2025 Formula Winter Series Rookie champion Fionn McLaughlin has secured the overall championship in British F4.

The talented 17-year-old Irish racer took five race victories and a total of 15 podiums during the British F4 season, securing both the Rookie Cup and the overall title. For his UK-based campaign, the Red Bull Junior continued his partnership with Hitech TGR, which was established in the midst of his car racing debut in the Formula Winter Series.

During the 2025 FWS season, McLaughlin was an immediate standout. The third race of the opening weekend at Portimão marked his first race victory in cars, and he remained in overall championship contention until the Barcelona finale.

Following his victorious British F4 season, McLaughlin has been confirmed as part of Hitech TGR’s 2026 FIA Formula 3 line-up, making the Irishman the latest Formula Winter Series frontrunner to quickly move up the ranks of junior single-seater racing.

2025 Formula Winter Series overall champion Gabriel Gomez is another driver poised for success this season.The US Racing driver currently runs second in both the Italian F4 and E4 Championship standings, with a round to go in each category. Furthermore, fellow 2025 FWS competitor Gino Trappa secured the F4 CEZ championship in September.

With the continued success of Formula Winter Series graduates, comes further ‘proof-of-concept’ for GEDLICH Racing’s Tatuus F4-T421 grid. The mileage, wheel-to-wheel competition and confidence gained at Portugal and Spain’s premier circuits is an invaluable tool for developing drivers, especially those taking the first steps into car racing.

Leading teams and drivers from the Formula 4 racing world will do battle once again during the 2026 Formula Winter Series, and all of the racing action will be live-streamed on the Winter Series YouTube channel. Tickets will be available for each round of the series, allowing fans the chance to enjoy racing action early in the calendar year.

GEDLICH Racing sends its congratulations to Fionn McLaughlin and Hitech TGR on a fabulous season!

2026 CALENDAR

22 – 25 JAN ESTORIL /P
5 – 8 FEB PORTIMAO /P
12 – 15 FEB VALENCIA /E
5 – 8 MAR ARAGÓN /E
12 – 15 MAR BARCELONA /E

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The 2025 edition of the GEDLICH Racing Winter Series is now in the rear-view mirror, and the German organisation is at full-speed preparing the best package for teams wishing to get a head start in 2026. The outgoing season has been well-received by its competitors, and as a result, GEDLICH has opted for consistency and continuity in the year ahead.

The Portuguese leg of the Winter Series will once again begin the 2026 season. The first round of the GT Winter Series, GT4 Winter Series and Prototype Winter Series will take place at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão, on 15-18 January.

All three categories will then travel north to Estoril for the second event of the season, where the GT- and Prototype machinery will be joined by the Formula Winter Series. Now entering its fourth season, this category is established as a leading platform for young aspiring single-seater talent. The revered traditional home of Portuguese motorsport will host the Winter Series from 22-25 January.

Teams from the GT and GT4 Winter Series will have the option of returning to the Algarve from 5-8 February, for the second edition of the GEDLICH Racing 6h of Portimão. As with the inaugural 2025 edition, this special standalone Winter Series event will open its doors to the fastest GT and Touring Car machinery, and teams from across Europe. The six-hour race is not a part of any points classification. On the same weekend, the ever-popular Portimão ‘rollercoaster’ will also play host to the second round of the 2026 Formula Winter Series.

Less than a week later, the action migrates to the Circuit Ricardo Tormo from 12-15 February. The Prototypes will take a hiatus, while the Formula, GT and GT4 grids will put on a show for the fans at one of the most popular GEDLICH Racing events of the year.

Next is Motorland Aragón, from 5-8 March. A region with over 60 years of motorsport history and in just two seasons of hosting Winter Series events, it has already proven to be a pivotal marker in the championship battles. The Prototypes will rejoin the GTs, GT4s and Formulas in Northern Spain, for the second event of the year featuring all GEDLICH Racing classes. The aforementioned date of 5/8 March is still to be confirmed (tbc).

The last round of all four 2026 Winter Series championships is scheduled to take place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, from 12-15 March. The tension and excitement of the season finale is always palpable, and 2026 will be no exception!

The Winter Series continues to lead the market for ‘off-season’ motorsport in Europe. All four championships offer a unique opportunity for teams to race in highly-competitive international events, alongside pre-summer testing at GEDLICH’s Race Test track events.

