The grid for race one was led by a pair of US Racing cars; championship leader Gomez started from pole position, with Kabir Anurag behind him. In his second full season in the Formula Winter Series, the Singaporean had yet to finish on the podium, and finished fourth in all three races at Valencia.
As the race started, Gomez succeeded in retaining his lead, and Anurag remained hot on his heels.
Behind the front row starters, several cars ended up with damage and missing front wings. Leo Robinson, who started in in seventh, glanced the rear of his Hitech teammate Fionn McLaughlin at the first turn, and ripped the front wing from his car in the process.
At turn five, US Racing’s Maxim Rehm moved around the outside for third position, at the expense of his second row neighbour Bart Harrison (Jenzer). However, Harrison clipped the rear-left tyre of Rehm as they exited the left-hander, puncturing Rehm’s tyre and dislodging Harrison’s front wing. By the end of the first lap, Dante Vinci had also lost his front wing, while Simon Schranz missed his braking point at the turn 16 hairpin. The Renauer driver collected Chloe Chambers and Sebastian Bach in the ensuing collision.
At the first corner on lap two, Anurag managed to find his way past Gomez. Despite immediate attempts from the Brazilian to find his way back past, Anurag did not offer up an opportunity for his teammate, and soon began building a lead.
By the race’s end, Anurag was three seconds clear of Gomez, and secured his first victory in the Formula Winter Series. Fionn McLaughlin finished in a well-earned third overall, while also taking Rookie Trophy honours. The Irishman in his Red Bull-liveried Hitech machine spent the entire race under scrutiny from Maximilian Popov, with Andrija Kostic also close behind.
Nina Gademan once again took her Hitech machine into the overall points, finishing ninth and securing the Female Trophy award.
Race 2:
After overnight rain, Sunday morning’s race would be held in greasy conditions. Gabriel Gomez and Kabir Anurag once again formed the front row of the grid, however, it was their US Racing teammate Maxim Rehm who got the best start from third. By the first corner, Rehm was in the lead, while Anurag moved into second place.
Rehm, who expressed confidence in his wet weather abilities prior to the race on the broadcast, fought valiantly against Anurag. The Singaporean made his intentions clear with a dive to the inside at turn 16 on the second lap. However, Anurag went deep into the corner, allowing Rehm to cut back to the lead. Just a lap later, Anurag again saw an opportunity to lunge, and the second attempt was successful.
As Anurag and Rehm fought, Gomez brought himself into contention. And, while the three US Racing drivers began to squabble among themselves, Hitech’s Fionn McLaughlin was closing in. Soon, McLaughlin began picking up podium spots. With just over 20 minutes left in the 30-minute +1 lap race, he eased past Rehm at the turn 16 hairpin. Less than a lap later, Gomez also fell behind the #5 car.
In order to challenge for the lead, McLaughlin had to erode a 2.7-second deficit to the race leader. In clean air, McLaughlin soon began setting fastest laps, and with ten minutes of the race left to go, Anurag was now under immense pressure from his Irish adversary. A good run out of turn 15 bore fruit for McLaughlin, as the inside beckoned at the end of the long back straight, and he moved into the lead.
A late safety car was triggered by contact between Mathilda Paatz (AS Motorsport) and Payton Westcott (Van Amersfoort Racing). The race would eventually resume with just one lap left to go. McLaughlin was fast out of the blocks, and ensured a victory with a measured final tour, ahead of Kabir Anurag and Gabriel Gomez, who continued to extend his championship lead over Leo Robinson. The Anglo-Algerian driver was classified sixth, after a five-second penalty for Maxim Rehm dropped the #71 car to seventh.
Nina Gademan once again won the Female Trophy, her seventh triumph in the category during 2025.
Race 3:
As the third and final race drew closer, the circuit had dried out, and almost all teams opted for slicks. However, moments before the formation lap, rain started to fall around the circuit. The rainfall was heavy enough for three drivers to head to the pitlane rather than their grid slots; Jenzer Motorsport’s Artem Severiukhin and Bart Harrison, and Van Amersfoort’s Payton Westcott.
Meanwhile, the lights went out and the race began. Once again, Maxim Rehm had a magnificent launch, this time from fifth on the grid. Pole-sitter Kabir Anurag and fellow front row starter Thomas Bearman both had a tough time getting the power down, allowing both Rehm and Fionn McLaughlin to streak by.
