March 05, 2025

 

GPVWC kicked off 2025 competitively with the opening round of the Formula Sprint 2 Championship delivering an action-packed night of racing, as drivers took on the season's first two sprint races.
Qualifying: Junio Lopes on Pole

The weekend started with Junio Lopes (KAP Clay) asserting himself as the early favourite, setting a blistering 1:35.231 lap to claim pole position. He was followed closely by Kaspar Koorits (RGS), just 0.177s behind, while Omari Watson (Orbit) secured third, only 0.258s off pole.

Further down the order, Sandeep Singh (Potentia) showed strongly with fourth place, and Michael Falkenhain (Mapes-VO) rounded out the top five. The field was tightly packed, with just over a second separating the top 20 drivers.

Race 1: Lopes Converts Pole into Victory

With a perfect getaway from pole, Lopes controlled the first race, leading from start to finish. He faced early pressure from Koorits and Singh, but his pace was simply too strong as he stretched his advantage.

Behind him, the fight for the podium was intense. Sandeep Singh played it cautiously, his experience telling as he gradually brought himself into play. Singh ended up with P2 on the road, after Koorits had to pit for a drive through penalty, and then got close to Junio, just 0.923s behind Lopes at the chequered flag. Watson held onto third, securing a solid points haul for Orbit.

The biggest mover in the top 10 was Magnus Okkenhaug (HBS), who started P11 but fought his way up to a commendable P5. His strong performance was matched by James Knox (Excelion) and Domenico Scarpelli (Potentia), who climbed four and five places respectively.

There was heartbreak for Josh Flynn (Freccia Nera), who started sixth but fell down the order, finishing in P16. Meanwhile, rookie Andrea Chinaglia (GPVWC Academy) impressed with a P9 finish, having gained seven places.

There was a big incident on the first lap at turn 3 - Mikael Tuomaala struggling with a technical issue of some kind and collecting Kert Rohtjarv, which in turn caused a mini pileup. Several drivers were affected immediately with Penny, Vakuinof, Czerwinski and Szymon Kander all having to retire by the end of lap 1.

The biggest winner of the night, however, was Damir Kuratko (Freccia Nera). Starting all the way back in P31, he made up a stunning 17 places to finish P14, proving that even at the back, drivers could fight through the field.

Race 2: Reverse Grid Chaos

With the reverse grid draw set at 10, it was Samuil Slavev (Mapes-VO) who inherited pole for Race 2 after finishing P10 in Race 1. However, his hopes for a win were short-lived, as he gradually dropped through the field before retiring on lap 14, marking a devastating end to what could have been a golden opportunity.

Instead, it was Domenico Scarpelli (Potentia) who seized the moment, driving a flawless race to take victory. After finishing P7 in Race 1, Scarpelli showcased immense racecraft to climb from P4 to P1, claiming his first win of the season. It was a very popular win and Domenico was very happy to secure his first GPVWC victory, considering he had never even had a podium before. Potentia are part of the wider TOP Group, that Domenico himself called a family, and the Potentia outfit look very strong with Singh as Scarpelli's team mate in 2025.

Speaking of Sandeep, an incident early in the race left him without a front wing. He pitted and tried to recover, but ended up only 18th and out of the points.

Behind Scarpelli, Kaspar Koorits (RGS) continued his strong form, finishing just 0.885s behind in second place. Having dropped from P2 to P4 in Race 1, he made up for it with an aggressive yet calculated drive to take a podium in Race 2. Further down, Brody Lawless (RGS) had an outstanding recovery, moving from P19 to P4, making up 15 positions in a stunning drive. Reedingame have started the season strongly, after they finished 9th in the championship in 2024.

Race 1 winner Junio Lopes (KAP Clay) put in another incredible performance, storming through the field from P10 to P3 and securing valuable championship points. If there were any doubts about his consistency, he proved that his speed wasn't just limited to single-lap pace.

Likewise, Thijs Jongstra (Team RNG) climbed 15 spots to finish P10, ensuring an incredible points finish after a tough opening race.

Finally, a shout out to Andrea Chinaglia, who performed very well for the GPVWC Academy team, and was unlucky not to score very highly in race 2 after a couple of moments caused him to DNF from a competitive top 10 position. At one point, there was a possibility he could fight for the win, showcasing Andrea's ability, and a reminder that those in the Academy can search for an FS2 seat and potentially win one, as the season goes on.

After the first two rounds, Lopes provisionally leads the championship with 40 points, whilst Koorits consistency earns him 2nd position with 30 points. Scarpelli's race 2 win means he sits 3rd on 29 points.

In two weeks' time we visit Turkey for the next round, but for now, the next GPVWC action will be this Thursday, where FS1 will race for the first time in 2025.