The GEDLICH Racing team looks forward to welcoming new and returning competitors into the paddock in 2026, for another scintillating season of Winter Series racing!

The 2025 Prototype Winter Series once again showcased the second-generation of LMP3 machinery, bringing the thunder of the 5.6-litre Nissan VK56 V8 to Spain and Portugal, quite possibly for the final time.

The second season of the Prototype Winter Series was a story of dominance, as Danny Soufi and Konrad Motorsport won seven races of the eight held across four weekends.

The season began at the Circuito Estoril. A battle that had been seen numerous times during 2024, between Soufi and the DKR Engineering Duqueine of Jon Brownson and Laurents Hörr, once again took place in the first race. In the first stint, Soufi dominated. Even though his pitstop would have to be 30 seconds longer than DKR’s pairing, owing to the pitstop handicap system based on driver rating, Soufi still went into the second half of the race in the lead. After the pitstops, Hörr shrunk the gap, but Soufi and Konrad Motorsport still won the race by ten seconds.

Race two was a more dominant affair for Soufi, winning the race by over 100 seconds. Quentin Joseph and David Droux of CLX Motorsport came home in second, just ahead of High Class Racing’s Philip Lindberg. It was an all-Ligier podium.

At the following round in Portimão, Soufi once again swept the weekend. In the first race, Soufi and Lindberg drove into the first two spots. Behind, there was a three-way battle for third between DKR’s Jon Brownson, CLX’s Quentin Joseph and Racing Spirit of Leman’s Christian Gisy.

Unfortunately, Gisy and Joseph made contact at turn three. This allowed Brownson to hold a comfortable third place until the pit window.
Laurents Hörr picked up the baton, and he moved into second at the expense of Philip Lindberg. CLX Motorsport’s David Droux took third place for he and Joseph.

The second race once again saw Soufi secure a relatively straight-forward victory, 38 seconds clear of CLX Motorsport’s pairing. CLX’s consistency, finishing on the podium in all four races in Portugal, established them in second position in the championship.

Aragon and Barcelona: The streak ends, but the title remains with Soufi and Konrad

After a break in February, the series resumed at Motorland Aragon.

Konrad Motorsport’s Danny Soufi once again performed flawlessly in the first race of the weekend, once again finishing ahead of the CLX Motorsport Ligier of Droux and Joseph.

Racing Experience’s Matthias Bjerre Jakobsen had an impressive last stint of the race, holding off Laurents Hörr to secure the first podium of the season for the #12 Duqueine. Hörr finished a close fourth, ahead of Philip Lindberg.

Hörr’s portion of the race was something of a salvage mission for DKR Engineering, after a tricky stint for Jon Brownson that featured a pair of spins. The veteran American racer woke up on Sunday morning feeling under the weather, and decided not to take part in race two.

As a result of Brownson’s illness, Hörr drove the race solo. And, while the talented German started the race from third, he quickly moved up to the lead in slippery conditions. As a solo Gold-rated driver, Horr’s pitstop handicap was marginally longer than Soufi’s, but the DKR driver still won the race by a dozen seconds over Konrad Motorsport’s American. This ended Soufi’s dominance of the season, as he finished off the top step for the first time in 2025.

The season finale at Barcelona featured the largest grid of the season, with new entries from KC2 Racing and Team Virage, alongside a second entry from Konrad Motorsport for Zino-Ferret Fahlke.

Danny Soufi left Motorland Aragon on the borderline of winning the championship. And so, with yet another dominant, race-winning performance from Soufi, the championships were decided. Soufi won the Prototype Winter Series drivers’ title for the second consecutive time, while Konrad wrapped up the teams’ title.

On the Sunday, Konrad Motorsport made one last statement. Soufi and Fahlke drove home to a 1-2 finish for the Konrad team, ahead of High Class Racing’s Philip Lindberg. Meanwhile, finishing in fourth, CLX Motorsport’s Quentin Joseph and David Droux finished in fourth.

This was enough to wrap up second in the standings ahead of Laurents Hörr, whose points score had been separated from Jon Brownson owing to his solo performance on Sunday at Aragon.

The performance of Soufi and Konrad Motorsport was even more impressive than the team-driver combination’s 2024 championship victory. With seven victories and an impressive dominant streak, Soufi and Konrad now head into their summer programme in Prototype Cup Germany with superb momentum.