Rehm took a wide approach to the first corner, and struggled to turn in on the slippery paint, allowing McLaughlin to assume an early race lead as the entire field searched for grip to little success. At turn seven, Rehm found the inside line and took first position back, while Simon Schranz of Renauer Motorsport was ascending rapidly through the pack. Renauer had been the only team to send a car to the grid with wet tyres on, and Schranz moved from 20th on the grid to sixth position on the first lap alone.
Less than a lap later, Schranz had moved into the race lead, taking full advantage of the superior grip from his wet tyres. However, this lead was to be short-lived, as Schranz had a spin at the first corner at the start of lap three. This dropped him down to fifth; critically, Bart Harrison was now ahead of the Austrian, having started from the pits after switching to wets post-formation lap. As the slick-shod drivers continued to struggle and lose time, Harrison and Schranz completed the third lap in first and second place.
Gradually, many teams and drivers elected to pit for wet tyres. However, some stayed committed to negotiating the greasy circuit on slicks. Among them was Hitech’s Fionn McLaughlin. By half-distance, McLaughlin was running third, leading those on the slick tyres, but running 24 seconds back from Bart Harrison.
However, McLaughlin began matching and then surpassing the lap times of the two cars ahead, as the circuit continued drying and the pendulum swung away from those with wet tyres. Soon, McLaughlin began pumping in fastest laps, and made short work of Simon Schranz. And, within ten minutes, the near half-minute gap between the leader and McLaughlin disappeared; with six minutes left to go, McLaughlin breezed past Harrison on the exit of turn seven to take the lead.
McLaughlin held the top spot for the remainder of the race, performing a sweep of Sunday at Motorland Aragon, and taking his third victory of the season. Maxim Rehm’s impressive start proved to be a little too fast, as he was handed a five-second jump start penalty. However, due to the spread out nature of the race, he remained second in the final results. Championship leader Gabriel Gomez kept his 100 per cent podium record alive in third, ahead of Maksimilian Popov and Kabir Anurag. Eventually, everyone in the top five remained on slicks throughout the race. Having led the middle portion of the race, Bart Harrison eventually had to settle for sixth place on his wet tyres.
Payton Westcott won the Female Trophy in 13th overall, having fought within the top ten following Van Amersfoort Racing’s decision to call the American in for wets before the race start.
Barcelona: A finale likely to yield glory for Gomez
Gabriel Gomez’s stunning consistency has put him in a strong position heading into the Formula Winter Series season finale at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
With 182 points to his name, Gomez holds a 68-point advantage over his closest competitor. And, while Leo Robinson had often looked like the strongest adversary for Gomez, it is now Fionn McLaughlin who sits second in the standings. However, with just 82 points left to score, any title aspirations for Hitech’s Red Bull Junior come attached to remarkably long odds.
Leo Robinson scored just eight points at Aragon, which leaves him third in the points on 106. He is now mathematically out of contention for the overall title, but could still regain second position from McLaughlin on 114.
Kabir Anurag sits fourth in the standings on 97 points.
Fionn McLaughlin also leads the Rookie Trophy by an impressive 80 points. His closest competition in the class comes in the form of Thomas Bearman, who sits 11th in the overall standings on 34 points. A score of just two points will sew up the season-long Rookie accolade for McLaughlin.
New drivers and determined full-season entrants will clash in Barcelona, as the Formula Winter Series will end on a high on 8-9 March at the home of the Spanish Grand Prix.
The first-ever six-hour race organised by GEDLICH featured a 35-minute minimum combined pitstop time in the first five hours and 30 minutes, across at least five pitstops. Teams took unique approaches to serving the minimum time, and the race proved to be strategically compelling throughout.
As the race began at 11:30am local time, the pole-sitting Razoon Porsche held the early lead with Thomas Andersen at the wheel. However, just minutes into the race, Greystone GT’s Oliver Webb arrived in the Porsche’s wing mirrors, and quickly found a way by. Webb proceeded to fortify an early lead in the McLaren 720S GT3 Evo. Meanwhile, Andersen was being hounded by the Landgraf Mercedes of Jörg Viebahn, the similar car driven by AKM Motorsport’s Marco Antonelli, and the Cup 2-leading A-Workx Porsche 992 GT3 Cup driven by Nico Menzel.
