An orange Monoposto, a powerful Opel engine and a successful performance at the Hockenheimring: Wolfgang Kaufmann secures an important victory in the German Formula 3 Championship at the AvD/MAC Racing Sports Festival 1991.
Wolfgang Kaufmann triumphs in the orange Dallara F391
A striking orange design, a promising young talent and a successful race day at the Baden Motodrom: On April 14, 1991, the German Formula 3 Championship made its debut at the Hockenheimring. Wolfgang Kaufmann took advantage of the opportunity to win the second season race with his Dallara F391 for the Opel Team Schübel.
The Deutsche Formel 3 was considered one of the most important stepping stones on the path to international Formula racing at the time. Lightweight monoposts, aerodynamic wings and two-liter intake engines provided demanding racing and a highly competitive field of participants.
For the Opel team Schübel, Wolfgang Kaufmann took to the start with the starting number 6. His Dallara F391, chassis number 038, used by Schübel Rennsport, was powered by an Opel engine. Above all, the striking paintwork made the Italian racing car a sight to behold on the track.
Dallara had already established an excellent reputation in Formula 3 racing. The F391 impressed with a more advanced chassis concept, a lightweight monocoque, and pronounced aerodynamics. This made the racing car perfectly suited to the requirements of the international Formula 3 competition.
Kaufmann also performed athletically to the highest standard. He secured victory in the second season race and thus gave the Opel team Schübel an important success. The pole position went to Klaus Panchyrz, while Tom Kristensen drove the fastest lap of the race. The Dane would later become one of the most successful personalities of his generation, especially in long-distance racing.
For Kaufmann, success in Hockenheim was not the only highlight of the year. He also finished on the top step of the podium at a later championship race in Wunstorf. In the overall standings, he finished the season in eighth place. Tom Kristensen secured the championship title in a Volkswagen-powered Ralt.
The Dallara F391 is emblematic of an exciting era in German Formula racing. In the German Formula 3 series, ambitious up-and-coming drivers met each other, some of whom would later go on to make an international career. Wolfgang Kaufmann made a significant impact with his success at the Hockenheimring in 1991.