The 2026 Prototype Winter Series is likely to feature the third-generation of LMP3 machinery, which has already been tested extensively at GEDLICH Racing’s Race Test events over the winter. The third season of the Prototype Winter Series is slated to begin in January 2026.

The sophomore season of the GT4 Winter Series is now in the books. Elite Motorsport and their driver McKenzy Cresswell secured the 2025 teams’ and drivers’ championships, against a hugely impressive field emanating from across Europe.

The battle for the season would be contested by two front-running teams from the 2024 campaign; Elite, and SR Motorsport. The likes of W&S Motorsport, RAFA Racing by Race Lab and Racing Spirit of Leman also came into the season as part of a hugely-competitive field.

Estoril and Portimão: Flying starts and giant-killing performances

Elite Motorsport started its season on a high, with three race victories at the Circuito Estoril in its McLaren Artura GT4.

McKenzy Cresswell, along with Josh Rattican, swept the weekend in dominant fashion. In the first race, SR Motorsport’s Enrico Förderer was able to keep pace with Rattican. However, the Mercedes-AMG GT4 began slowing down, and lost second position to RAFA Racing’s Charlie Hart. The Mercedes entered a limp-home mode, but still made it to the chequered flag in third.

The second race of the weekend took place in wet conditions, and the RAFA McLaren seemed to struggle with Callum Davies at the wheel. At the front of the field, Cresswell excelled in his first-ever GT4 race, winning by 17 seconds despite the treacherous weather. Peter Terting won the PRO-AM class in second overall for his Plusline Racing Team, while SR Motorsport’s Jay Mo Hartling rounded out the podium.

The third and final race of the weekend saw Elite win by over 25 seconds, ahead of the W&S Motorsport Porsche driven by Alon Gabbay and GT4 debutant Maximilian Schreyer. Hartling and Förderer rounded out the overall podium once again.

Next time out in Portimão, McKenzy Cresswell started off the weekend with yet another victory for Elite Motorsport. In second position, the FK Performance BMW of Benjamin Sylvestersson made an impression in its first appearance of the year. The RAFA McLaren of Callum Davies was second on the road, but was dropped to third for track limits penalties.

BWT Mücke and SR Motorsport’s Mercedes’ finished fourth and fifth. Enrico Förderer had a collision with Baudouin Detout on the first lap, which resulted in a drive-through penalty for Förderer, and a subsequent recovery drive.

Sunday morning’s second race marked the first race victory of the season for SR Motorsport, as Jay Mo Hartling performed a brilliant drive. Hartling moved from third to first at the expense of the two McLarens, with a particularly forceful move against Josh Rattican for second. The final result listed Hartling as the winner, ahead of Rattican and Plusline’s Peter Terting. RAFA Racing’s Charlie Hart was demoted from third to fifth after accruing 15 second of track limit penalties.

The final race of the weekend saw a magnificent outing for the AM class entry of Joachim Bölting, at times outpacing all of the PRO cars and even leading the race. The greasy conditions on-circuit played into Bölting’s hands, but as the weather slowly dried out, the Plusline Porsche driver started to struggle.

He would ultimately finish fourth on the road, but was demoted to seventh after gaining some 35 seconds of penalties for track limits.

RAFA Racing’s Callum Davies and Charlie Hart won the 60-minute endurance race, ahead of Elite Motorsport’s McKenzy Cresswell and Josh Rattican. Alon Gabbay and Maximilian Schreyer of W&S Motorsport finished third, ahead of Bölting.

Valencia and Aragon: SR Motorsport sweeps Valencia, but Elite fires back in Aragon

Coming out of Portimão, Elite’s Cresswell and Rattican held a 54-point lead over RAFA Racing’s Hart and Davies in the championship. However, Rattican would not return for Valencia or the remainder of the season, handing the reins over to GT4 Winter Series returnee Tom Lebbon.

The Valencia weekend marked the finest hour of the 2025 season for Förderer and Hartling. The German duo won all three races, bringing them much closer to the championship lead. The same could not be said for RAFA Racing, whose McLaren was set to start from pole in race one. However, a gear selection on the sighting lap resulted in a non-start for the British team.

While the top step of the podium was reserved for SR Motorsport, Elite still finished on the podium for every race. The gap in the overall championship battle was down to 32 points, now with SR Motorsport established in the second position.