As the race approached the conclusion of the first half-hour, Antonelli started to move forward rapidly. The AKM team boss dispatched both Viebahn and Andersen, only to pit two laps later. The Mercedes idled past its garage and into the refuelling area at the end of the pits, marking the first of what would prove to be several shorter, more frequent pitstops.
For the first two hours, AKM’s Mercedes would pit approximately every 30 minutes, while most other teams would pit closer to the end of the hour. Oliver Webb was one of the last to make his first pitstop, handing over to Andrey Borodin with just over an hour and ten minutes in the books.
With Borodin at the wheel, the Greystone GT team’s lead was quickly eroded and nullified by Simon Birch, who had taken over the Razoon Porsche. Soon, the McLaren would be demoted to third, after a spin for Borodin. Tom Kalendar had taken over the Landgraf Mercedes, and charged by Borodin shortly after recovering from the moment.
With that, the story of the race lead was established. Over the next several hours, Landgraf’s pairing would match Birch and Andersen, but the gap remained at roughly a minute throughout the race. This distance was established in the second hour, after Viebahn remained in the car for longer than Andersen, and Birch took full advantage in the Razoon Porsche.
Andersen and Birch would ultimately win by one minute and 23 seconds, after the Landgraf Mercedes received 20 seconds worth of track limits penalties. Viebahn and Kalendar finished second, while the AKM Motorsport entry rounded out the overall podium. Antonelli, along with Raffaele Giammaria and Aaron Farhadi, drove a trouble-free race, and were able to beat the Greystone GT McLaren to the podium thanks to greater consistency.
In the Cup 2 class for Porsche 992 Cup cars, the A-Workx team controlled much of the race, courtesy of particularly rapid stints from Nico Menzel, and faultless running from Rodriguez Menzl. The Mtech Competition team from Sweden put in a good effort, with particular heroics from Gustav Soderberg Krogh during his stints.
A-Workx ultimately won the class, taking fifth overall and finishing a lap clear of the Mtech car. Steiner Racing rounded out the Cup 2 podium.
Lionspeed GP were victorious in the GT4 category, despite a race that started with a brief visit to the pits. The line-up of Damian Freda, Steven Berndtson and Patrick Kolb were only 35 seconds clear of the NM Racing Team Mercedes at the end of the race, but this was extended by 20 seconds after late track limits penalties accrued by NM’s Ian loggie. The Spanish team had the strongest pace in the GT4 class, but a slew of bad luck befell the AMG GT4. This included a shock absorber failure in the first hour and a puncture in hour four.
Monteiros Competições finished tenth overall, and won the TCX class. Henrique Oliveira started the F82-spec BMW M4 GT4, and led all of the newer GT4 machines in the overall standings during the first hour.
The Team MJC Bentley failed to finish, after a late driveshaft failure put paid to Matthew Graham and Witt Gamski’s progress in the final hour. The East Racing Motorsport Porsche Cayman GT4 RS CS also fell by the wayside late in the race, due to a toe-link failure. The car had been crabbing for several hours, after contact with the Lionspeed Porsche, and sadly the team’s effort to persevere did not allow them to reach the flag.
14-16 March: The 6H Barcelona will conclude the GEDLICH Racing Winter Series
The first-ever GEDLICH Racing Portimão 6H was well-received by its competitors, with many expected to return for the 6H Barcelona at the famed Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
From the 14-16 March, endurance racing teams from across Europe will look to become the first to etch their names into the 6H Barcelona record books, and greater competition is expected across the classes.
As with the 6H Portimão, GT2, GT3 and GT4 cars are eligible, alongside single-make machines from Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren in the Cup classes. The Cup X and TCX classes will be deployed for cars that do not fit within the boundaries of those categories, but match the performance window of the event.
The 6H Barcelona will be streamed live on the Winter Series YouTube channel, and act as a fitting conclusion to GEDLICH Racing’s biggest ever winter racing calendar.
30 JAN – 02 FEB 6h of PORTIMÃO /P
13 MAR – 16 MAR 6h of BARCELONA /E
Race 1:
For the first race, Gabriel Gomez started from pole position, alongside his US Racing teammate Edu Robinson.
