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March 26, 2025
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The 2025 Super Lights season continued its explosive start at Istanbul Park, where Netrex GP's Jose Soriano claimed a hard-fought victory after a dramatic race marked by intense strategy, standout overtakes, and first-lap chaos.
Qualifying: Soriano Seals It Late
The return to Istanbul saw a qualifying session that lived up to the hype, as drivers battled through the medium-speed, technical layout to string together perfect laps. In a session where many found speed in only parts of the lap, it was Soriano who pulled it together at just the right moment, setting a 1:23.716 to snatch pole by 0.069s from Draig's Philipp Puschke.
The top three were covered by just 0.078s, with Rouven Meschede in third for Optiminal, closely followed by Tom Satherley (Brehm), Mike Kwint (Lunarc), and a mighty lap from Jan Dragoun (True North) in sixth. Behind them, Joseph Hurlock (Optiminal), Cas Rietveld (Brehm), Harry Smith (Netrex), and Luke Mitchell (Kings Racing) rounded out a fiercely competitive top 10.
Just a single second separated P1 from P20 - highlighting once again how tight the Super Lights grid is in 2025.
Race Start: Carnage at Turn One
When the lights went out, it was Soriano who launched best; but as the field stormed into the downhill corkscrew of Turn 1, it quickly turned into chaos. Contact mid-pack sent several cars spinning and front wings flying. Daniel Scott (Rookie Monsters) was the first confirmed retirement with a technical issue, while Gallery 82's Aleksander Rogoza also lost his front wing and never recovered.
Despite the melee behind, Soriano held his lead, with Puschke settling into second after briefly being jumped by Meschede. Jan Dragoun showed immediate aggression, pulling off an incredible move around the outside of Turn 8 to move into fifth in one of the early highlights of the race.
The Front Battle: Tyre Games and Bold Moves
For the opening phase, Soriano led, but the Spaniard's early pace began to falter as his tires degraded rapidly. By lap 11, the Netrex driver was visibly struggling and under heavy pressure from Puschke and Meschede. Just a lap later, Puschke pounced, sliding up the inside to take the lead with a textbook overtake.
Moments later, Puschke dived into the pits, opting to undercut his rivals by switching to hards on lap 12. That move proved crucial in keeping him in the fight once the rest of the front-runners stopped a lap later.
Midfield Madness: Battles Everywhere
While the leaders played the long game, the midfield delivered the fireworks. The likes of Patrekur Magnusson, Chris Gitsov, and Dawid Krupa were locked in an electrifying scrap for the lower points. At one point, a three-wide moment into Turn 12 nearly ended in disaster, but incredible racecraft from all three drivers saw it through cleanly.
Krupa, in particular, made headlines with a sensational Ricciardo-style divebomb from what felt like another postcode to secure a move up to P17. 'That's one of the best overtakes I've seen in my commentary career,' said commentator Ross McIntyre on the YouTube broadcast - and he wasn't exaggerating.
Drama Strikes: Retirements and Strategy
As expected, tire wear played a huge role. Soriano, having gone too hard too early, was forced to relinquish positions, but his calm execution of a later stop kept him in the podium fight.
Not so fortunate was Joseph Hurlock, who endured a rollercoaster race. After dropping back early, he fought back brilliantly, only to collide with Svilo and eventually retire on lap 12 with damage. The Gallery 82 pairing of Galka and Rogoza also retired mid-race, compounding a dismal weekend for the squad.
The Finish: Soriano Holds Firm
Once the dust settled from the pit cycles, Soriano emerged back at the front, but now under relentless pressure from Puschke and Dragoun. Despite the tire advantage swinging away from him late on, the Spaniard held his nerve and defended superbly, maintaining track position where it mattered most.
After 47 laps of thrilling action, it was Jose Soriano who crossed the line first, earning his first GPVWC victory in just his second Super Lights race. Puschke took a hard-fought second, while Jan Dragoun completed the podium with a stunning drive from sixth on the grid.
Meschede and Kwint rounded out the top five, while Cas Rietveld, Harry Smith, Luke Mitchell, Matias Canapino, and Patrekur Magnusson claimed points-paying positions.
With two rounds down, the Super Lights championship is already shaping up to be a classic. Soriano's rise to the top has added a new contender into the mix, while the usual suspects, Puschke, Savtherley, Dragoun, are all very much in the hunt. With Istanbul delivering a brutal test of car and driver, the season's narrative is only just beginning.
