilometers on a circuit beforehand. But the likeable man from Voralberg took it in his stride: “It was my first race on the mountain with the Nova. So we don’t yet have any data to draw on. That’s why it was an excellent test for me, which I’m happy with.”

So breathtaking suspense for the second storm on the Rechberg was ensured and the fans could hardly wait for it. After all, the first run took almost 4 hours because some of the steering wheel artists underestimated the pitfalls of the Rechberg and the mountain punished them mercilessly. All only fender benders and cold deformations, but a lot of work for the track crew, which, however, distinguished itself by quick and professional action. The number of missions alone was mighty high, and thus the time flew by at breakneck speed.

Christian Merli dominated the second run and set a new track record of 1:43.192 on the mountain – that’s an average speed of 154.7 kilometers per hour.

Top speed: 248.2 Km/h

Reto Meisel was unbeatable in the touring car category. He drove his Mercedes SLK 340 Judd V8 mercilessly to the top of the pass again in the second race, but was unable to set a new record time, which therefore remains with Karl Schagerl from 2024.

The all-important second race run was started as usual with the participants of the historical classes. This year, the Rechberg race was the first race in the 2025 European Historic Championship and the many fans were treated to a veritable firework display of different vehicles – from the touring cars to the open-top “oldies”, which really stepped on the gas.

The overall results after two race rounds:

HHC (Historic European Championship)

1. Harald Mössler (AUT – Daren MK 3) 4:42.627
2. Franz Guggemos (AUT – Osella PA 4/5) 4:44.958
3. Reinhard Sonnleitner (AUT – VW Golf Rallye G60) 4:45.538

EHC (Modern European Championship) – Category 2

1. Kevin Petit (FRA – Norma NP 01-2 C Honda Turbo) 3:26.915
2. Christian Merli (ITA – Norma NP 01-2 C Cosworth) 3:27.597
3. Joseba Iraola Lanzagorta (ESP – Nova NP 01-2 C Honda Turbo) 3:30.312

EHC (Modern European Championship) – Category 1

1. Reto Meisel (SUI – Mercedes-Benz SLK 340 Judd V8) 3:58.998
2. Dan Michl (CZE – Lotus Elise Hartley) 4:00.123
3. Igor Stefanovski (MKD – Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo) 4:01.174

Slovenian Championship

1. Milan Bubnic (SLO – Lancia Delta HF Integrale) 4:07.719
2. Matevz Cuden (SLO – Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup) 4:13.285
3. Anze Dovjak (SLO – Hyundai i30 N TCR) 4:15.259

ÖBM Historic (Austrian Mountain Championship)

1. Harald Mössler (AUT – Daren MK 3) 4:42.627
2. Franz Guggemos (AUT – Osella PA 4/5) 4:44.958
3. Reinhard Sonnleitner (AUT – VW Golf Rallye G60) 4:45.538

ÖBM Modern (Austrian Mountain Championship)

1. Kevin Petit (FRA – Norma NP 01-2 C Honda Turbo) 3:26.915
2. Christian Merli (ITA – Norma NP 01-2 C Cosworth) 3:27.597
3. Joseba Iraola Lanzagorta (ESP – Nova NP 01-2 C Honda Turbo) 3:30.312

Fastest Austrian: Christoph Lambert (6th place overall)

Fastest Styrian: Kevin Raith (14th place overall)

Fastest Styrian: Kerstin Taus (36th place overall)

Scored: Total 200

Failed/Not started: 30

The fans experience a motorsport dream day at the European Hill Climb Championship in Tulwitz.
The best are piling deep, so everything is wide open for race day.

Despite the cool temperatures and drizzly weather, the spectators came in droves, saw and were amazed: “What the organizing team has put together again this year is wonderful. We came all the way from Bavaria and were really blown away. Everything was spruced up, wonderful natural grandstands and excellent regional delicacies – plus that pure racing feeling – what more could you want!” said a group of fans from near Passing.

The organizational trio Mario Klammer, Peter Eibisberger and Christian Ferstl are also very satisfied with the first day on the Rechberg. “Several thousand fans were here today and praised us for our work. But we would also like to say thank you – because without spectators such an event simply doesn’t work. The atmosphere was already great today and we are already looking forward to tomorrow! But above all we would like to thank our team…everyone did an incredible job last night and this morning to save our training day.”