SR Motorsport’s Motorland Aragon weekend started well, with yet another race victory courtesy of Förderer. Elite’s McKenzy Cresswell finished second, while Baudouin Detout scored the first podium of the season for Racing Spirit of Leman after a challenging weekend at Valencia.

Sunday morning’s race two was held in wet conditions, in which W&S Motorsport’s Alon Gabbay excelled. A late safety car was triggered by a spin for his W&S teammate Daniel Blickle, but this did not affect Gabbay, who still won the race ahead of Elite’s Tom Lebbon. Jay Mo Hartling rounded out the podium for SR Motorsport.

Race three was a victory for Elite’s Cresswell and Lebbon. It was another commanding performance from the McLaren pairing, who won the race by 15 seconds. Hartling and Förderer ensured that they still had a shot at winning the title with a strong second place finish, while Callum Davies and Charlie Hart rounded out the podium for RAFA Racing by Race Lab.

Barcelona: Largest-ever entry to conclude the season

Going into the season finale, there were 75 points available to score, and 35 between McKenzy Cresswell and SR Motorsport’s pairing. At the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the largest-ever field in the short history of the GT4 Winter Series was assembled, with 27 cars taking the start. Particularly in the case of SR Motorsport, this meant increased competition to go up against, as they attempted to score the required points to win the title.

Race one of the weekend marked yet another McLaren 1-2. On the road, this was led by the Elite McLaren of Tom Lebbon. However, track limit abuse led to a five-second penalty, and the win was therefore handed to Charlie Hart of RAFA Racing. Lebbon was still classified in second place, just ahead of Enrico Förderer. The points gap had grown to 38, now with only 50 left to score.

Race two marked a victory for Razoon – more than racing, who made their first GT4 appearance of the season. Denny Berndt handled difficult conditions to win the race, ahead of W&S Motorsport’s Alon Gabbay and the RAFA McLaren, now driven by Callum Davies.

Going into the race, SR Motorsport’s Jay Mo Hartling had to outscore the Elite McLaren. With McKenzy Cresswell starting second, and Jay Mo lining-up eighth, this would always be a long shot. Jay Mo was only able to move up a single spot to seventh, and with the black and yellow McLaren crossing the line in fourth, this confirmed that the 2025 titles would head to Elite and Cresswell.

The final race of the season offered one last drama, as RAFA Racing by Race Lab were stripped of victory courtesy of leaving the pitlane with a red light on, shortly after the Safety Car came out.

This allowed Cresswell and Tom Lebbon to inherit the victory, and end the season on a high. Hartling and Förderer came home in second position, ahead of the FK Performance BMW of Joseph Ellerine and Benjamin Sylvestersson.

While the second half of the season proved that the difference between SR Motorsport and Elite was minimal, the early-stage dominance of the McLaren team proved too great to overcome.

In their second season in the GT4 Winter Series, Elite Motorsport are now champions. The 2025 grid offered spectacular racing and a compelling line-up of entrants, and this will continue to be the case in 2026. The new season of the GT4 Winter Series will begin in January.

The GT Winter Series had one of its most entertaining seasons to date in 2025, thanks to a bevy of newcomers to GT racing stealing the spotlight.

Estoril and Portimão: Tricky conditions and new challengers in Portugal

The season began at the famed Circuito Estoril, and for the second year in a row, it was GT3 Poland that immediately came to the fore. As was the case in 2024, it was a Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo II from the Polish team that secured the race victory, this time with Seweryn Mazur at the helm.

This set the tone for a weekend that defied expectations.
Sunday morning’s second sprint race was held in wet conditions, and Cristiano Maciel rose to the occasion in his Cup 1-entered Ferrari 296 Challenge. From seventh on the grid, the Portuguese racer won his second-ever motor race in commanding fashion, astonishing everyone in the paddock and drawing a lot of attention. Some were even unsure if Maciel was at the wheel, suspecting that his experienced co-driver Rui Aguas was in the car; however, Aguas was watching on in the garage, albeit equally stunned by the performance of his driver.

The sweep of Cup class cars taking overall victories at Estoril was completed by Andreas Bogh Sorensen in the pitstop race. The Cup 1 racer claimed the top step of the podium with his Ferrari 296 Challenge, even though he suffered an accident in the race. In an almost ark-level deluge, Sorensen was one of several drivers to lose control just before the red flag; he was still classified as the winner on countback, ahead of Maciel and Aguas, who solidified their status as potential title contenders.