As the lights went out, both front row starters struggled for traction off the line, allowing Hitech TGR’s Leo Robinson to immediately challenge for the lead from the second row. Gomez went defensive into the first corner, compromising his run towards turn three. As the cars passed through the first sector split, it was Leo Robinson in the lead, with Gomez and Edu Robinson in pursuit.
Behind, Maximilian Popov of Van Amersfoort Racing tagged Thomas Bearman’s Hitech entry at turn one, sending both drivers down the order. Bearman’s glasses were briefly unseated in the collision, while Popov accidentally engaged his pit limiter.
For much of the race, Leo Robinson retained the lead, seemingly managing the race well and keeping control of his gap.
However, in the final minutes of the race, the safety car was deployed. Sebastian Bach (AS Motorsport) had tagged Jenzer’s Enea Frey at the exit of turn three, sending Frey onto the grass, where he would remain stricken.
By the time the Safety Car lights were extinguished, the clock had already reached zero, meaning just one lap remained for Leo Robinson to hold off Gabriel Gomez at the front.
Unfortunately for the Hitech driver in the lead, it was clear that he was under pressure, and lacking speed through the first corners. Sure enough, at turn five, Gomez capitalised on a strong run to make the definitive move for victory. Leo Robinson finished second, ahead of his unrelated namesake Edu Robinson.
Red Bull Junior Team driver Fionn McLaughlin made his first start in car racing, and impressed by staying with the leading pack and comfortably winning the Rookie Trophy category in his Hitech entry.
Hitech also secured the win in the well-supported Female Trophy, courtesy of Nina Gademan, who finished sixth overall.
Race 2:
The second race began in much the same way as the first, as Gabriel Gomez and Edu Robinson once again started from the front row.
At the second time of asking, both US Racing drivers got better starts, but Leo Robinson was fast out of the blocks again. The Hitech driver tried to drive around the outside of turn one, becoming airborne on the exit kerb and losing out to both front row starters.
Then, on the exit of turn three, there was contact between Leo Robinson’s rear right tyre and the front wing endplate of his teammate Fionn McLaughlin. Unfortunately, this ended the race for Robinson, while McLaughlin’s front wing would gradually dislodge, eventually requiring a replacement before the chequered flag and dropping the Irishman to a 23rd-place finish.
Gabriel Gomez held the lead in spite of two safety car periods, and pressure from Edu Robinson.
The first Safety Car was caused by a collision at turn one between Female Trophy rivals Rafaela Ferreira and Mathilda Paatz. Ferreira was able to recover her car back to the pits, while Paatz’s AS Motorsport entry had to be recovered.
Mere moments after the race returned to green flag conditions, a collision between Aleksander Ruta (CRAM) and Maffi Racing’s Teo Borenstein at turn four forced a further pause. Ruta was beached in the gravel.
Once racing resumed for the final time, Gabriel Gomez set about creating enough of a cushion to comfortably drive the car home, 1.498 seconds clear of Edu Robinson. Maksimilian Popov rounded out the podium for Van Amersfoort Racing.
Luka Sammalisto finished fourth overall for US Racing, ahead of Thomas Bearman, who claimed the Rookie Trophy win. Bearman’s Hitech teammate Nina Gademan took Female Trophy honours once more, finishing tenth.
Race 3:
The third race of the weekend was held on Sunday morning, and greasy conditions greeted the drivers. Opinions on how to tackle the circuit were mixed, with many electing to start on slicks in anticipation of the surface drying out.
The front row once again featured US Racing’s Edu Robinson and Gabriel Gomez, albeit with the former starting from pole position. Both had slick tyres on their cars. The second row, consisting of Leo Robinson and Maxim Rehm, elected for wets.
The cars lined-up on the grid without issue, however, the gantry lights failed halfway through the starting procedure. This led to a heavily botched start, and many drivers falling through the field, while wet-shod Bart Harrison (Jenzer) moved from tenth to the lead with a good start, and a committed run through the opening corners.
However, after half a lap, the red flags flew as a result of the starting procedure issues.
The cars returned to pitlane, and were reorganised into their original qualifying order. During this time, a majority of drivers that had started on slicks retreated onto wet tyres, with only Maximilian Popov (Van Amersfoort Racing) and US Racing’s Andrija Kostic sticking to their guns. Unfortunately, this would not pay off for either driver as they ultimately finished a lap down.
