“I don’t think there has been anyone for a very long time who has had a realistic chance,” emphasized the driver from Linz, who is currently the DTM leader. “Currently there is none anyway, not even in the recent past. I can’t remember an Austrian coming close to Formula 1 since the last active driver.”
As the last person with an Austrian passport to date, Christian Klien from Vorarlberg drove a Formula 1 car in a race for HRT in Abu Dhabi in November 2010. At different times, Philipp Eng, Lucas Auer, Mirko Bortolotti and Ferdinand Habsburg, among others, were considered young drivers with Formula 1 ambitions. Some of those named also completed Formula 1 test drives, but none of them made the big breakthrough.
GEPA/xpb.cc/Charniaux In 2010, Christian Klien was the last Austrian to drive a Formula 1 car in a race
“You need two very important things. On the one hand, the driving skills, the talent. The other is the financial background. Whether it’s sponsors or a junior program, it needs some form of financial background,” Preining explained in the APA interview. “I simply lacked the financial background, others the talent. You also need a lot of luck for that.”
Wurz junior not that far yet
It is also clear to Marko that there are currently no serious candidates from Austria. “Unfortunately nothing,” he remarked. The achievements of Charlie Wurz, the 17-year-old son of ex-Grand Prix driver and ORF expert Alexander Wurz, have so far not been enough for the 80-year-old to be included in Red Bull’s international youth program. In the Formula 3 Regional European Championship, Wurz hardly showed and did not get past tenth place in six races.
IMAGO/Action Plus/Pablo Guillen Charlie Wurz did his laps in the Formula 3 Regional European Championship this year
The 24-year-old Preining himself is not too old to start, but has had little to show for formula racing, which is more relevant for the decision-makers, since he decided to take a seat as a Porsche works driver a few years ago. “If someone called me, I wouldn’t say no. But nothing is planned, nothing is being discussed,” said Preining, who also did not have the necessary points for the super license. This is mandatory for a Formula 1 start.
Preining’s chances slim
In his opinion, Porsche’s entry into Formula 1, which was still the subject of heated negotiations a year ago, would not have increased his chances. “I assume that when a new manufacturer enters Formula 1, they will tend to rely on experienced drivers who have been in Formula 1 for a few years and not on a rookie.” For Preining, however, it is still time for an F1 test run not too late.