02.05.2018

After an exciting season opener at Estoril, the Formula 3-based series heads to Provence with 14 different nationalities among drivers and teams expected on the starting grid. Poland’s Alex Karkosik switches to Campos Racing and Mexico’s Raúl Guzmán will make his debut with Fortec Motorsports. The EF Open and the GT Open joined by the new TCR Europe, Radicals and Mitjets.

The Euroformula Open enters its hot phase despite Circuit Paul Ricard’s races usually take place in bright sunshine and mild ambient temperatures. Round 2 of the 2018 season will be held at another Grand Prix circuit as the French track is returning to the F1 calendar this season.

Paul Ricard was built in 1969 in Le Castellet, near Marseille, by the eponymous pastis millionaire. Ricard financed a circuit characterized by its famous Mistral straight and whose layout still closely follows that of the last French Grand Prix 28 years ago. That’s why the Euroformula Open provides a key rung on the racing ladder for young drivers for over a decade now.

Besides, the French venue promises to be particularly rich in novelties as the Euroformula Open and its sister series, the International GT Open, will be joined by the new TCR Europe, which gets its season started next weekend. The GT Sport-organized package will have a varied race programme with single-seaters (EF Open), GT (GT Open), touring cars (TCR Europe), sportscars (Radical European Masters) and prototypes (MitJet Series) bringing the excitement of racing to crowds.

Brazilian Felipe Drugovich won the season-opening race for RP Motorsport but Argentinean Marcos Siebert was able to beat him the following day in his Campos Racing-run Dallara. Rookie class leader Bent Viscaal (Teo Martín Motorsport), Carlin Racing’s Cameron Das and Matheus Iorio or Jannes Fittje (Drivex) also showed podium potential in Portugal.

The Euroformula Open has released a sixteen-car entry list for the second round with drivers and teams from 14 different nationalities represented. Poland’s Alex Karkosik will switch teams in Le Castellet. The 17-year old driver will move from RP Motorsport to Campos Racing for the remainder of the season. Fortec Motorsports also brings novelties as Mexican Raúl Guzmán will graduate into the Euroformula Open with a Dallara F312 of the Daventry-based team. Born in Guadalajara, Guzmán ranked third in the 2016 Italian F.4 championship with two wins and seven podium finishes to his name.

RP Motorsport will lead the armada with four cars for series leader Drugovich and teammates Guilherme Samaia, Aldo Festante and Michaël Benyahia. Apart from Drugovich, his fellow country man Samaia also delivered strong race performances and plans to climb onto the rostrum in France. Benyahia and Festante joined the battle for Rookie honors, the latter claiming a second place in class at Estoril.

Campos Racing will enter three cars for Siebert, Karkosik and Yves Baltas. Siebert scored a debut win and the Argentinean ace looks much to be in contention for the title. With one year experience’s, Polish Karkosik is probably another favorite to emerge. Baltas, aged 16, also put talent on display with a podium in the Rookies class.

Drivex’s three-car assault is comprised of Germany’s Fittje, Austria’s Lukas Dunner and Brazil’s Christian Hahn. Fittje finished fourth on Portuguese soil but he is firmly in the hunt for a podium finish next weekend. Series newcomer Dunner looks like another regular rostrum visitor after a promising debut. Hahn made a less positive start to the season but remains optimistic.

Carlin earned a double podium finish with Iorio and Das. Brazilian Iorio finished second ahead of his American teammate at Estoril and they both expect to maintain their good form into the second round. Das already finished 3rd at the French circuit in the Winter Series.

Teo Martín Motorsport is keen to keep momentum with their two cars for Viscaal and Moritz Müller-Crepon. Viscaal was the dominant force in preseason and achieved two wins at Paul Ricard’s Winter Series event. Müller-Crepon eyes to further improve his results next weekend.

Fortec Motorsports gained the pole position in the tricky wet Estoril conditions and, with the young pairing of Australian driver Calan Williams – a former Aussie F3 champion- and Guzmán, the British outfit will look to repeat the front-running pace throughout the weekend.