What went on in the background due to the adverse weather conditions in the previous days shows just how great the cooperation is between the clubs, the fire departments and, last but not least, the farmers in the Almenland. All entrances to the paddock, which is mostly located on the meadows in and around Tulwitz, were completely muddy and therefore no longer passable. In an unbelievable overnight operation, tons of wood chips, tile and formwork were dredged and the first training run started just one hour late.

Now to the sporting side:

238 starters gratefully accepted the two training runs and showed from the second, now completely dry, training session what they intended to do on race day.

Despite the late start, the timetable held, as all the vehicles arrived back in the paddock just after 6.00 pm.

A few slips into the botany and technical problems were quite manageable and all went without any significant damage. Karl Schagerl suffered gearbox damage after the first practice run, removed it in the paddock and rushed back to Lower Austria to fix everything in his workshop so that he would be ready to drive again on race Sunday: “I’m doing this for the fans, because they deserve it!”

Reto Meisel (Mercedes SLK 340 Judd V8) was the fastest in the touring car category. He was followed by Kevin Raith from Weiz (Porsche 992 GT3 Cup) and Jürgen Halbartschlager (VW Golf 17 Turbo).

The fastest Styrian is Kevin Raith with his Porsche,

The fastest Styrian is Kerstin Taus with her Subaru P4 Turbo.

The top pilots were very deep in the pile… none of them really let themselves be seen in the cards and so we will be able to see some more time fireworks on race day. So excitement is well provided for.

After 2 training sessions, the top favorite is in first place in the table.

Christian Merli (ITA) drove his Nova NP 01-2 C Cosworth to the top of the pass in a time of 1:44.915. Kevin Petit (FRA) followed him with a time of 1:46.622 and the fast Joseba Iraola Lanzagorta (ESP) was just behind him in third place with a time of 1:46.930.

So the fans can look forward to Sunday. The first race starts at 09:00, the second race has been scheduled by the Rechberg team for 14:00.

The link for the livestream is available on the homepage, Facebook and Instagram, as well as for live timing.

The ceremonial opening of the 51st edition of the Grand Prix of Austria will take place at 08:20. LH Mario Kunasek, the mayors Peter Raith (Fladnitz) and Gottfried Rieger (Semriach), as well as the top of the organization management are looking forward to this official act.

Information about the race for fans – updated on an ongoing basis, of course – is available on the homepage www.rechbergrennen.co.at, as well as on the social media channels of Facebook and Instagram under #rechbergrennen.

Timetable Sunday:
08.20 am: Opening
09.00 am: Start 1st race
14.00 pm: Start 2nd race
19.00 pm: Award ceremony in the marquee

72 Styrian men and 3 Styrian women are very good.

The fact that our popular and well-known seed oil is not only healthy, but apparently also makes you fast, is probably one of the many reasons why 75 starters from Styria – the green heart of Austria – are competing in the time hunt on the Rechberg.

Sigrid Ferstl (#17), Kerstin Taus (#40) and Birgit Huber-Gschanes (#207) are the Styrian racing amazons and compete with 72 seasoned Styrian boys for the internal title of “Fastest Styrian participant“.

“According to unconfirmed rumors, the famous Stoanis are even planning to change the name of their hit song “Steirermen san very good” for our racing ladies,” says Peter Eibisberger with a mischievous smile on his lips. But he immediately waves it off and adds: “We are mighty proud of our Styrian power, which we find in the entry list – no matter who is behind the wheel!”.

Across all classes, our Styrians are divided and will thus almost continuously provide for cheers – especially for the Styrian fans.

All of them have resolved to really step on the gas on “their home mountain” in order to keep the Styrian flags flying high.

“We definitely have some contenders for victory in individual classes and with Kerstin Taus and Sigrid Ferstl probably also the fastest ladies on the Rechberg,” says Mario Klammer.

And the ladies in question laughingly say: “Of course we want to shine with good times at our appearance, but it’s always something special to start at our home race. That’s why: let’s have a look – then we’ll see!”

