RACE 1
Track limits became an issue early on Saturday morning, after a series of violations during 20' Qualifying led to a barrage of black flags for most of the huge field.
The session was then declared null and void, leaving the race's starting grid to be established, somewhat controversially, based on the best times from the Thursday and Friday Free Practice sessions, when track limits had not been checked at all.
This left Friday afternoon's record holder, Cardenas, the Campos driver, in pole position, who had only achieved the fifth fastest time in reality. But the Peruvian made the most of his unexpected opportunity. He made a clean start and was never put in trouble, in a race interrupted by two safety car entries and then ended four minutes early by a red flag when two cars ended up in the gravel in separate incidents.
“It was a difficult race from my point of view,” Cardenas said after his second win of the 2024 FWS season.
“I struggled a bit with the heat and the pressure you have when you're in the lead. We made an excellent start and the restarts with the safety car were good. We still have to work a bit on the pace, but apart from this, very good. It was strange to get pole like this, it's not what I wanted. But it's like this, it's the rule, everyone must respect it.”
Juan Cota started well from fourth on the grid and moved up to second on the first lap with his DriveX-Tatuus. The Spaniard was frustrated by the safety cars, one of which was caused by his teammate Mikel Pedersen, who hit a curb and ended up in the gravel.
“We were unlucky with the safety cars – said Cota – I think I had the pace to win”.
Peebles, like Cardenas and Cota, winner of the first race in Jerez, completed the podium, preceding Maciej Gladysz and Akshay Bohra, the latter who started and finished fifth after setting the pole time in the canceled qualifying session.
Maciej Gladysz
Photo by: Orlen Team
RACE 2
Peebles took his second win of the FWS season in a race delayed from morning to lunchtime on Sunday due to confusion over the grid order. Once the race finally started, Peebles was forced onto the defensive at the first corner, while Cárdenas threatened him for the lead, before the first of four safety cars – intervened to remove the gravel cars – severely limited the amount of race laps.
The final safety car interlude allowed for a flying lap, but Peebles held on to the lead to complete his victory over Cardenas.
“We made a great start after getting the tire temperature up very well,” said the MP Motorsport winner.
“I had to defend myself a bit from Cárdenas, then I created a small gap before the first safety car. I lost count of how many there were! Every restart was good, we raced on the last lap and he wasn't able to keep my pace. I just had to be as smooth as possible because we were pretty even.”
Gladysz finished third, but a penalty for a grid procedure violation dropped the MP Motorsport driver down the order. Gianmarco Pradel took the podium, deservedly after Bohra's nice overtaking at turn 2 of the last lap. Cota and Matheus Ferreira rounded out the top six.
Maciej Gladysz
Photo by: Orlen Team
RACE 3
An excellent start from the front row allowed Ferreira to get the better of Peebles into Turn 2. The US Racing driver took his first victory in the final race of a frenetic and at times controversial weekend.
Inevitably, Ferreira had to deal with safety car restarts – only two this time – before he could take victory, while Peebles took victory in Race 2 with a second place.
“I'm very happy, it's my first victory of the year – declared the Brazilian – I made an excellent start, I took the lead on the first lap, I was very fast, I managed the gap from the driver behind me and I had confidence. Consistency is what it takes to win a championship.”
The race was interrupted on the first lap when Savinkov Oleksandr was involved in a spin at turn 2 and hit by Lorenzo Castillo.
Another safety car stoppage to remove a broken down car halted the action, but the race then ran “cleanly” for seven laps.
Douwe Dedecker completed the podium for GRS, while Bohra, Cárdenas and Pradel finished in the top six.
The winner of race 1, Cardenas, is at the top of the FWS standings, but with a couple of points ahead of Peebles, while Ferreira is third.
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