Photo: TGR NZ
Roman Bilinski and Liam Sceats had plenty to celebrate on the Formula Regional Oceania season’s final day, as Bilinski became champion and Sceats won the New Zealand Grand Prix.
The M2 Competition team-mates were the top two drivers in the standings, split by 43 points, and at Highlands Motorsport Park last weekend Bilinski took two podiums and won the title with a race to spare, while Sceats turned pole into victory in race one then did the same in the grand prix-awarding and season-ending third race.
“I don’t know what to say. What a crazy race, crazy season,” Bilinski said after he secured the crown by finishing third in race two. “It’s been amazing. I didn’t think it would go this well, but we’ve all worked so hard.”
He added: “I hope I put a good show on for everyone watching, I really gave it everything, but these guys were just so fast today. I wanted to do my second-last race here just giving absolutely everything.
“Massive thank you to M2, my parents, my dad’s crying now, you can see him. He does that sometimes. I’m absolutely over the moon. So massive than you to M2, Jonathan, Mark, Elise [the team’s co-owners], everyone back there. And Victor [Cortes Abad], my engineer, they’ve just done an incredible job. My mechanics as well. Without them, I couldn’t do this.”
Bilinski, who is now in his third year of racing in FRegional and only had one podium prior to the Oceania season, called the title “massively” important for his career.
“You know the drivers that have come through this championship. The superlicence points as well, there’s so much to come with it. It’s huge. Also I hope the donuts were a nice show if they were on TV. An incredible feeling.”
FRegional sophomore Sceats came fourth in the Oceania championship last year with three podiums, and was runner-up in the Japanese championship with three wins. This year his three FRegional Oceania wins came in the last four races.
“It’s unbeliebable, I’m speechless. I can’t even think right now. I can’t believe it, to be honest. I have to give credit to M2 Competition. The car they gave me, it made it so easy almost to drive,” was Sceats’ reaction to winning the grand prix.
“This back end of the season has been very strong. I mean it wasn’t strong enough for [beating] Roman, I have to give credit to him, he drove an awesome championship. And I loved going wheel-to-wheel with him all season, so I’m really stoked. At the start of the season I thought we were a little but unlucky not to get some better results, but to come on strong at the end of the season it makes it feel very sweet.”
He added: “It’s been a long journey, I feel like all the lows I’ve experienced in motorsport makes up for this very moment. It’s unbelievable.”