The starting numbers and classes of our Styrian mountain glowers:

Historic:

• Class A1: #276-Jürgen Pachteu, #274-Christian Holzer,
• Class A6: #267-Hans Jud,
• Class B3: #260-Erwin Mandl, #258-Dominik Neumann,
• Class B5: #254-Andreas Schögler, #252-Patrick Knoll,
• Class C2: #247-Thomas Tkaletz,
• Class C3: #238-Reinhold Prantl,
• Class D3: #231-Harald Neuherz,
• Class D5: #229-Johann Krammer,
• Class D6: #227-Gernot Bittner,
• Class E5: #209-Bernhard Pongratz

Modern, Category 1:

PF 6: #207-Birgit Huber-Gschanes, #200-Stefan Mehlmaier, #198-Josef Schögler, #197-Ronald Reiss, #194-Philipp Wilfling, #193-Gabriel Posch, #192 Johannes Payer, #191-Markus Gruber, #190-Stefan Franischen, #187-Rene Auner

PF 5: #186-Angelo Griesser, #185-Florian Neuherz, #184-Erich Rossegger, #182-Kilian Mandl, #181-Manfred Knaus, #179-Mario Eisner, #178 Wolfgang Schutting, #173-Domink Rabl, #172-Manfred Suppan, #171-Martin Schaflechner, #169-Patrick Flechl, #153-Chris-Andre Mayer

PF 4: #151-Sebastian Huber, #150-Karl Heinz Schauperl, #149-Gregor Hutter, #146-Georg Stix, #142-Tobias Weberhofer, #141-Werner Jud, #140-Daniel Sailer, #135-Markus Gruber, #132-Gerhard Landl, #131-Thomas Pabst, #130-Nino Schanes, #129-David Zottler, #128-Karl Strobl, #126-Dieter Holzer, #124-Mario Hohenwarter, #120-Hans-Jürgen Januschkowetz, #118-Andreas Mussbacher, #114-Michael Tautscher, #113-Bernd Mayer

PF 3: #107-Stefan Karl, #103-Heiko Fiausch, #102-Manfred Fuchs, #101-Patrick Trammer, #-Michael Auer, #94-Andreas Höfler, #91-Thomas Weberhofer, #83-Christian Schweiger, #82-Diethard Sternad

PF 2: #71-Christopf Lieb, #65-Felix Pailer, #59-Kevin Raith, #52-Peter Probhardt

PF 1: #Karl Heinz Binder, #46-Ewald Scherr, #45-Rupert Schwaiger, #43-Franz Kogler, #40-Kerstin Taus

Modern, Category 2

PF 3: #19-Christian Ferstl, #17-Sigrid Ferstl

Voices of some of our Styrian participants:

Kerstin Taus: “I’ve had the title of “Fastest lady on the Rechberg” since last year and I’m really looking forward to my home race again. I have to give it my all just because of the fans. I definitely want to put on a great show…and if the times are right too, then I’ll be a very happy Kerstin!”

Sigrid Ferstl: “This is the third time I’ve competed on the Rechberg. Although I’ve been active since 2016, it didn’t fit until 2023. But I’m not going to put any pressure on myself, instead I’m going to use Saturday for good training runs to get the feel for the Rechberg again. And on Sunday, I’ll try to really step on the gas. The title of ‘fastest woman on the Rechberg’ sounds tempting.”

Felix Pailer: “I’m really impressed that so many Styrians are stepping on the gas here. But on the other hand, it’s not surprising either. The Rechberg is something very special on the racing calendar – and obviously everyone wants to be there.”

Rupert Schwaiger: “Very cool! I’m happy about every starter from Styria, even if that means I have to work even harder. But I’m happy to do that, because I want to prove that even the “old guys” can still give it a good go.”

Kevin Raith: “That’s exactly what so many great people have been working so hard for here for weeks. So that our compatriots can take home an unforgettable experience from the Rechberg. My goal is to achieve a good position in my class. It would be really cool to be in the top 5. It won’t be easy, but with the help of the fans I’ll give it my all!”

Chris-Andre Mayer: “As one of the local heroes, I really want to show what I can do here at my home race! I love the Rechberg and feel right at home when I’m at the start. Together with my brother Bernd, we will fly the Styrian and especially the Tulwitz flag high and give it our all! For the fans, for the family, for the friends and for the organizer there is only one motto for us: Max-Attack!!!”

The ultimate hill climb on the Rechberg starts on April 25th with the administrative and technical scrutineering of all participants around the community and fire station in Tulwitz from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm.

