Mike Rockenfeller
Mike Rockenfeller ( born October 31, 1983 in Neuwied ) is a German racing driver. In 2005 he won the GT2 standings of the FIA GT Championship and 2008, the LMP1 class of the Le Mans Series. 2010 he won the 24 - hour race at Le Mans itself. Since 2007, he enters the DTM in an Audi. Since 2012 he start for Phoenix Racing. 2013 he won the drivers' championship, the DTM.
Career
Rockenfeller sat at the age of ten years for the first time in karting and decided to forward to becoming active in motorsport. In 1995 he started in karting, the position he held until 2000. In 2000, he won the overall title of " Jörg van Ommen Kart Series," which earned him a cockpit in the Formula König for the following season. In this series, he managed one win and he finished the season in fourth place in the championship.
The end of 2001 Rockenfeller took part in an evaluation course for young drivers of Porsche and then received a contract for work. He started for the UPS Porsche Junior team in the German Porsche Carrera Cup and completed his first season starting on the tenth overall. In addition, he participated in four rounds of the Porsche Supercup. 2003 Rockenfeller won a race in the German Porsche Carrera Cup. In the championship, he was beaten by 136 to 126 points, only Frank Stippler. In addition, he again went to to race in the Porsche Supercup and also celebrated in this series his first victory. 2004 graduated Rockenfeller his third season in the German Porsche Carrera Cup. He was in every race on the podium, winning five of nine races and won the championship in front of Wolf Henzler. In the Porsche Supercup, in which he departed to six races, he finished five races on the podium and scored two victories. In addition Rockenfeller in a Porsche 996 GT3 RS was 2004 his debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
2005 moved Rockenfeller in the FIA GT Championship. With his teammate Marc Lieb, he won six out of eleven races, including at the 24 -hour race in Spa- Francorchamps, the GT2. At the 24 - hour race in Le Mans he was together with Lieb and Leo Hindery class winner of the GT2. He also competed in the American Le Mans Series ( ALMS), which he finished in tenth place of the GT championship, and to a race in the Grand-Am Sports Car Series. 2006 Rockenfeller eighth in the GT2 and LMP2 classification of the ALMS. He was more successful in the Grand-Am Sports Car Series was, in which he won two races and fifth in the DP rating. He also appeared to be a race of the FIA GT Championship and won the 24 -hour race on the Nürburgring.
2007 moved to Rockenfeller Audi and entered for Team Rosberg at the DTM. He received a previous model of the Audi A4 DTM. Already in his second race at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben, he scored his first DTM podium placement with a third place. Two further points standings he finished the season with eleven points off on the twelfth overall. His team-mate Lucas Luhr succeeded in the season to obtain only one point. In addition Rockenfeller started for Audi to a ALMS races as well as 24 - hour race at Le Mans. In both racing series he competed in an LMP1 car. In addition, he participated in a Porsche in a race the Grand-Am Sports Car Series. 2008 Rockenfeller received with Winkelhock a new teammates in the DTM. Both pilots scored six points. As Rockenfeller with a fifth place went out the best placement of the two, he finished the season before Winkelhock from eleventh place overall. Successful Rockenfeller was in the Le Mans Series. Along with Alexandre Prémat he won the championship title of the LMP1 category. At the 24 - hour race in Le Mans he scored with Luhr and Prémat fourth overall, which represented his best finish so far. In addition Rockenfeller again took part in a race depending on the ALMS and the Grand-Am Sports Car Series.
2009 were Rockenfeller in the DTM for the first time his teammates. While angle Hock was tenth, Rockenfeller finished the season on the fourteenth overall. In addition, he took part in this year at a ALMS race and the 24 - hour race at Le Mans. 2010 moved Rockenfeller within the DTM to Team Phoenix, which also began Audi's " last year's car ." He met with his new team on Prémat, with whom he had already contested race in Le Mans prototypes. After Rockenfeller had already achieved at four points race, followed in the second race at the Hockenheimring with a third place his best season placement. He finished the season in seventh place in the championship from the best driver of a year-old Audi car. He also had two Audi drivers with the current model behind. In sports car racing, Rockenfeller, 2010 was also successful. After he won in January, the 24 - hour race at Daytona, followed in June, the overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Together with Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas he piloted at the French endurance race an Audi R15 TDI Plus. In addition Rockenfeller took 2010 per a race in the Le Mans Series and the FIA GT3 European part.
