Marc Gerstenkorn Battles His Way onto the Podium in Cheb
Mach1 Motorsport Driver Shows Strong Spirit After Setback in the Super Heat
Just a few weeks after his podium finish at the DKM season opener in Mülsen, Marc Gerstenkorn from Landshut once again proved his class at the second round of the 2026 German Karting Championship. At the inaugural DKM event at the Fun Arena Cheb, the Mach1 Motorsport driver fought his way back impressively after a bitter setback and still made it onto the podium in the KZ2 Cup final.
Marc had already impressed at the season opener in Mülsen with a second-place finish in the final. The young driver seamlessly built on that performance in the Czech Republic. On the 1.202-kilometer track, he was among the fastest drivers from the start in the weekend’s largest field of 46 competitors.
With a second-place finish in qualifying, Marc laid the groundwork for a successful weekend. The Swiss driver also confirmed his strong pace in the heats, winning one race and setting the fastest lap time in the process. A second-place finish and a 14th-place finish in the remaining heats ensured that he was in a promising fifth position after the heats.
Sunday, however, began with a setback. In the Super Heat, Marc was involved in a collision immediately after the start and fell far behind. Instead of advancing to the final from the leading group, he started the final from 16th position.
But the 15-year-old didn’t let that rattle him. In the decisive final, Marc staged an impressive comeback. With consistently fast lap times, he worked his way through the field, gaining position after position. While there were several lead changes at the front, he remained error-free and consistently capitalized on every opportunity. After a strong performance, he finally crossed the finish line in third place, securing his second podium finish in the second DKM race of the season.
“After the Super Heat, I was naturally disappointed at first because we had worked our way into a much better starting position. That makes it all the more satisfying that we were able to fight back in the final. The team did a great job, and after how things went, the podium almost feels like a win,” Marc summed up the weekend.
With this latest podium finish, Marc continues to hold his own among the championship leaders. After two race weekends, he sits in third place with 141 points and remains firmly in the fight for the championship.
Following the successful weekend, attention is already turning to the next DKM race. In mid-July, the German Kart Championship will visit Ampfing, a track Marc knows very well and where he hopes to prove his strong form once again.
by Björn Niemann, www.fast-media.eu – www.kart-magazin.de