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Lamborghini World Finals: Race 1 Delivers Thrilling Action in Jerez
The inaugural race of the Lamborghini World Finals took place this afternoon at the Angel Nieto Circuit in Jerez de la Frontera, featuring the Pro and Pro-AM classes. Right from the start, the event was marked by dramatic twists and unexpected outcomes.
Anticipation was high for numerous contenders, but several faced early exits, primarily due to accidents, leading to a chaotic race from the very first lap.
One of the first significant incidents occurred shortly after the race began. Driver Danny Formal from Wayne Taylor Racing, in an effort to fend off Hampus Eriksson, braked late at Turn 1, colliding with Amaury Bonduel, who had secured pole position. The impact caused Bonduel’s car to become lodged in the gravel, forcing him to retire from the race.
In response, race officials deployed the Safety Car to assist marshals in clearing Bonduel’s vehicle. The race resumed on lap 2 with Eriksson taking the lead, followed closely by Andy Lee and Formal, who was under investigation for his role in the incident.
By lap 4, Formal managed to pass Lee, reclaiming second place but remained two seconds behind Eriksson. On lap 7, Lee found himself slipping to fourth as Georgi Dimitrov from Iron Lynx overtook him, although he retained a comfortable lead in the Pro-AM category.
As the race progressed, Loris Cabirou capitalized on Lee’s struggles, overtaking him at Turn 1 on lap 9, advancing to fourth position. This development put Lee firmly in the sights of Giorgio Amati and Andrea Frassineti, both vying for the Pro-AM title.
Eriksson maintained his lead with a steady 2-second advantage over Formal, until the pit window opened, initiating a series of strategic stops. However, during lap 16, another twist emerged as Frassineti went off track while attempting to overtake Jesse Salmenautio, becoming stuck in the gravel and ending his chances for a strong finish in Pro-AM.
After the pits closed, Eriksson reemerged in front but found himself under pressure from Edgar Maloigne and Ryan Norman, Formal’s teammate. The race saw its second deployment of the Safety Car shortly after due to Frassineti’s vehicle still being stuck at Turn 11.
The ensuing laps reshuffled positions, with Stewart, now in sixth, leading the Pro-AM category but facing pressure from Pietro Perolini and Claude-Yves Gosselin behind him. Unfortunately for Perolini, just before the race resumed, he received a drive-through penalty, dashing his hopes for a podium finish.
When racing resumed on lap 18, Eriksson had to fend off pushes from Maloigne and Norman. Stewart, however, endured a disastrous restart, losing four positions within just a few corners and falling to tenth place. This slide did not stop there, as more competitors overtook him, further diminishing his standing in the race.
By lap 19, Stewart was caught in a multi-car incident that also affected Paul Levet and Benedetto Strignano, prompting the third appearance of the Safety Car as Eriksson battled to maintain his lead against Maloigne and Norman.
This random contact altered the Pro-AM leaderboard, surprisingly placing Brendon Leitch at the forefront, followed by Slade Stewart and Nicholas Persing as the race drew closer to its conclusion.
As the lights went green again on lap 22, with only five minutes remaining in the 50-minute race, Eriksson quickly reestablished his lead, successfully holding off Maloigne. Bryson Morris, shortly after, moved past Norman into third place.
Ultimately, Eriksson clinched victory in the Pro category, finishing ahead of Maloigne and Morris. In a remarkable turn of events, Leitch seized the win in the Pro-AM division, followed by Nicholas Persing and Milos Pavlovic.
LAMBORGHINI ST WORLD FINALS – Race 1 PRO+PRO-AM Results
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