After a pair of laps behind the safety car, the race finally resumed with a single-file restart, and 22 minutes on the clock.
Polesitter Edu Robinson struggled in the wet conditions, gradually slipping to the fringe of the top-ten. Hitech’s Fionn McLaughlin, who started fifth, clearly felt comfortable in the slippery conditions, and found himself in the lead after less than a lap.
McLaughlin managed the race wonderfully from the front of the order, doing enough to retain a comfortable buffer over Leo Robinson, who also picked his way forward early on. The pair remained in their positions, and netted a 1-2 finish for Hitech.
For McLaughlin, it was the perfect conclusion to his first weekend in single-seater racing, as he won both the overall and rookie trophy classification. McLaughlin reacted to his win on the live broadcast, saying: “It feels amazing! I’m so happy to be on the top step of the podium in F4, and to do it on my second day is just amazing. The track was drying out, so the tyres were burning out. I had to manage as soon as I had a big gap. […] It’s amazing to get a win for the [Hitech] boys, they’re just the best to be a part of, and I’m thankful to be in such an amazing family.”
Maxim Rehm finished third on the road for US Racing. However, in scrutineering, it was discovered that the brakes of the #71 car did not comply with the technical regulations. The car was therefore disqualified from all three races, which promoted Gabriel Gomez to third in race three, and cost Rehm 35 championship points.
Nina Gademan once again won the Female Trophy class, ahead of Alisha Palmowski (Campos), who fought well from a 28th starting position enforced by technical issues in qualifying. The pair of confirmed 2025 F1 Academy competitors finished 11th and 12th respectively.
Valencia hosts round two
In less than two weeks, the Formula Winter Series returns to Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo.
Gabriel Gomez has placed himself into a strong position in the championships courtesy of his victories, sitting on 69 points. The Brazilian driver is followed in by the standings by Edu and Leo Robinson, who are tied on 36 points, and Rookie Trophy points leader Fionn McLaughlin on 35.
The driver line-ups will remain broadly similar for the second of the season. However, Chloe Chambers is set to make her first Formula Winter Series start, replacing Raffaela Ferreira at Campos.
After missing the first round of the season, Guy Albag is anticipated to make his debut in the #11 AKM Motorsport entry.
Spectator access to the 13-16 February Valencia event is free, and also features the GT and GT4 Winter Series. Fans around the world can watch all of the action live on the Winter Series YouTube channel.
30 JAN – 02 FEB FWS & 6h of PORTIMÃO /P
13 FEB – 16 FEB VALENCIA /E
27 FEB – 2 MAR ARAGÓN /E
6 MAR – 9 MAR BARCELONA /E
13 MAR – 16 MAR 6h of BARCELONA /E
New teams have arrived this year, including Hitech TGR, Van Amersfoort Racing and Renauer Motorsport. The new additions, alongside returning teams such as US Racing, Campos Racing and Jenzer Motorsport, have ensured an impressive paddock once again in 2025.
Who will be at the top?
Narrowing down the potential protagonists for this year’s championship battle is no mean feat.
Drivers such as Kabir Anurag, Maxim Rehm (US Racing) and Enea Frey (Jenzer Motorsport) benefit from prior appearances in the Formula Winter Series, and the track knowledge gained at the three returning Spanish venues.
Leo Robinson (Hitech) is likely to be among the favourites, as a three-time race winner during the 2024 British F4 season. The Anglo-Algerian will be finding his feet with a new team during the Formula Winter Series, but the proven success of both he and the Hitech squad marks the #6 entry as one to watch.
Luka Sammalisto (US Racing) had a promising season in 2024, registering well over 30 F4 races in 2024 across the Middle East and Europe. With significant experience under his belt, as well as a new alliance with 2023 Formula Winter Series-winning team US Racing, the Finnish racer will have high hopes.
Sebastian Bach will make his first appearances in the current-generation F4 car at Portimão this weekend. The Nordic 4 rookie champion, aged 16, will be a part of AS Motorsport’s three-car line-up. The Danish driver has proven to be quick and consistent so far in his single seater tenure, and there is certainly potential for him to perform well this season.
Maksimilian Popov secured four top-ten finishes in his final seven Italian F4 races last year, and now joins the ever-competitive Van Amersfoort Racing team for his second season in cars. With the 16-year-old just hitting his stride, the new alliance could be a particularly strong one.
