April 03, 2025

 

The Formula Sprint 2 field stormed into Japan for Round 3 of the 2025 GPVWC season, and what a round it turned out to be. From dramatic pedal failures to long-awaited victories, Suzuka served up a cracking double-header.
Singh Strikes Gold in Race 1
Potentia's Sandeep Singh made his intentions clear right from the outset, topping the qualifying session with a blistering 1:48.477. Starting from pole, Singh delivered a commanding drive to seal his first win of the season, resisting late pressure from Orbit's Omari Watson and RGS's Kaspar Koorits. The three crossed the line nose-to-tail, with just over two seconds separating the podium finishers.

Behind them, Excelion's dynamic duo of James Knox and Kert Rohtjarv showed serious pace to round out the top five, while Magnus Okkenhaug impressed once again with a charge from 12th on the grid to sixth, continuing his consistent form.

Ben Skinner and Domenico Scarpelli collected valuable points for RNG and Potentia respectively, and Craig Patteson led Priority 1's double-score finish in ninth, closely followed by teammate Joonas Kaurala. However, the biggest story of the race was further down the field.

Junio Lopes, who before Japan was leading the championship with a win and double podium in the opening two rounds, suffered a hardware failure mid-race. With his pedals detaching from his rig, the KAP Clay driver was forced into a bizarre and frustrating retirement while running well inside the points, having had a couple of spins trying to deal with the problem. It was a cruel blow that left him point-less for the entire round, as he didn't start race 2.

Skinner Soars in Race 2
Race 2 saw a reversed grid based on Race 1 results, and Team RNG's Ben Skinner seized the moment with both hands. Starting seventh, Skinner scythed through the field and held off a late charge from Kaspar Koorits to take a well-earned first win of the season.

Koorits continued his superb form with another podium, keeping the pressure on at the top of the standings. Mikael Tuomaala delivered his strongest result yet for KAP Clay, finishing third and helping the team bounce back after Lopes' woes.

Further down, Joonas Kaurala impressed again in fourth, capping off a solid weekend for Priority 1. Meanwhile, Sandeep Singh made up eight places from his starting spot to finish fifth, adding yet more points to his growing tally and underlining his pace at Suzuka.

Thijs Jongstra and Omari Watson both secured top-ten finishes once again, while Freccia Nera's Steven Lexow turned heads with a charge to ninth from 19th on the grid. GPVWC Academy's Lucas Murno also deserves a mention for a storming drive to tenth after starting 28th.

Title Race Tightens
With two more strong results, Koorits has now closed the gap to Junio Lopes, and overtaken him, in the championship. The RGS driver sits 19 points ahead of the Portuguese driver, who endured a disastrous round with two DNFs.

Meanwhile, Omari Watson continues to impress with consistency, also very close to Koorits. Sandeep Singh's resurgence has also vaulted him firmly into the title conversation, just a handful of points adrift after his Suzuka masterclass.

As for team battles, Potentia and RGS are now locked in a fierce scrap at the top of the constructors' standings. The next few rounds could be pivotal in shaping the outcome of the season.

Off-Track Drama
Notably absent from the grid was RGS driver Brody Lawless, who did not attend the round as his conduct is currently under review. With Lawless previously scoring big in Turkey, his absence was felt by the team, although Koorits carried the banner with distinction.