One advantage that the Portuguese AF Corse duo in the overall championship standings was the popularity of the Cup 1 class. Points in the GT Winter Series are scored within the entrant’s class, and those competing against greater levels of competition would receive more points for their successes.

Another GT racing debutant made waves at the second round in Portimão. Keanu Al Azhari made his first appearance in GT3 machinery, in a Porsche 992 GT3 R entered by SSR Performance.

In the first race, Al Azhari started from sixth on the grid after his fastest times were deleted in qualifying thanks to track limits violations. In the early stages of the race, Al Azhari dropped to eighth, but quickly moved up the field.

Ultimately, after a battle with the SR Motorsport Mercedes of Moritz Wiskirchen, Al Azhari won at his first attempt.
In race two, Al Azhari started from pole position, alongside the similar Razoon – more than racing Porsche 992 GT3 R of Simon Birch. The pair duelled throughout the race, but Birch never found a way past his adversary, as Al Azhari took a second victory. The SSR team did not start the pitstop race, leaving the floor open for another winner.

In wet conditions, the Cup 1 Ferrari 296 Challenge cars were the in-form vehicles. John Dhillon and Matt Griffin secured the race victory, in a close-fought end to the race. AF Corse’s Cup 1 entries took a full sweep of the overall podium, with racing debutant Rafael Duran and Sean Hudspeth in second, and Andreas Bogh Sorensen and Mikkel Mac in third.

Valencia and Aragon: The Spanish leg begins

A deluxe grid and a large crowd joined the GT Winter Series for the third round of the season.

New entries from teams such as Liqui Moly Team Engstler, Comtoyou Racing, Konrad Motorsport and Schubert Motorsport enriched the GT3 field, while no fewer than 15 Ferrari 296 Challenge cars entered the Cup 1 category.

For the defending GT Winter Series champions SR Motorsport and Kenneth Heyer, the season thus far had been consistent. As such, Heyer and Moritz Wiskirchen led the GT3 standings, and sat second in the overall points. However, Valencia was a troubled weekend for the Schnitzelalm-backed team.

In the first race, the team’s Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo suffered a right-front brake disc failure with Heyer at the wheel, and failed to reach the 75 per cent race distance required to score points. Schubert Motorsport’s Sandro and Juliano Holzem won the race overall, in the Invitational class BMW M4 GT3 Evo.

The second race of the weekend was even more of an ordeal for SR Motorsport. Comtoyou Racing’s #700 Aston Martin, driven by Rafael Suzuki. At the first corner, Suzuki and Wiskirchen collided, damaging both cars terminally. Suzuki was stranded on the racing line at the corner exit, and was collected by other cars including Joachim Bölting’s Porsche 992 GT3 Cup, and the AF Corse Ferrari of Rafael Duran.

After a lengthy Safety Car, the race resumed with pole-sitter Luca Engstler leading the way. The Liqui Moly Team Engstler Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo II stayed at the front of the order throughout the race. Engstler crossed the line as the race winner, in his return from racing after injuries sustained at Macau in November.

Engstler, along with teammate Jonas Karklys, also secured victory in the third race of the weekend, marking a successful start to the Spanish leg of the season for Team Engstler. AF Corse’s Cristiano Maciel and Rui Aguas performed well against stern competition, and held a 20-point advantage headed to the next round at Aragon.

The fourth round at Motorland Aragon featured a larger and more competitive than its inaugural appearance in the GT Winter Series in 2024.

The first race of the weekend marked the first overall victory of the season for SR Motorsport’s Moritz Wiskirchen. Meanwhile, the second race victory fell to Simon Birch of Razoon – more than racing. It was a dominant display from the young Dane, who had helped the team score victory at the 6H of Portimão since the team’s prior appearance in GT Winter Series.

The final race of the weekend was held in mixed conditions, and while many teams switched to wet tyres, Marcus Clutton remained on slicks. Remarkably, Clutton’s pace was comparable to those on treaded Pirellis, while the rest of the dry-shod drivers struggled. He scored victory for himself and Simon Orange, on Orange Racing by JMH’s first appearance in the GEDLICH paddock.