Simon Schranz has competed in a little over a dozen races in single-seater machinery, but has already netted four top-five finishes in the F4 CEZ Championship. The sole entry from Renauer Motorsport could prove to be a spoiler among the larger fleets from other teams in FWS. Speaking of the Central European grid, 2024 vice-champion and six-time race winner Kirill Kutskov will be one to watch, as the 16-year-old continues his partnership with Maffi Racing.
Rookie Trophy: The newcomer’s class set to feature overall contenders
The 2024 Rookie Trophy within Formula Winter Series was vastly populated. Class champion Maciej Gładysz proved that drivers new to single-seater competition can be a force in the overall standings, finishing third. The Rookies entered for this season suggest that we could see the same thing happen in 2025.
The Rookie Trophy class is for drivers with nine races or fewer in single seaters. With eight races on his resume, Thomas Bearman (Hitech) qualifies to compete in this category as well as the overall standings. Bearman has the advantage of already competing with his 2025 team at the tail-end of the 2024 British F4 season, scoring two podiums within the rookie class. The brother of 2025 Haas F1 signee Oliver, Thomas will be looking to thrive in F4 just like his elder sibling, who won the 2021 Italian and ADAC F4 championships.
17-year-old Fionn McLoughlin, also with Hitech, will make his single-seater racing debut in the Formula Winter Series. The Irishman’s debut in cars has been hotly anticipated, as he has been a front-runner on the international and World Championship karting stage in recent years.
Despite only debuting in karts during 2021, Andrea Dupe (AS Motorsport) claimed vice-championship status in the 2023 Italian OK Karting Championship. The 16-year-old prepared for his single-seater debut during the 2024 season, in addition to his karting campaign. He is expected to develop well in a 2025 schedule spread across three championships.
Both Jenzer Motorsport and Van Amersfoort Racing will join Hitech in entering multiple rookies. Jenzer will field 2025 F1 Academy driver Alba Hurup Larsen and Artem Severiukhin within the class, while Dante Vinci and Payton Westcott will fly the flag for VAR.
Teo Borenstein (Maffi Racing) rounds out the rookie class for the first round of the season.
Female Trophy: Exciting names join the field
The Female Trophy class is set for its strongest season yet in 2025, with nine drivers registered for the first round in Portimão.
Campos Racing will enter two cars in the category, set to be rotated among its Red Bull-backed 2025 F1 Academy drivers. For the first round of the season, GB4 vice-champion and race winner Alisha Palmowski will be joined by three-time F4 Brazilian Championship race-winner Rafaela Ferreira.
Chloe Chambers, who won in F1 Academy last year at Barcelona, will make her first appearance at Valencia. While each of the Campos drivers will only compete in two rounds of Formula Winter Series, their racing CVs mean there will be high expectations in the class standings as well as the overall results.
Joanne Ciconte (AKM Motorsport) has impressed so far in her limited car racing experience, securing top-five finishes in F4 CEZ, and also performing well in Spain and her native Australia. Fellow Aussie Avia Anagnostiadis (CRAM) is not set for a full-season, but consistent points scoring and a top-five finish in F4 India suggests she may disrupt the full-season competitors at Portimão.
Kornelia Olkucka continues her partnership with Maffi Racing, established ahead of the 2024 F4 CEZ season. Mathilda Paatz, who competed in French F4 throughout 2024, will join AS Motorsport for a full-season bid for the Female Trophy.
Nina Gademan is yet another driver who has previously competed in F1 Academy, and finished fourth on her series debut as the wildcard entrant at Zandvoort. She will compete in the first three rounds of the season for Hitech.
Aforementioned Rookie drivers Alba Hurup Larsen and Payton Westcott will also score points in the Female Trophy.
Watch the first round live as Formula Winter Series begins the European single-seater year!
The Formula Winter Series season opener will be streamed live on the Winter Series YouTube channel this weekend, alongside GEDLICH Racing’s inaugural 6H Portimão. Race one begins at 11:40AM local time on Saturday 1 February, followed by race two at 15:30PM.
The third race will be held at 09:15AM on Sunday 2 February.