In 2011, Rockenfeller again parallel to sports car and touring car racing part. In the DTM, he moved before this season to Abt Sportsline and was the first time an actual race car. In the second race at Zandvoort Rockenfeller won his first DTM race. In the fourth race at the Euro Speedway Lausitz he was represented by Tom Kristensen, as he paused a week earlier after an accident in a sports car race for safety's sake. At the end of the season, he finished sixth overall. In sports car racing Rockenfeller takes 2011 for Audi at the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup ( ILMC ) part. At the 24 - hour race at Le Mans, the counted out this season in ILMC, Rockenfeller had on Saturday night in the dark in a serious accident. Whilst overtaking, he was hit by a Ferrari 458 Italia GTC and struck at a speed of 307 km / h in the track boundary there. Rockenfeller was able to leave his Audi R18 on its own and was then taken to a hospital. Previously Rockenfeller's Audi brand mate Allan McNish was already serious accident. As a result, he said a DTM race and participation in the 24 -hour race at the Nürburgring. In addition Rockenfeller came in 2011 to a race of the Blancpain Endurance Series at.
2012 returned Rockenfeller in the DTM to Phoenix back who used also the new Audi DTM car with the Audi A5 DTM. Rockenfeller's best result was a second place at Zandvoort. In this he lost the lead in the race to his fellow Edoardo Mortara. Rockenfeller was fourth overall as the best Audi driver and also the best placed rider without a win. In addition Rockenfeller took part in a race in the Rolex Sports Car Series and launched the 24-hour race at Le Mans. There he was with Marco Bonanomi and Oliver Jarvis third parties. 2013 remained Rockenfeller in the DTM at Phoenix. In the second race at Brands Hatch Rockenfeller won starting from pole position. On the Euro Speedway Lausitz he finished second. In Volokolamsk he scored his second win of the season from pole position starting. At the penultimate race of the season at Zandvoort Rockenfeller handed second place to advance the drivers' championship to decide for themselves.
Personal
Rockenfeller lives in Altnau on Lake Constance since 2007. He finished school with GCSEs. In the auto repair shop of his parents and his grandparents on the farm he came at a young age with a variety of vehicles in touch. He graduated in the operation of an apprenticeship as a motor mechanic and worked at the beginning of his motor racing career continued in operation. Rockenfeller is unmarried.
Statistics
Career stations
- 2006: Rolex Sports Car Series, DP ( 5th place)
- 2006: ALMS, GT2 (8th place )
- 2006: ALMS LMP2 (8th place )
- 2006: FIA GT Championship GT2 ( No. 39 )
- 2007: DTM ( 12th place)
- 2007: ALMS, LMP1 ( 15th place)
- 2007: Rolex Sports Car Series, DP ( number 59 )
- 2008: DTM ( 11th place )
- 2008: Le Mans Series, LMP1 (Master)
- 2008: ALMS, LMP1 ( 12th place)
- 2008: Rolex Sports Car Series, DP ( number 62 )
- 2009: DTM ( 14th place )
- 2009: ALMS, LMP1 ( 15th place)
- 2010: DTM ( 7th place)
- 2010: Rolex Sports Car Series, DP ( number 38 )
- 2010: Le Mans Series, LMP1 ( No. 21 )
- 2010: FIA GT3 European Championship ( 14th place )
- 2011: DTM ( 6th place)
- 2011: Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, LMP1
- 2011: Blancpain Endurance Series, GT3 Pro ( # 28 )
- 2012: DTM ( 4th place)
- 2012: Rolex Sports Car Series GT
- 2013: DTM ( Master )