February 5, 2025 | Formula Winter Series
Race 1:
For the first race, Gabriel Gomez started from pole position, alongside his US Racing teammate Edu Robinson.
As the lights went out, both front row starters struggled for traction off the line, allowing Hitech TGR’s Leo Robinson to immediately challenge for the lead from the second row. Gomez went defensive into the first corner, compromising his run towards turn three. As the cars passed through the first sector split, it was Leo Robinson in the lead, with Gomez and Edu Robinson in pursuit.
Behind, Maximilian Popov of Van Amersfoort Racing tagged Thomas Bearman’s Hitech entry at turn one, sending both drivers down the order. Bearman’s glasses were briefly unseated in the collision, while Popov accidentally engaged his pit limiter.
For much of the race, Leo Robinson retained the lead, seemingly managing the race well and keeping control of his gap.
However, in the final minutes of the race, the safety car was deployed. Sebastian Bach (AS Motorsport) had tagged Jenzer’s Enea Frey at the exit of turn three, sending Frey onto the grass, where he would remain stricken.
By the time the Safety Car lights were extinguished, the clock had already reached zero, meaning just one lap remained for Leo Robinson to hold off Gabriel Gomez at the front.
Unfortunately for the Hitech driver in the lead, it was clear that he was under pressure, and lacking speed through the first corners. Sure enough, at turn five, Gomez capitalised on a strong run to make the definitive move for victory. Leo Robinson finished second, ahead of his unrelated namesake Edu Robinson.
Red Bull Junior Team driver Fionn McLaughlin made his first start in car racing, and impressed by staying with the leading pack and comfortably winning the Rookie Trophy category in his Hitech entry.
Hitech also secured the win in the well-supported Female Trophy, courtesy of Nina Gademan, who finished sixth overall.
Race 2:
The second race began in much the same way as the first, as Gabriel Gomez and Edu Robinson once again started from the front row.
At the second time of asking, both US Racing drivers got better starts, but Leo Robinson was fast out of the blocks again. The Hitech driver tried to drive around the outside of turn one, becoming airborne on the exit kerb and losing out to both front row starters.
Then, on the exit of turn three, there was contact between Leo Robinson’s rear right tyre and the front wing endplate of his teammate Fionn McLaughlin. Unfortunately, this ended the race for Robinson, while McLaughlin’s front wing would gradually dislodge, eventually requiring a replacement before the chequered flag and dropping the Irishman to a 23rd-place finish.
Gabriel Gomez held the lead in spite of two safety car periods, and pressure from Edu Robinson.
The first Safety Car was caused by a collision at turn one between Female Trophy rivals Rafaela Ferreira and Mathilda Paatz. Ferreira was able to recover her car back to the pits, while Paatz’s AS Motorsport entry had to be recovered.
Mere moments after the race returned to green flag conditions, a collision between Aleksander Ruta (CRAM) and Maffi Racing’s Teo Borenstein at turn four forced a further pause. Ruta was beached in the gravel.
Once racing resumed for the final time, Gabriel Gomez set about creating enough of a cushion to comfortably drive the car home, 1.498 seconds clear of Edu Robinson. Maksimilian Popov rounded out the podium for Van Amersfoort Racing.
Luka Sammalisto finished fourth overall for US Racing, ahead of Thomas Bearman, who claimed the Rookie Trophy win. Bearman’s Hitech teammate Nina Gademan took Female Trophy honours once more, finishing tenth.
Race 3:
The third race of the weekend was held on Sunday morning, and greasy conditions greeted the drivers. Opinions on how to tackle the circuit were mixed, with many electing to start on slicks in anticipation of the surface drying out.
The front row once again featured US Racing’s Edu Robinson and Gabriel Gomez, albeit with the former starting from pole position. Both had slick tyres on their cars. The second row, consisting of Leo Robinson and Maxim Rehm, elected for wets.
The cars lined-up on the grid without issue, however, the gantry lights failed halfway through the starting procedure. This led to a heavily botched start, and many drivers falling through the field, while wet-shod Bart Harrison (Jenzer) moved from tenth to the lead with a good start, and a committed run through the opening corners.
However, after half a lap, the red flags flew as a result of the starting procedure issues.
The cars returned to pitlane, and were reorganised into their original qualifying order. During this time, a majority of drivers that had started on slicks retreated onto wet tyres, with only Maximilian Popov (Van Amersfoort Racing) and US Racing’s Andrija Kostic sticking to their guns. Unfortunately, this would not pay off for either driver as they ultimately finished a lap down.
After a pair of laps behind the safety car, the race finally resumed with a single-file restart, and 22 minutes on the clock.
Polesitter Edu Robinson struggled in the wet conditions, gradually slipping to the fringe of the top-ten. Hitech’s Fionn McLaughlin, who started fifth, clearly felt comfortable in the slippery conditions, and found himself in the lead after less than a lap.
McLaughlin managed the race wonderfully from the front of the order, doing enough to retain a comfortable buffer over Leo Robinson, who also picked his way forward early on. The pair remained in their positions, and netted a 1-2 finish for Hitech.
For McLaughlin, it was the perfect conclusion to his first weekend in single-seater racing, as he won both the overall and rookie trophy classification. McLaughlin reacted to his win on the live broadcast, saying: “It feels amazing! I’m so happy to be on the top step of the podium in F4, and to do it on my second day is just amazing. The track was drying out, so the tyres were burning out. I had to manage as soon as I had a big gap. […] It’s amazing to get a win for the [Hitech] boys, they’re just the best to be a part of, and I’m thankful to be in such an amazing family.”
Maxim Rehm finished third on the road for US Racing. However, in scrutineering, it was discovered that the brakes of the #71 car did not comply with the technical regulations. The car was therefore disqualified from all three races, which promoted Gabriel Gomez to third in race three, and cost Rehm 35 championship points.
Nina Gademan once again won the Female Trophy class, ahead of Alisha Palmowski (Campos), who fought well from a 28th starting position enforced by technical issues in qualifying. The pair of confirmed 2025 F1 Academy competitors finished 11th and 12th respectively.
Valencia hosts round two
In less than two weeks, the Formula Winter Series returns to Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo.
Gabriel Gomez has placed himself into a strong position in the championships courtesy of his victories, sitting on 69 points. The Brazilian driver is followed in by the standings by Edu and Leo Robinson, who are tied on 36 points, and Rookie Trophy points leader Fionn McLaughlin on 35.
The driver line-ups will remain broadly similar for the second of the season. However, Chloe Chambers is set to make her first Formula Winter Series start, replacing Raffaela Ferreira at Campos.
After missing the first round of the season, Guy Albag is anticipated to make his debut in the #11 AKM Motorsport entry.
Spectator access to the 13-16 February Valencia event is free, and also features the GT and GT4 Winter Series. Fans around the world can watch all of the action live on the Winter Series YouTube channel.
30 JAN – 02 FEB FWS & 6h of PORTIMÃO /P
13 FEB – 16 FEB VALENCIA /E
27 FEB – 2 MAR ARAGÓN /E
6 MAR – 9 MAR BARCELONA /E
13 MAR – 16 MAR 6h of BARCELONA /E