Saturday, April 26, will be dominated by the two training runs, with the first run starting at 09:00.

Two races are scheduled for Sunday, April 27. First start at 09.00, second start at 14.00.

The official opening ceremony starts at 08:30 with Governor Mario Kunasek, the President of the AMF Prof. Dr. Harald Hertz, the mayors Peter Raith (Fladnitz an der Teichalm) and Gottfried Rieger (Semriach), as well as the head of the organization team.

The ceremony is accompanied by the Fladnitz/Teichalm music band and children from the Fladnitz/Teichalm elementary school as cheerful flag bearers.

Information for fans – constantly updated, of course – is available on the homepage www.rechbergrennen.co.at, as well as on the social media channels of Facebook and Instagram under #rechbergrennen.

The Grand Prix of Austria on the Rechberg attracts the best mountain racing drivers from all over Europe
258 participants from 16 nations come to the Almenland
Organizing team expects a huge crowd of fans

The Rechbergrennen, which has been held on the Rechberg in the Almenland region since 1972 and is being held for the 51st time this year, is one of the most important motorsport events in Austria and is obviously incredibly popular with the teams.

From historic vehicles and brand-new touring cars to brute formula cars, everything is represented that delights the motorsport heart.

The organizing trio Mario Klammer, Peter Eibisberger and Christian Ferstl add: “The fact alone that we are welcoming drivers from 16 nations shows just how famous and sought-after our beautiful race track is throughout Europe. And everything is in place for our 51st race on the Rechberg. There will be even more entertainment for the fans in the form of the renowned DJ Rene de Kleijn in the Lackner Reith between the two races on Sunday.”

A look at the entry statistics

Total number of entries: 258
EHC (European Championship Modern) 70
HHC (European Championship Historical) 40
16 nations
Austria (161)

Czech Republic (26), Slovenia (21), Italy (11), Germany (7), Slovakia (4), Croatia (5), Poland (5), Switzerland (4), France (3), Hungary (3), Spain (3), Bulgaria (2), North Macedonia (1), San Marino (1), Serbia (1).

And the entry list in category 2 features big names from the European mountain elite:

Christian Merli (ITA), Joseba Iraola Lanzagorta (ESP), Christoph Lampert (AUT), Hermann Waldy (AUT), Fausto Bormolino (ITA), Kevin and Sebastian Petit (FRA)… just to name a few. Plus Tanja Floss (AUT), Alexander Frank (AUT), Christian and Sigrid Ferstl (AUT) and Lukas Studeny (CZE).

There is an extremely good and fast starting field this year, especially in the touring car entry list. “We’ve never had such a collection of top mountain drivers on the Rechberg!” explains a visibly proud Peter Greiter, the event’s driver liaison officer.

And indeed, the Who’s Who of Category 1 has called:

PF1: Track record holder Karl Schagerl (AUT) is being chased by the likes of:

Ronnie Bratschi (CZE), Dan Michel (CEZ), Niki Zlatkov (AUT), Reto Meisel (SUI), Milan Bubnic (SLO), Igor Stefanovski (MKD), Domagoj Perekovic (CRO) and Grzegorz Rozalski (POL) – he is coming to the Almenland in a 1,000 hp (!) Mitsubishi…

The Austrians Felix Pailer, Rupert Schwaiger and Franz Kogler also want to be among the front runners. Of course, last year’s fastest lady will also be there. Kerstin Taus is already looking forward to her performance and is coming to the Almenland well prepared.

PF2: Peter Probhard (AUT), Jörg Weidinger (DEU), Martin Jerman (CEZ), Niko Pulic (CRO) Karol Krupa (POL), Kevin Raith (AUT), Thomas Strasser (AUT), Andre Würcher (AUT) are probably the fastest in this class and definitely good for a top position in the overall touring car standings.

PF3: Austria is strongly represented here by, among others: Didi Sternad, Christian Schweiger, Hermann Blasl, Jürgen Halbartschlager, Patrick Trammer, Heiko Fiausch, Andreas Miletich, Herbert Perwein and local hero Michael Auer. There will be strong competition from Marek Rybnicek (CZE), O “Play (ITA) and Milovan Vesnic (SRB).

