July 18, 2025
Published on tags: SL1 SL2 FS1 FS2

 

A visit to the Eifel mountains brought the GPVWC paddock to the Nurburgring, where drivers and strategists alike were tested by fluctuating weather, varied tyre strategies and tightly-packed grids.
Formula Sprint 2: McGaugie Clinical, Lawless Cashes In
Owen McGaugie delivered a qualifying lap of intent to take pole by over three tenths, and in the wet/dry Race 1 conditions on slicks, he never looked under threat once the track dried. Behind him, Joe Gillett made quiet progress from fifth to second, while Sandeep Singh recorded another solid podium.

The weather added a layer of uncertainty, as several drivers gambled on wets while others committed to slicks. Ultimately, it was the dry tyre that prevailed, though late-race rain added spice, and allowed the likes of Kaspar Koorits and James Knox to rise through the field.

Race 2 saw Brody Lawless claim his second win of the campaign with a clean, composed drive from 12th. Filip Czerwinski and Singh rounded out the podium, the latter delivering another double podium weekend. Elsewhere, Knox and Vakuinof remained consistent, while McGaugie had to fight from deep in the pack to salvage fifth after the reverse grid start. We still await the P11 dice roll - it's been two seasons since we last saw 11th place in race 1 start on pole position for race 2.

Formula Sprint 1: Malta Force Power, but Klont Seizes the Moment
Qualifying was another demonstration of Malta Force muscle, with Pawel Andrzejewski and Mateusz Majka locking out the front row. In Race 1, Majka controlled proceedings en route to victory, as Roszak and Hamming filled the remaining podium spots. KKR's Lucas Thylin impressed with a charge to fourth.

Race 2 flipped the narrative. With grid positions reversed, Menno Klont made the most of a P3 start to win a tightly contested sprint, holding off Saracino and Lawless after taking the lead just a few hundred metres from the end. Klont has competed in over 300 FS1 races, and this was his 5th win.

It was a chaotic race for the championship leaders; Majka and Roszak failed to finish, whilst Andrzejewski didn't score, blowing the title fight wide open.

Superlights: Soriano Shines
Netrex and Brehm looked well-prepared from the outset, and though Oscar Soltero took pole, it was Jose Soriano who managed the race to perfection. A clean strategy and consistent pace saw him lead home a ahead of Soltero.

Lucas Murno continued his solid form with another podium, while Puschke and Majka (in a rare SL2 outing) completed the top five. The medium tyre ultimately proved the more consistent race compound, with fewer late-race drop-offs.

Further back, there were strong gains from Robin Moelling and Agustin Canapino, while Meschede and Hurlock both retired after promising starts. Hurlock chose to leave the series after the race, leaving Optiminal searching for a replacement before Spa.

Superleague: Denehan Returns, THR Flips The Script
Jake Denehan returned to the SL1 grid and instantly reminded the field why he was 2023 champion. Taking pole and executing a soft-hard-hard two-stop strategy to perfection, he held off a fast-finishing Loic Meunier to win by just six tenths.

THR played the long game, with both Teien and Stevens making significant gains on alternative strategies. Teien climbed from 16th to third, Stevens from 19th to fifth. Meunier and Martin traded blows throughout, the latter fading slightly after a three-stop call, eventually losing out to Teien.

Jarl himself will have been disappointed with a strategy call that put him behind Meuiner and Martin, albeit on fresher soft tyres. He then made a mistake trying to get to the back of Martin, which cost him time and ultimately the chance for a race win. If he had pitted just one lap earlier, it was entirely possible he could have taken the win, but nevertheless it was a remarkable drive considering his lowly qualifying.

Puschke, Frelik and Schubert all gained ground, while early contenders like Schlueter and Maggio fell out of contention. For not the first time this season, Maggio qualified well but connection issues cost him in the race. For Denehan, it was a reminder of what he can do. For the rest, it was a warning; Super Venturi are still scoring, even in Jan Granqvist's absence.