30 JAN – 02 FEB FWS & 6h of PORTIMÃO /P
13 FEB – 16 FEB VALENCIA /E
27 FEB – 2 MAR ARAGÓN /E
6 MAR – 9 MAR BARCELONA /E
13 MAR – 16 MAR 6h of BARCELONA /E
The Elite McLaren Artura GT4 started on pole for the first 30-minute sprint on Saturday, and its driver McKenzy Cresswell maintained the lead off the start. On the first lap, Enrico Förderer of SR Motorsport dropped back from third on the grid, and then made contact with the Racing Spirit of Leman Aston Martin at turn 13, sending Baudouin Detout into a spin.
In the early stages of the race, Cresswell was pursued by W&S Motorsport’s Maximilian Schreyer. However, the W&S Porsche Cayman faded, and looked to be slightly imbalanced. After recovering through the order, SR Motorsport’s Enrico Förderer soon moved into second place, and began closing in on the leader. However, just as the SR Mercedes started to lurk in the mirrors of the Elite McLaren, race control handed down a drive-through penalty for Förderer’s involvement in the collision with Detout.
This allowed McKenzy Cresswell to secure yet another win for Elite Motorsport. On the road, it was a McLaren 1-2. However, the RAFA Racing by Race Lab entry of Callum Davies was dropped down to third owing to track limits penalties. Therefore, the second spot was inherited by Benjamin Sylvestersson in the FK Performance BMW M4 GT4.
BWT Mucke Motorsport’s Axel Bengtsson finished fourth, just ahead of the recovering Enrico Förderer.
RAFA Racing McLaren’s Charlie Hart started on pole for race two, alongside Josh Rattican’s similar Elite entry. As the race began, Hart held the lead early on, while SR Motorsport’s Jay Mo Härtling immediately applied pressure to Rattican.
The top three would soon break away, and Härtling split the McLarens ten minutes into the race with a physical move at turn ten. Once he passed Rattican, the SR Motorsport driver set about pressuring Charlie Hart. Hart tried to defend against Härtling, but compromised his run through the first corner covering the inside line, leaving the door open for the Mercedes through turns two and three.
Rattican found his way by the Rafa Racing McLaren too, but was not able to match the pace of Jay Mo Härtling, who claimed the victory. Rattican was followed across the line by Hart, but much like his teammate Callum Davies, he had accrued track limits penalties. Therefore, third overall went to the PRO-AM class winner Peter Terting.
The 60-minute pitstop race was an immense challenge, as rain began to fall on the pre-grid. Most teams switched to wet tyres before the formation laps, but the drivers would still have to fight the cars on their stiffer dry setups.
Elite’s McKenzy Cresswell and W&S Motorsport’s Maximilian Schreyer started on the front row, and immediately broke away at the front. With nearly 15 minutes elapsed, Schreyer saw an opportunity to make a lunge for the lead at turn five, while Cresswell arced to the inside to try and squeeze the W&S Porsche out. The pair met at the apex, colliding and sending the Elite McLaren into a spin. Schreyer took the lead, while Cresswell fell to third behind the RAFA Racing McLaren of Callum Davies.
Schreyer would soon receive a drive-through penalty for the contact, which was ultimately served by his co-driver Alon Gabbay. Less than three minutes before the pit window opened, Callum Davies moved up to the lead after Schreyer drifted wide at turn 10 and 11. Remarkably, the lead pair were now joined in battle by AM driver Joachim Bölting, who drove magnificently in the damp conditions. During the pit window, Bölting would briefly lead, before rejoining the race in second behind the RAFA Racing McLaren, now driven by Charlie Hart. Josh Rattican found a way past Bölting’s Plusline Porsche Cayman for second. Bölting looked set to hold on to third overall, however, a late error at turn one allowed Alon Gabbay to get past on the final lap.
Charlie Hart and Callum Davies won the race for RAFA Racing, ahead of Josh Rattican and McKenzy Cresswell in the Elite McLaren.
16 JAN – 19 JAN ESTORIL /P
23 JAN – 26 JAN PORTIMAO /P
30 JAN – 02 FEB 6h of PORTIMÃO /P
13 FEB – 16 FEB VALENCIA /E
27 FEB – 2 MAR ARAGÓN /E
6 MAR – 9 MAR BARCELONA /E
13 MAR – 16 MAR 6h of BARCELONA /E
The first 30-minute sprint race of the weekend marked the GT3 racing debut of talented Emirati Keanu Al Azhari, driving a Porsche 992 GT3 R entered by SSR Performance. During qualifying, Al Azhari’s fastest lap time was deleted for failing to slow under yellow flags. His time was good enough for pole position, but instead he would start the race from sixth.
