April 16, 2025

 

The fast, tight sweepers of Jeddah was always going to result in some high-speed contact and drama, and in FS2 we had the two most chaotic races of the season so far.
Qualifying saw Kaspar Koorits continue his impressive form with a blistering 1:51.641 to take pole. He was followed closely by Sandeep Singh and Junio Lopes, with newcomer Julian Klaffenboeck impressing in fourth on his return to the series.

But all of that was thrown into the wind almost immediately.

Race 1 - Immediate Drama
At the start of Race 1, Singh got a rocket launch and snatched the lead from Koorits into Turn 1. Just a few corners later, the race was turned on its head when Singh lost the rear end through the high-speed sweeps, taking Koorits with him. Singh dropped to 25th, Koorits fell to 4th, and both championship contenders suddenly found themselves fighting from behind.

That opened the door for Junio Lopes, who took the lead and looked set to convert it into victory. Klaffenboeck, however, had other ideas. The Austrian driver showed calm under pressure and stunning pace, first closing in and then pulling a daring move around the outside into Turn 1 to take the lead. From there, he controlled the pace, even as the field behind jostled for position.

James Knox put in a quietly strong performance to finish fifth after a clean drive, while Omari Watson held off Koorits in the closing stages until the RGS driver finally muscled through. Behind them, David de Vree finished sixth, with Kerala, Tuomaala, Falkenhain, and Okkenhaug rounding out the top ten.

But the real drama came late in the race. Klaffenboeck, with a comfortable lead, triggered a drive-through penalty for exceeding track limits. Although it initially appeared he would have to serve it and drop through the pack, he successfully appealed to the live race steward for a review, and will argue he had lifted sufficiently. The penalty was withdrawn during the race, but the disciplinary committee may still have their say post-race.

That meant Klaffenboeck took the win on track - in his first race in GPVWC since 2023 - ahead of Lopes and Koorits, who extended his championship lead despite still being winless.

Race 2
A P12 finish for Klaffenboeck in Race 1 handed Singh reverse-grid pole for Race 2, and the Potentia driver made no mistakes this time.

He launched cleanly and controlled the race from the front, showing both pace and poise. Klaffenboeck meanwhile stormed through the field again, making light work of his reverse-grid starting spot to rise into second, but he couldn't close down Singh, who crossed the line with a commanding margin and bagged 20 critical points in the championship.

Boby Vakuinof also shone with a superb third place for the Hut Performance Engineering Team, his best finish of the season. Knox was fourth again, sealing a strong weekend, while Okkenhaug and Jongstra battled their way into the top six. Okkenhaug and Knox ran side by side to the line, separated by less than half a tenth.

Behind them, Domenico Scarpelli scored his best result yet in eighth, while Damir Kuratko pulled off one of the most impressive comebacks - up 10 spots to finish ninth. De Vree rounded out the top ten, with Rohtjärv, Murno, and Watson in close pursuit.

Koorits could only manage 19th, having had quite a few incidents during the race, including one with Joonas Kaurala that initially appeared to be a misjudgment from Koorits, but on second viewing was perhaps more of a racing incident, as Joonas slightly opened the steering. Lopes retired early after contact, but despite that, both him and Koorits remain in the thick of the championship battle.

The Standings
Koorits still leads the standings thanks to his relentless consistency, never outside the top four in a feature race. Lopes and Watson are in pursuit, while Singh's race two win puts him firmly back in contention and now topping the standings.

Julian Klaffenboeck's wildcard appearance, though potentially temporary, has certainly shaken up the pecking order. If he returns again, expect him to be a thorn in the side of the title hopefuls.

Driving Standards
FS2 Round 4 was as much defined by its wheel-to-wheel racing as it was by a string of questionable driving standards that marred both races.

The first corner turned into flashpoints, with the field often bunching into contact (going three wide at times) and several drivers appearing overly aggressive or lacking situational awareness, with poor rejoins and not holding the brake whilst sideways across the track contributing to further contact. While some of the field showed strong racecraft, these repeated errors highlight the urgent need for cleaner, more respectful racing as the season progresses. We hope this changes at Barcelona, in two weeks time.