Oliver Goethe set the fastest lap of the first Qualifying session for the FIA FR World Cup.
The MP Motorsport driver completed a lap around a very wet Guia Circuit in 2:32.482, 0.202 seconds quicker than Tuukka Taponen and almost three seconds faster than his teammate at MP Motorsport, Valerio Rinicella.
Goethe and Taponen stood out as clear leaders in the competition under challenging conditions, navigating difficult sections of the track that were still covered in standing water that caused cars to snake around the circuit yesterday afternoon.
These difficult conditions led to five interruptions during the session, with yellow and red flags preventing many drivers from posting competitive lap times.
Out of 27 racers, only 19 managed to achieve times that allowed them to qualify for the race, with four of the remaining eight unable to clock any qualifying lap times. Among them was local driver Tiago Rodrigues, who, after being caught on three interruptions, went straight at Lisboa Bend into the safety road and was unable to rejoin the track and forced to abandon the car.
Earlier in the morning, Alexander Dunne topped Free Practice 1 in even worse weather, with a lot of water on track and low visibility due to the heavy spray. Dunne clocked a lap in 2:41.270, followed by Goethe with a 2:43.708.
Dunne qualified seventh in the afternoon session, with a best time of 2:37.985.
Today, two more sessions will take place in the FR World Cup. The 40-minute Free Practice 2 session is scheduled for 9:20 a.m., followed by Qualifying 2 at around 3 p.m. This will determine the grid for Saturday’s 10-lap Qualifying Race, set to begin at 3:30 p.m.
By then, the leading contenders for Sunday’s 15-lap race – and the name of the one to be crowned the first-ever FR World Champion – should become clearer.
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