PF4: As a local hero, Bernd Mayer wants to achieve a top result in his home race. But it’s not just his own (Austrian) ranks that are facing headwinds, with Michi Emsenhuber, Dieter Holzer, Norbert Strasser senior and Stefan Datzreiter. International competitors in this class include Bostjan Basa (SLO), Pavel Shenkov (BUL) and Matija Jurisic (CRO), the reigning European champion in category 1.

PF5: Chris-Andre Mayer is the hunted here. The man from Tulwitz naturally wants to perform well in front of his friends and fans at his home race. Some will be up against it, such as Luis Antonio Penido Lopez (ESP), Kai Neu (GER), Manfred Suppan (AUT) and Kilian Mandl (AUT), who is chasing good times on the Rechberg for the first time this year.

PF6: Victoria Schütz (AUT) puts her Golf GTI through its paces and wants to leave many a man in her wake. But with Rene Auner, Klaus Demuth, Stefan Franischen and a few other young guns, she has strong male competition.

Voices of the drivers

Christoph Lampert (fastest Austrian in 2024): “Poah, yes, I don’t know what to say, but the Rechberg is one of my favorite mountains on the race calendar. The euphoric welcome you get there, how the fans go wild when you ride up there – that’s something really special. Not to mention the return trip. It certainly won’t be easy this year. We have a new car and not much experience with it yet. That’s why I’m just going to let the training on Saturday come to me. Then a good analysis and max attack for Sunday!”

Karl Schagerl (touring car record holder, Motorsport Personality of the Year 2022): “We’re still working on the final set-up of my car, but I’m already looking forward to the Rechberg. I like the track and I thank the organizers for their commitment. It would be a shame if the Rechberg didn’t exist. The atmosphere from the many fans alone is so motivating that riding the Rechberg is a must. My goal is to be the fastest touring car again. My team, my car and I – we are ready!”

Sigrid and Christian Ferstl (a very fast couple from Eastern Styria): “This is our third time competing on the Rechberg. Although we’ve been active since 2016, it wasn’t until 2023 that it worked out. We’ll be there again this year with our formula cars. And we’re really looking forward to our home race, the fans and the unique atmosphere that always prevails.”

Felix Pailer (a Rechbergrennen without him? Unthinkable!): I probably had the biggest and most emotional success of my career here on the Rechberg…the victory in 2007. It will stay with me forever. Since then, the Rechberg has been one of my absolute favorite routes. My goal is to finish in the top 3 – that would be really nice. I’m sure the fans will cheer me up the mountain…and then I’ll be even faster!”

Rupert Schwaiger (Porsche glowers in a class of their own): “It’s amazing what the organizers have put together again this year! Now it’s our turn as drivers and we’ll do our bit to make it a success. I think I have a good chance of a top place, my car is perfectly prepared by my son as always and I’m highly motivated. The best part is always the drive back down to the valley…the joy and emotion that spills from the fans into the car is pure goosebumps every time!”

Kerstin Taus (rider and team manager): “After my success last year as the fastest lady, I am clearly fully motivated. The last few weeks have been tough. We had several projects on the go. Among other things, the two races for the Hillclimb Rally Cup, which my dad drives, and of course the preparations for the Rechberg. I will be at the wheel myself on this iconic track, because the feeling here on our home circuit is indescribable. What do I want? The same feeling as last year when my name is called out as the fastest lady at the Flower Ceremony. It won’t be easy, but with the help of the fans, I’ll give it my all!”

Hermann Waldy (formula hunter from Carinthia): “Do you see my smile? It’s such a pleasure for me to race up the mountain here on the Rechberg in front of tens of thousands of fans. What’s more, an incredible number of fast guys and girls from all over Europe come here.

I want to be the fastest Austrian – that’s my goal. This year is very interesting because I have a new car. We haven’t had much time for testing and now we have to see how the training goes. And then use these findings to give it our all on Sunday.”

The ultimate hill climb on the Rechberg will be held from April 25 to 27, 2025 as the second round of the

FIA European Hillclimb Championship (modern and historic). In addition, the Austrian National Mountain Championship (modern and historic) and the Slovenian Mountain Championship (modern and historic) will also be held.

Information for fans – constantly updated, of course – is available on the homepage www.rechbergrennen.co.at, as well as on the social media channels of Facebook and Instagram under #rechbergrennen.

The RechbergrennenOrganizing Committee thinks and acts sustainably!