Barcelona: A high-note to end the 2025 season

With over 25 cars present, the season finale at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was another high-point of the 2025 GT Winter Series. Cristiano Maciel and Rui Aguas came into the final round with an advantage of just eight points, but their closest competition – Alessio Ruffini and Milos Pavlovic – was part of a Cup 4 class with just three cars entered. This meant fewer points were available for the Auto Sport Racing duo, and left them in a position where it was more likely to see the team fall back behind the likes of the SR Motorsport team and Wileco Motorsport’s Calle Bergman and Manz Thalin in Cup 2.

The first race of the weekend was controlled by Comtoyou Racing’s Kobe Pauwels, who secured the team’s first GT Winter Series victory. In second position, SR Motorsport’s Moritz Wiskirchen did exactly what he needed to do, securing 18 points. However, AF Corse’s Maciel and Aguas claimed second in Cup 1 for 18 points, and Alessio Ruffini finished second in Cup 4 for 12 points. Therefore, the points advantage for AF Corse and the Portuguese pair grew.

The second race was another showcase for Simon Birch of Razoon – more than racing, who held off Luca Engstler for the race victory. This continued into the final race of the season, which Birch and teammate Leo Pichler won by a stunning 22 seconds.

With fourth and second-place finishes on Sunday, Maciel and Aguas did enough to comfortably win the overall title. A spin at the start of race three for Kenneth Heyer helped make the path to the title easier for the AF Corse pair, but Heyer and Wiskirchen’s SR Motorsport still came second in the standings, winning the GT3 championship.

Third overall fell to the Cup 2 pairing of Calle Bergman and Manz Thalin, ahead of the Cup 4 champions Alessio Ruffini and Milos Pavlovic.

The 2025 GT Winter Series was the most exciting to date, with the highest average grid numbers since GT4 cars were split into their own category. The quality and international nature of the paddock continues to grow, and the GT Winter Series will thrill once again in 2026. The finalised 2026 calendar will be available too, as the GT Winter Series once again strives to provide the best experience for teams, drivers and fans alike.

The 2025 Formula Winter Series saw the series come of age, and deliver some of the best races in series history.

The build-up to the 2025 season saw significant changes made to the series package. Pirelli tyres were re-introduced to the series after a year on Hankook rubber, and TM Performance became the brake-disc supplier. This move brought the series closer to the specifications of the Italian, CEZ and British F4 series, and thus came a shift in the competitors for the new season.

As the opening round approached at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, it was clear that the move had been a positive one. New teams including Hitech TGR and Van Amersfoort joined the fray for the first time, alongside established FWS teams including US Racing, Jenzer Motorsport and Campos Racing.

Portimão and Valencia: Consistency proves key as Gomez sets himself apart

The arrival of Formula Winter Series to Portimão marked the first time the series had appeared in Portugal, and the thrilling layout at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve was an immediate favourite for the young drivers.

The first race of the season set the tone for the championship fight. Gabriel Gomez was beaten off the line by Leo Robinson, who proceeded to lead much of the race, until a late safety car intervened. The race resumed with just one lap to go, and Robinson’s tyres were no longer offering the grip he needed to hold off Gomez, who managed to usurp the Hitech driver for the first win of 2025.

Gomez would double-up in the second race of the weekend, leading home an US Racing 1-2 ahead of Edu Robinson, while Maksimilian Popov scored Van Amersfoort’s first FWS podium in third.

The third race of the weekend looked to set to be a thriller, as the grid was divided on which tyres to start the on in greasy conditions. As the race was set to begin, the start lights failed after only three lights were illuminated. The drivers began racing regardless, and wet-shod Bart Harrison jumped to the lead from the fifth row. However, the ‘race’ was soon red-flagged and restarted, and most drivers who had opted for slick tyres switched over to wets.

Fionn McLaughlin, Hitech TGR’s young Irishman from the Red Bull Junior Team, set about dominating in the tricky conditions. In his first weekend of car racing, McLaughlin had the mettle to win by almost four and a half seconds over his teammate Leo Robinson, and Gabriel Gomez.

Gomez was promoted to third after his teammate Maxim Rehm was disqualified for running brakes against the series’ homologation rules. Incredibly, with 69 points scored in the first round, Gomez now found himself 33 points clear of the chasing pack after just one round in the championship.

The momentum for Gomez didn’t stop there. At the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, he won the first race ahead of Leo Robinson and Rehm. His streak of podiums continued in the second race, finishing third behind Rehm and Robinson. For Rehm, it was a statement victory that proved he had not been shaken by the technical disqualification at Portimão.

