Drugovich closes on all-time wins record in Euroformula Open finale

Photo: Fotospeedy

Felipe Drugovich moved into second in the all-time winners list with his 15th Euroformula Open win in the final race of the season at Barcelona.

The RP Motorsport driver was beaten to pole by Teo Martin Motorsport’s Bent Viscaal, but a poor start for the Dutchman handed Drugovich an immediate lead.

On the third lap a collision between Kaylen Frederick and Matheus Iorio left the ladder in the gravel at the uphill Turn 8, causing the first safety car of the race.

Drugovich hadn’t built up much of a lead at that point, and had only built a gap of 1.2 seconds before a second safety car was required in the final third of the race when Lukas Dunner stopped at Turn 12.

Racing resumed with three laps to go, and Drugovich kept Viscaal at bay once again to move just two wins behind Borja Garcia in the record books.

Marcos Siebert failed to benefit from Viscaal’s poor start, and the Campos Racing driver spent the entirety of the race in third. The retirement of Iorio meant he secured third in the standings, while Iorio lost third in the Spanish Formula 3 standings to Carlin team-mate Cameron Das.

On the first lap Iorio and Das had banged wheels twice through Turns 8 and 9, with Das falling to the back of the order. He fought his way back up the order, eventually finishing fifth behind RP Motorsport’s David Schumacher, who jumped to sixth in the Spanish standings.

Guilherme Samaia finished sixth, ahead of Aldo Festante, Javier Gonzalez, Fredick and Dev Gore. Patrick Schott fell out of the points late on as the result of an off at Turn 4.

Both Alessandro Bracalante and Brad Benavides made trips to the pits, finishing several laps down.

Race results (19 laps)