After the tree seedling distribution campaign carried out in March 2024 together with the municipalities of Fladnitz an der Teichalm and Semriach
, the organizing committee of the
Rechbergrennen is setting another milestone for sustainability:

In cooperation with the German-based energy supplier NORDOEL (E-Fuels for the Future | NORDOEL),
the vehicles of the race management, the track safety officer and the
advance vehicles will run on renewable fuels from 2025.

This reduces new CO2 emissions – directly, sustainably and forward-looking.
These fuels are used by the BMW MOTORRAD Motorsport Team in the
WorldSBK, among others, and in 2024 the world championship title was won with fuels from NORDOEL.
In addition, NORDOEL has been successfully participating in the ADAC 24h race at
the Nürburgring with regenerative fuels in the AT class since 2022.

The Austrian Mountain Grand Prix thus confirms
‘s leading role in Europe in terms of sustainability.

Presseaussendung 02

Rechbergrennen once again becomes an absolute highlight
The 51st edition on the Rechberg will be a hill climb festival
Fans can expect a great starting field in Eastern Styria

Mario Klammer, Peter Eibisberger and Christian Ferstl are very satisfied with the progress of the set-up work for this year’s Rechberg race.

“We are absolutely on schedule,” explains the trio from Rechbergrennen GmbH in unison. “We are absolutely happy with our great helpers, because everyone knows where to attack and it really works like a charm.”

And Christian Ferstl addresses why this is the case: “Since the beginning of our Rechberg takeover, we have had the same teams and motorsport clubs, which are now real professionals. It goes without saying that reliability also plays a major role. And we are in a really good position here. All of them already deserve a huge thank you!”

“Advance ticket sales are excellent – even better than last year. That means a lot to us, because it shows that the fans of previous years have made a firm commitment to the Rechberg this year. And that makes us proud and happy. The campsites are almost fully booked and press accreditations have also been running since the beginning of the year,” says Peter Eibisberger, who is responsible for the sporting and event-related areas together with Mario Klammer.

And Mario Klammer adds: “This year we have focused more on entertaining the fans. There will be a dedicated DJ in the Lackner Reith on race Sunday, who will be going full throttle during the interval. It’s RENE DJEY – the dwarf from the mountain, as his fans call him – whose fame comes from many prominent ski resorts such as Arlberg, Obertauern and South Tyrol.”

Another change is that there will be two (instead of three) training runs on Saturday. This is due to the fact that well over 200 starters are expected again, as the Slovenian championship will also be visiting Rechberg again this year. This troupe will bring around 30 additional cars and teams to the start. And in order to avoid unnecessary time constraints, the decision was made to schedule two practice sessions.

The two races on Sunday are just as fixed as the subsequent flower ceremony and the brilliant award ceremony in the marquee.

Tickets for the race weekend can be ordered at any time via the homepage(www.rechbergrennen.co.at) or purchased at the advance booking offices close to the race date. Tickets are of course still available on site for last-minute visitors.

Fans can experience the great mountain classic on the weekend of April 25-27, 2025. And it will be the 51st race on the Rechberg – no other mountain event in Austria can look back on such a history.

The ultimate hillclimb race on the Rechberg will be held this year as the second round of the FIA European Hillclimb Championship (modern & historic). And due to the changes to the FIA regulations, an even higher-caliber field of participants can be expected than last year. Of course, the Austrian Hillclimb Championship will also be contested.

The garages and workshops are still busy assembling the cars so that they are ready for the European and Austrian championship opener.

The crème de la crème of hillclimb racers have announced their attendance.

Joseba Iraola Lanzagorta, who came third in the Rechberg last year, even sent a personal video message in which he expressed his anticipation for the Rechberg.

Other big names such as Alexander Hin, Fausto Bormolini, Petr Trnka, Sebastian Petit and Laszlo Szasz have already reserved their place in the paddock again.

Of course, there is also a huge armada of mountain drivers from Austria, such as Christoph Lampert (fastest Austrian in 2024!), Hubert Galli, Hermann Waldy, Alexander Frank and Andreas Hasler in the open cars. Austria’s fastest couple, Sigrid and Christian Ferstl (who is driving Hermann Waldy’s ex-car this year), will also be taking part again.

