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March 28, 2025
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Jan Granqvist reaffirmed his title credentials with a stunning victory at Istanbul Park, taking his second consecutive win of the 2025 Superleague season.
The Turkish Grand Prix was a race of finely balanced strategies, relentless pressure, and heartbreak for several key contenders.
Qualifying: Meunier on Top, Margins Tight
Qualifying in Turkey was fiercely competitive, with Loic Meunier (Spark) delivering a sensational lap to snatch pole position with a 1:21.211: just over two tenths clear of Szymon Frelik (TOP). Tomasz Wach (Road2Formula) slotted into third, with Alessandro Maggio (Valle) and Granqvist rounding out the top five. Less than a second separated the top 25, underlining how tight the Superleague field is this year.
Race: Granqvist Shows His Class
After a solid start, Granqvist kept himself within the leading group and executed a near-perfect two-stop strategy (soft-hard-medium) to gradually climb into contention. As the strategies unfolded, the Super Venturi driver emerged as the most consistent front-runner, and by the final stint he had clear air to convert his pace into a controlled win.
Loic Meunier, who led from pole early on, was unable to hold off Granqvist's charge but still secured a very respectable second for Spark. Matthew Williams continued his strong start to the season for Edonis, taking third place and proving once again that the veteran still has plenty to offer in 2025.
Szymon Frelik had to settle for fourth after battling at the front in the early stages, while Tomasz Wach rounded out the top five in another solid showing for Road2Formula.
Further back, Carlos Martin (TOP) gained three positions to finish sixth, while THR drivers Jarl Teien and Tom Stevens recovered from poor qualifying with aggressive three-stop strategies that netted them seventh and tenth respectively, despite Stevens being involved in contact with Dan Brewer that ultimately cost Stevens 12 seconds and ended Brewer's race. Robin Pansar drove an excellent race from 20th on the grid to finish eighth, underlining Edonis's strength at this circuit.
Jukkapekka Lalu (Super Venturi) completed the top nine, while Heigo Poom (AKA Hero) just missed out on a top-ten finish.
There was a threat of rain at a couple of points, with very light drizzle threatening to cause chaos in the race, but it never got wet enough for inters, and the rain subsided after just a few laps.
Misfortune for Maggio, Disaster for FTR
Not everyone had reason to celebrate. Alessandro Maggio, who looked quick all weekend, saw his race unravel despite attempting an ambitious three-stop strategy. After battling near the front, he was forced to retire after just 22 laps due to a disconnect, throwing away potential points.
Road2Formula's other driver, Alex Lehoux, also failed to finish, while Fraser Tartan Racing suffered a nightmare: both Mike Kwint and Matt Richards retired before the halfway point. Red Archer's Chris Shepherd also failed to see the chequered flag.
Marc Schlueter (Edge) retired after just five laps, and despite a strong showing in Bahrain, will be looking to bounce back after a frustrating weekend.
What We Learned in Istanbul
Granqvist's win wasn't just about raw pace, it was about strategic execution. His calm, calculated drive echoed his Melbourne performance and confirms that the Super Venturi package is working across multiple circuits.
Spark's Meunier, despite missing out on the win, proved he has one-lap pace and race-day composure. The team looks like a serious podium threat going forward. Matthew Williams, meanwhile, continues to be one of the sharpest operators on the grid, making the most of Edonis's tyre-friendly car.
As for THR, questions will be asked about their three-stop strategy, which limited their top-end potential. A better qualifying session might have given them more flexibility, but Teien and Stevens' fightbacks were still impressive.
With two rounds in the books, the title race is already heating up. Granqvist looks ominously consistent, but there are no easy points in this year's Superleague, and Turkey proved that even small missteps can cost big.
The circus now heads to Round 3 with everything still to play for, and teams urgently crunching the numbers to refine strategies, based on the variety seen in Istanbul.
Qualifying: Meunier on Top, Margins Tight
Qualifying in Turkey was fiercely competitive, with Loic Meunier (Spark) delivering a sensational lap to snatch pole position with a 1:21.211: just over two tenths clear of Szymon Frelik (TOP). Tomasz Wach (Road2Formula) slotted into third, with Alessandro Maggio (Valle) and Granqvist rounding out the top five. Less than a second separated the top 25, underlining how tight the Superleague field is this year.
Race: Granqvist Shows His Class
After a solid start, Granqvist kept himself within the leading group and executed a near-perfect two-stop strategy (soft-hard-medium) to gradually climb into contention. As the strategies unfolded, the Super Venturi driver emerged as the most consistent front-runner, and by the final stint he had clear air to convert his pace into a controlled win.
Loic Meunier, who led from pole early on, was unable to hold off Granqvist's charge but still secured a very respectable second for Spark. Matthew Williams continued his strong start to the season for Edonis, taking third place and proving once again that the veteran still has plenty to offer in 2025.
Szymon Frelik had to settle for fourth after battling at the front in the early stages, while Tomasz Wach rounded out the top five in another solid showing for Road2Formula.
Further back, Carlos Martin (TOP) gained three positions to finish sixth, while THR drivers Jarl Teien and Tom Stevens recovered from poor qualifying with aggressive three-stop strategies that netted them seventh and tenth respectively, despite Stevens being involved in contact with Dan Brewer that ultimately cost Stevens 12 seconds and ended Brewer's race. Robin Pansar drove an excellent race from 20th on the grid to finish eighth, underlining Edonis's strength at this circuit.
Jukkapekka Lalu (Super Venturi) completed the top nine, while Heigo Poom (AKA Hero) just missed out on a top-ten finish.
There was a threat of rain at a couple of points, with very light drizzle threatening to cause chaos in the race, but it never got wet enough for inters, and the rain subsided after just a few laps.
Misfortune for Maggio, Disaster for FTR
Not everyone had reason to celebrate. Alessandro Maggio, who looked quick all weekend, saw his race unravel despite attempting an ambitious three-stop strategy. After battling near the front, he was forced to retire after just 22 laps due to a disconnect, throwing away potential points.
Road2Formula's other driver, Alex Lehoux, also failed to finish, while Fraser Tartan Racing suffered a nightmare: both Mike Kwint and Matt Richards retired before the halfway point. Red Archer's Chris Shepherd also failed to see the chequered flag.
Marc Schlueter (Edge) retired after just five laps, and despite a strong showing in Bahrain, will be looking to bounce back after a frustrating weekend.
What We Learned in Istanbul
Granqvist's win wasn't just about raw pace, it was about strategic execution. His calm, calculated drive echoed his Melbourne performance and confirms that the Super Venturi package is working across multiple circuits.
Spark's Meunier, despite missing out on the win, proved he has one-lap pace and race-day composure. The team looks like a serious podium threat going forward. Matthew Williams, meanwhile, continues to be one of the sharpest operators on the grid, making the most of Edonis's tyre-friendly car.
As for THR, questions will be asked about their three-stop strategy, which limited their top-end potential. A better qualifying session might have given them more flexibility, but Teien and Stevens' fightbacks were still impressive.
With two rounds in the books, the title race is already heating up. Granqvist looks ominously consistent, but there are no easy points in this year's Superleague, and Turkey proved that even small missteps can cost big.
The circus now heads to Round 3 with everything still to play for, and teams urgently crunching the numbers to refine strategies, based on the variety seen in Istanbul.
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