Brands Hatch, England (May 17, 2013) — American Michael Lewis has been released from a London, England, hospital and has not received any serious injuries as a result from an incident on Friday, May 16, during qualifying for this weekend’s 4th Round of the FIA Formula 3 European Championship at Brands Hatch. Although he has not been cleared to race, Michael does plan to return to the track on Saturday of this weekend to encourage his teammates and friends in the F3 paddock.

Michael’s practice and qualifying started slowly but he picked up the pace quickly. In Friday afternoon’s first Free Practice, Michael finished 13th fastest of the 29 drivers. Just a short time later in the second Free Practice, Michael moved up to the 10th fastest time. Michael and his team conversed to determine where he could pick up time in the Qualifying sessions. Michael looked strong during the first Qualifying session and finished 4th fastest in Qualifying 1a for Saturday’s Race 1, and 4th again for Qualifying 1a for Saturday’s Race 2. Because of the amount of drivers competing in the series, the Qualifying sessions are divided into Group A and Group B. After the end of the first round of Qualifying, Michael was positioned in 8th to start Saturday’s Race 1 and Race 2.

However, in the final two minutes of the Qualifying 2a session for Sunday’s Race 3, he tried to improve his qualifying time in Sector 1 just a little more. Upon entering Paddock Hill Bend, he tried to make a wider entry into the turn so he could improve his exit speed, his car snapped on entry, spun and sent him backward almost at full speed into a barrier. He was conscious immediately and then was transferred to the track’s medical center, but then was transported to a hospital in London for further tests. After conducting a number of medical tests, Michael was diagnosed with a mild concussion, but did not experience any broken bones.

While Michael will not be able to race in this weekend’s FIA Formula 3 European event, he plans to return to the track in the kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport team’s Dallara with Mercedes power at the series’ Round 5, which will take place May 31–June 2, at Austria’s Red Bull Ring.

Michael Lewis’ 2013 sponsor lineup includes K&N Motorsports, Eibach, Mercedes-Benz, ASE, Cometic Gasket, GoPro, Bell Helmets, Puma Motorsport, Subè Sports, Braille Batteries, Formula Medicine, Klotz, and Racing Electronics.

For more information about Mücke Motorsports and photos to download, visit www.muecke-motorsport.de.

American contact:

Meredith Kaplan Burns
[email protected]

International contact:

Roland Hanke
Team kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport Presse
E-Mail:…………… [email protected]

Background information of the German Team kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport from Berlin
Peter Mücke started in Formula motor sports with his team in 1998 and nowadays it is the one of the biggest and most successful private racing stables in Germany and it is involved in the DTM since 2005 as well. Already at the first year in Formula sports his son as the newbie in the field, Stefan Mücke, got the title for Mücke Motorsport at the Formula BMW, and at the offspring series there were three further titles, last time with Pascal Wehrlein in 2011 at the ADAC Formula Masters. The driver from Worndorf got the sixth Rookie title one year later as well as the fifth vice championship at the drivers ranking since the access of Mücke into the Formula 3 in 1999. Attached to that there were two wins at the Formula 3 Masters in Zandvoort as well as position two in 2012 at the Formula 3 Grand Prix in Macau of the Swede Felix Rosenqvist, who was championship third last year as well and who fights for the European Championship title in the actual team as well. Now in 2013 the team has four Dallara Mercedes at the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, as well as six Formula ADAC powered by Volkswagen at the ADAC Formula Masters.

Car master craftsman, car and bike shop owner Peter Mücke is involved in motor sports for about 40 years already. The 66 year old got more than 500 wins himself and has been Auto Cross European Champion three times in his self built Buggy as well as GDR Champion eleven times (seven times Auto-Cross, four times circular track) and is still behind the wheel of his Ford Capri RS at some Youngtimer races, if there is the time. His good feeling for talented drivers made his team to a well-known offspring team that offers the whole range, from rookies and beginners of motor sports up to the advancement into the royal league of the Formula sport. Until now, six former drivers of Mücke Motorsport started at the Formula 1. And one of them is the threefold World Champion Sebastian Vettel from Heppenheim. Five further drivers that were engaged in the offspring school of Mücke Motorsport in different series, also succeeded to drive at the Formula 1: Sergio Perez (Mexico), Robert Kubica (Poland), Sébastien Buemi (Switzerland), Christian Klien (Austria) and Markus Winkelhock (Germany).

Stefan Mücke (31), who is the consultant of his father’s team as well, switched 2007 to the sports cars scene after his time as Mercedes pilot at the DTM. In 2009, he was the champion of the Le Mans Series in the LMP1 sports car prototype, in 2011 vice champion at the FIA GT1 World Championship and in 2012 vice champion with his Team Aston Martin Racing at the FIA World Endurance Championship. At the WEC, the Berlin is behind the wheel in 2013 as well and this will be his sixth year in a row as Aston Martin works driver. In June he will take part at the famous 24 hour race of Le Mans for the seventh time.