Leo Robinson finally secured his first win of the season in the third race at Valencia, while Gomez and Maksimilian Popov finished behind. Kabir Anurag crossed the line in fourth place, matching his finishing result in the first two races of the weekend. The US Racing driver had still never finished on the podium in the Formula Winter Series, but that was about to change…

Aragon: Jubilation and drama in the desert

After a fairly even weekend between Gomez and Robinson in Barcelona, the championship margin was at 34 points in Gomez’s favour. After a tricky weekend in Valencia with no top-five finishes, Fionn McLaughlin had slipped to fourth behind Maksimilian Popov, and some 83 points behind Gomez.

The first race of the Motorland Aragon weekend saw a new winner emerge in the Formula Winter Series, as US Racing’s Kabir Anurag claimed his first victory in the category. Sporting an updated race suit from his Alpine Academy team, Anurag celebrated atop his car after finally claiming his first win in FWS. Gomez continued his 100 per cent podium record with a second-place finish, while Fionn McLaughlin took third.

The second race began a dominant Sunday for Fionn McLaughlin, as he secured the win ahead of Anurag following a late-race safety car. Gomez finished third once more. And, while the wet conditions of Sunday morning made race two a compelling spectacle, the third race proved to be something unlike any Formula Winter Series race before it.

The circuit had all but dried out as the cars arrived to the grid, and only one driver – Renauer Motorsport’s Simon Schranz – had wet tyres on his car. The rest of the field was on slicks, and as the formation lap began, the rain started to fall.

Jenzer Motorsport’s Artem Severiukhin and Bart Harrison peeled into the pits for wet tyres, as the race began.

Schranz started from 20th on the grid, but such was his advantage that he crossed the line at the end of lap two as the race leader. Alas, a half-spin at the first corner demoted him behind Bart Harrison, who had stormed up from his pitlane start. Harrison led the way, and looked like the favourite for victory as some struggled on slicks, and others pitted for wets.

However, as the race passed half-distance, the circuit began to dry out, and slick-shod runners began to rediscover their pace.

And, in these tricky conditions, It was once again Fionn McLaughlin who came to the fore, ultimately winning by six seconds after staying on slicks for the entire race. Maxim Rehm came home second, while Gabriel Gomez rounded out the podium.

Harrison finished sixth, while Simon Schranz took his first FWS points in eighth.

Barcelona: A hard path to glory for Gomez

With a 68-point advantage going into the final round, the perennially consistent Gomez was the heavy favourite to win the championship.

However, as the first race of the weekend began, Gomes failed to get off the line. Thankfully, all parties avoided the Brazilian racer, but he would not be able to take part in the race. Leo Robinson and Fionn McLaughlin – the two drivers still in mathematical championship contention – finished one-two in the race, with Robinson securing the victory.

On Sunday morning in race two, the pair of Hitech drivers again swept the race standings. However, Gomez only needed to score four points to secure the title. In the second race, he finished fifth, behind Jenzer’s Bart Harrison and Artem Severiukhin. This was enough to secure the championship a race in advance, and cement him as the third driver to win the Formula Winter Series title.

The third and final race was a complex affair. A lightning-fast start from second row starter Thomas Bearman (Hitech) granted him an early lead. However, this was soon revealed to have been a jump start, and a five-second time penalty was applied to his race result.
The young British driver’s lead ran as high as 3.5 seconds, but ultimately he was unable to build the cushion required to negate the penalty.

Running in second at the line, Bart Harrison celebrated his presumed win, but a last-minute track limits violation meant he was penalised after the chequered flag. This promoted the driver that crossed the line third – Kabir Anurag – to P1, a fact that not even he was aware of in the moments immediately following the chequered flag. The jubilation set in for Anurag as he realised his achievement, winning a thrilling race where he moved up from eighth. Bearman and Harrison completed the podium, but the latter driver was bitterly disappointed, as he found out he lost at the same time as Anurag learnt of his victory.

The 2025 Formula Winter Series season was the most thrilling in the short history of the championship. With a winning formula now in place to bring Europe’s finest single-seater teams to the grid, and many of them already an established part of the FWS paddock, the 2026 season is expected to be yet another barnstormer.

Congratulations to the champions – Gabriel Gomez and US Racing – and all drivers and teams for a brilliant season of racing.