Gomez sees off Robinsons’ challenges for second FWinter Series win

Photo: Alpha Live

Gabriel Gomez doubled up with another win on the first day of the Formula Winter Series at the Algarve circuit, after a failed challenge from Leo Robinson at the start.

Gomez made a better start from pole position than US Racing team-mate Edu Robinson alongside him, but it was Leo Robinson who made the best getaway from third on the grid.

The Hitech driver attempted to challenge Gomez for the lead around the outside of the first corner, but when he hit the kerb it launched the front of his car into the air.

He rejoined the track back in third, where contact with team-mate Fionn McLaughlin damaged the Red Bull junior’s front wing, and Robinson would drop down the order and retire later around the lap.

With Gomez and Edu Robinson still up front, Max Popov and Maxim Rehm benefited to climb up from eighth and ninth to third and fourth respectively, with McLaughlin down to fifth in front of Thomas Bearman.

The safety car was deployed on lap two, following an incident between Rafaela Ferreira and Mathilda Paatz, and the restart lasted less than a lap before Aleksander Ruta found the gravel after tangling with Teo Borenstein in turn 4.

McLaughlin would be forced to pit under the second safety car period as his front wing dangled increasingly loose.

Less than seven minutes were left on the clock when the race restarted once more and Gomez would be untroubled on his way to securing another win, 1.4 seconds ahead of Edu Robinson.

Popov completed the podium for Van Amersfoort Racing after fending off Rehm, who then had to resist the squabbling Enea Frey and Luka Sammalisto. Their battle for fifth took both well wide on the exit of turn 5 but did not leave them vulnerable to Bearman behind.

Andrija Kostic made it five US Racing cars in the top eight after winning a last-lap fight with Bart Harrison, Sebastian Bach and Nina Gademan.

Kirill Kustkov had to start from pit-lane and came through to finish 15th for Maffi Racing, while Alpine junior Kabir Anurag was unable to take the start in another US car.

Race result