Bring on Round 3.
The return to Istanbul saw a qualifying session that lived up to the hype, as drivers battled through the medium-speed, technical layout to string together perfect laps. In a session where many found speed in only parts of the lap, it was Soriano who pulled it together at just the right moment, setting a 1:23.716 to snatch pole by 0.069s from Draig's Philipp Puschke.
The top three were covered by just 0.078s, with Rouven Meschede in third for Optiminal, closely followed by Tom Satherley (Brehm), Mike Kwint (Lunarc), and a mighty lap from Jan Dragoun (True North) in sixth. Behind them, Joseph Hurlock (Optiminal), Cas Rietveld (Brehm), Harry Smith (Netrex), and Luke Mitchell (Kings Racing) rounded out a fiercely competitive top 10.
Just a single second separated P1 from P20 - highlighting once again how tight the Super Lights grid is in 2025.
Race Start: Carnage at Turn One
When the lights went out, it was Soriano who launched best; but as the field stormed into the downhill corkscrew of Turn 1, it quickly turned into chaos. Contact mid-pack sent several cars spinning and front wings flying. Daniel Scott (Rookie Monsters) was the first confirmed retirement with a technical issue, while Gallery 82's Aleksander Rogoza also lost his front wing and never recovered.
Despite the melee behind, Soriano held his lead, with Puschke settling into second after briefly being jumped by Meschede. Jan Dragoun showed immediate aggression, pulling off an incredible move around the outside of Turn 8 to move into fifth in one of the early highlights of the race.
The Front Battle: Tyre Games and Bold Moves
For the opening phase, Soriano led, but the Spaniard's early pace began to falter as his tires degraded rapidly. By lap 11, the Netrex driver was visibly struggling and under heavy pressure from Puschke and Meschede. Just a lap later, Puschke pounced, sliding up the inside to take the lead with a textbook overtake.
Moments later, Puschke dived into the pits, opting to undercut his rivals by switching to hards on lap 12. That move proved crucial in keeping him in the fight once the rest of the front-runners stopped a lap later.
Midfield Madness: Battles Everywhere
While the leaders played the long game, the midfield delivered the fireworks. The likes of Patrekur Magnusson, Chris Gitsov, and Dawid Krupa were locked in an electrifying scrap for the lower points. At one point, a three-wide moment into Turn 12 nearly ended in disaster, but incredible racecraft from all three drivers saw it through cleanly.
Krupa, in particular, made headlines with a sensational Ricciardo-style divebomb from what felt like another postcode to secure a move up to P17. 'That's one of the best overtakes I've seen in my commentary career,' said commentator Ross McIntyre on the YouTube broadcast - and he wasn't exaggerating.
Drama Strikes: Retirements and Strategy
As expected, tire wear played a huge role. Soriano, having gone too hard too early, was forced to relinquish positions, but his calm execution of a later stop kept him in the podium fight.
Not so fortunate was Joseph Hurlock, who endured a rollercoaster race. After dropping back early, he fought back brilliantly, only to collide with Svilo and eventually retire on lap 12 with damage. The Gallery 82 pairing of Galka and Rogoza also retired mid-race, compounding a dismal weekend for the squad.
The Finish: Soriano Holds Firm
Once the dust settled from the pit cycles, Soriano emerged back at the front, but now under relentless pressure from Puschke and Dragoun. Despite the tire advantage swinging away from him late on, the Spaniard held his nerve and defended superbly, maintaining track position where it mattered most.
After 47 laps of thrilling action, it was Jose Soriano who crossed the line first, earning his first GPVWC victory in just his second Super Lights race. Puschke took a hard-fought second, while Jan Dragoun completed the podium with a stunning drive from sixth on the grid.
Meschede and Kwint rounded out the top five, while Cas Rietveld, Harry Smith, Luke Mitchell, Matias Canapino, and Patrekur Magnusson claimed points-paying positions.
With two rounds down, the Super Lights championship is already shaping up to be a classic. Soriano's rise to the top has added a new contender into the mix, while the usual suspects, Puschke, Savtherley, Dragoun, are all very much in the hunt. With Istanbul delivering a brutal test of car and driver, the season's narrative is only just beginning.
Bring on Round 3.
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