The touring car elite with Karl Schagerl, Felix Pailer, Rupert Schwaiger, Didi Sternad and the fastest lady in 2024, Kerstin Taus, have already announced their interest in taking part in the anniversary race. They will also have strong competition from the European Championship camp with Ronnie Bratschi, Milan Bubnic, Martin Jerman, Luca Gaetani and Marek Rybnicek, to name but a few.

The organizers have installed 3 video walls again this year so that fans can experience all the action from all around the track. These will ensure that even more guests can experience live what is happening in the lower section of the course. For this purpose, a 5-kilometre-long fiber optic cable will be laid from the start to the finish so that it can actually be transmitted without any time delay.

A live stream with the professionals from “The Streamers” will ensure that the Rechberg race is broadcast absolutely brilliantly. Four fixed and one mobile camera will capture the action and will be transmitted to the video walls and race fans all over the world via Claudio Sunk and his team’s control room.

The Rechberg Race, which has been held on the Rechberg in the Almenland region since 1972 and is one of the most important motorsport events in Austria, will be breaking new ground again from 2025.

Information of all kinds – constantly updated, of course – is available on the homepage www.rechbergrennen.co.at, as well as on the social media channels of Facebook and Instagram under #rechbergrennen.

Schedule:

Friday:

Accreditation and technical scrutineering from 08.00 a.m.
Passage of the Südsteiermark Classic from approx. 09.00 a.m.

Saturday:

Two training runs from 09.00 a.m.

Sunday:

Race 1 from 09.00 hrs
Race 2 from 14.00 hrs
Flower ceremony after the 2nd race in Tulwitz (fire station)
Award ceremony in the marquee in Tulwitz from 19.00 hrs

Traditional events are also fixed for 2025

A valuable evening with sponsors, patrons and supporters

Mario Klammer, Peter Eibisberger and Christian Ferstl are very relaxed on this evening, as preparations for both classics are going very well.

“We are right on schedule, even ahead of schedule for some things. The experience from last year has helped us a lot, many of the errands, purchases and discussions have already been completed and now we’re going into fine-tuning,” the trio explains in unison.

And Mario Klammer adds: “Without our long-standing partners and sponsors, it would simply be impossible to organize two such great motorsport events in the district. That’s why we are using this meeting as an opportunity to get to know each other and further strengthen our existing network. Real friendships have developed with our partners in the meantime.”

This is also confirmed by Christian Ferstl: “Many counter-deals show that we are on the right track to continue to have large and strong partners at our two events. Without their fantastic support, neither the Rechbergrennen nor the Rally Weiz would be possible. So a big thank you from me too!”

The mayors and sponsors are also full of praise.

Peter Greiter (Knill Group – main sponsor of the Rallye Weiz), for example: “It simply fits in with our corporate culture: innovation, progress and forward thinking are also deeply rooted in our company philosophy. Among other things, we are planning a sustainability project that will serve as a beacon for other events.”

Ewald Münzer (Münzer Bio-Industrie) and Roland Pfeifenberger (Suzuki Austria) are also on the same wavelength: “We too have been involved for a long time and with great pleasure, because there is a lot of passion and full commitment here – and we also live this in our companies!”

Nina Darnhofer from the Oststeiermark adventure region:

“The high profile and popularity of the Rechbergrennen and the Weiz Rally alone brings a large number of fans from many European countries to our region year after year. And they in turn also generate revenue through overnight stays, purchases and much more. And they love our hospitality – this is confirmed time and time again.”

And the mayors of all the municipalities in which the two events take place are all confident that the two internationally renowned events will continue to have their place in beautiful Eastern Styria in the future.

A young talent promotion project for the fast Luca Schlegl (2024 national karting champion from Schrems near Frohnleiten) was presented for the first time on this evening and there were also many petrol talks with the drivers present, including Felix Pailer, Hermann Neubauer, Kevin Raith and Andreas Höfler.

Information of all kinds – constantly updated, of course – is available on the homepages www.rechbergrennen.co.at and www.rallye-weiz.at as well as on the social media channels of Facebook and Instagram.

As a result of the detailed sustainability analysis of the 2023 event, a tree seedling distribution campaign was carried out in March 2024 together with the municipalities of Fladnitz an der Teichalm and Semriach.
In the course of this, 1,000 tree seedlings were distributed to residents along the Rechberg federal road. This will sustainably bind the greenhouse gas emissions emitted by the racing cars during the event.