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May 22, 2025
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In Indycar, when it rains, they don't go out on track. In GPVWC, on the road course, come rain or shine you'll see the cars out there. A hugely rain-affected qualifying threw up some surprises for Superlights.
With the rain falling heavily at the start of qualifying, nearly every driver set their fastest lap on their first timed attempt before conditions deteriorated. Times tumbled early but stabilised quickly, and drivers who failed to nail a clean lap early found themselves mired in the midfield or worse.
Rouven Meschede took pole for Optiminal, just ahead of Mike Kwint and Norbert Jakab. Rain returned with a vengeance until the very end, where the track began drying too late to make a meaningful difference.
Stick or Twist
The drying conditions in warmup left the grid facing a tricky choice for the race start: dries or intermediates. Among those opting for inters were Aleksander Rogoza, Mika Hakimi, Maxime Beaulieu, and Robin Moelling, while David Fidock started from the pit lane on the same compound. The gamble worked initially, as Rogoza made early progress and was in the hunt for a top-five spot by lap 3, but as the circuit dried quickly, those on slicks surged ahead. By lap 6, Rogoza was forced to pit, dropping out of contention.
Lucas Murno though delivered a near-flawless performance for Fusion, perfectly executing a two-stop strategy. This was only his second Superlights race, his first being last time out in Spain where he took 4th place. Crucially, he was the only front-runner to run soft tyres in the final stint, allowing him to reel in and pass Mitchell in the final laps and claim his first win of the season.
Meschede came back at Murno but made a small mistake with a slide in the first sector costing him a chance at the win. He had led early from pole and looked set to win, but ultimately couldn't hold off the charging Murno. Still, his second-place finish and a podium for teammate Joseph Hurlock capped off a superb result for Optiminal, with both cars in the top three.
Strategy Options
Further back, Jose Soriano impressed again for Netrex in fourth, while Luke Mitchell nearly made a bold one-stop strategy work, holding on for fifth despite intense pressure in the closing laps. At one point it looked possible he might take the win, but in the end the two stopping drivers managed to get by.
Mike Kwint tried the same one-stop strategy as Mitchell but faded late on and pitted again, eventually finishing seventh. Norbert Jakab, who had qualified on the second row, fell back to sixth in what became a tyre management battle. Behind him, Jasse Lahtinen and Harry Smith both charged through the field to finish eighth and ninth respectively, gaining a combined 23 positions between them.
Agustin Canapino rounded out the top ten for TTF, returning to GPVWC in the second tier, while Patrekur Magnusson slipped down the order after pitting only once. David Fidock's charge from the pit lane to 12th on a three-stop strategy earned him a few points.
In four weeks time, the grid heads north to Canada, where weather could once again be at play.
Rouven Meschede took pole for Optiminal, just ahead of Mike Kwint and Norbert Jakab. Rain returned with a vengeance until the very end, where the track began drying too late to make a meaningful difference.
Stick or Twist
The drying conditions in warmup left the grid facing a tricky choice for the race start: dries or intermediates. Among those opting for inters were Aleksander Rogoza, Mika Hakimi, Maxime Beaulieu, and Robin Moelling, while David Fidock started from the pit lane on the same compound. The gamble worked initially, as Rogoza made early progress and was in the hunt for a top-five spot by lap 3, but as the circuit dried quickly, those on slicks surged ahead. By lap 6, Rogoza was forced to pit, dropping out of contention.
Lucas Murno though delivered a near-flawless performance for Fusion, perfectly executing a two-stop strategy. This was only his second Superlights race, his first being last time out in Spain where he took 4th place. Crucially, he was the only front-runner to run soft tyres in the final stint, allowing him to reel in and pass Mitchell in the final laps and claim his first win of the season.
Meschede came back at Murno but made a small mistake with a slide in the first sector costing him a chance at the win. He had led early from pole and looked set to win, but ultimately couldn't hold off the charging Murno. Still, his second-place finish and a podium for teammate Joseph Hurlock capped off a superb result for Optiminal, with both cars in the top three.
Strategy Options
Further back, Jose Soriano impressed again for Netrex in fourth, while Luke Mitchell nearly made a bold one-stop strategy work, holding on for fifth despite intense pressure in the closing laps. At one point it looked possible he might take the win, but in the end the two stopping drivers managed to get by.
Mike Kwint tried the same one-stop strategy as Mitchell but faded late on and pitted again, eventually finishing seventh. Norbert Jakab, who had qualified on the second row, fell back to sixth in what became a tyre management battle. Behind him, Jasse Lahtinen and Harry Smith both charged through the field to finish eighth and ninth respectively, gaining a combined 23 positions between them.
Agustin Canapino rounded out the top ten for TTF, returning to GPVWC in the second tier, while Patrekur Magnusson slipped down the order after pitting only once. David Fidock's charge from the pit lane to 12th on a three-stop strategy earned him a few points.
In four weeks time, the grid heads north to Canada, where weather could once again be at play.
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