SR Motorsport’s Moritz Wiskirchen inherited pole, holding off fellow front-row starter Jerzy Spinkiewicz, and the fast-starting MZR KTM X-Bow GT2 of Simon Willner. Further back, Al Azhari quickly began dispatching the drivers ahead of him, and had moved up to second after less than ten minutes of green flag racing. By the time Al Azhari passed the Cup 4 leading UNIQ Lamborghini of Jerzy Spinkiewicz, he had an eight-second deficit to make up against leader Moritz Wiskirchen. The green Porsche began to repeatedly set purple sectors, and with eight minutes left to go, Al Azhari had caught the SR Performance Mercedes.
However, the dirty air began to play its part, and Al Azhari had to exercise patience behind Wiskirchen. However, on the penultimate lap, Wiskirchen ran fractionally wide at turn three. This compromised his run through turn four, towards the hairpin. Al Azhari had made several overtakes at turn five during the race, and fittingly, his definitive move for the lead also occurred at that corner.
Al Azhari won the race by just over a second, ahead of Wiskirchen. Cup 4 winner Jerzy Spinkiewicz rounded out the overall podium. In Cup 1, AF Corse’s Cristiano Maciel took the victory after a hard fought battle with Oscar Ryndziewicz of Mertel Motorsport. Ryndziewicz thrived in his first race using a Ferrari 296 Challenge, and the fourth race of his career. On Sunday morning, Al Azhari started from pole position, alongside the identical Razoon – more than racing Porsche of Simon Birch. The two teenage hotshoes made short work of gapping the field, and while Birch was unable to find a way by, he gave Al Azhari no reprieve.
The race concluded with a one-lap dash, after a Safety Car was triggered by an accident between Seweryn Mazur’s GT3 Poland Cup 4 Lamborghini, and the GT3 Mercedes of SPS Automotive’s Dexter Mueller. The Swiss racer had an incident during qualifying that consigned him to starting last. After working his way into the top ten quickly, an ambitious lunge at turn three caught out Mazur, who cut across the Mercedes to take the normal racing line. Courtesy of the late Safety Car, Al Azhari won by just four tenths of a second over Birch, while UNIQ Racing’s Jerzy Spinkiewicz once again finished third overall and won Cup 4.
Rafael Duran, on his first-ever racing weekend, took fifth place overall and the Cup 1 win for AF Corse. He finished behind the KTM X-Bow GT2 of Simon Willner, which was entered into the Cup X class. Sunday afternoon’s 55-minute pitstop race was held in slippery conditions, after rain arrived over the lunch break. Keanu Al Azhari’s SSR Porsche was withdrawn from the race, opening the floodgates for a different winner. From the outside of the first row, SR Motorsport’s Kenneth Heyer swept into an early lead.
The race concluded with a one-lap dash, after a Safety Car was triggered by an accident between Seweryn Mazur’s GT3 Poland Cup 4 Lamborghini, and the GT3 Mercedes of SPS Automotive’s Dexter Mueller. The Swiss racer had an incident during qualifying that consigned him to starting last. After working his way into the top ten quickly, an ambitious lunge at turn three caught out Mazur, who cut across the Mercedes to take the normal racing line. Courtesy of the late Safety Car, Al Azhari won by just four tenths of a second over Birch, while UNIQ Racing’s Jerzy Spinkiewicz once again finished third overall and won Cup 4.
Rafael Duran, on his first-ever racing weekend, took fifth place overall and the Cup 1 win for AF Corse. He finished behind the KTM X-Bow GT2 of Simon Willner, which was entered into the Cup X class. Sunday afternoon’s 55-minute pitstop race was held in slippery conditions, after rain arrived over the lunch break. Keanu Al Azhari’s SSR Porsche was withdrawn from the race, opening the floodgates for a different winner. From the outside of the first row, SR Motorsport’s Kenneth Heyer swept into an early lead.
Through turn two, Andreas Bogh Sorensen made light contact with John Dhillon. Sorensen was sent into a momentary spin, as both drivers shed a wing mirror. At turn five, Heyer drifted wide, and Jerzy Spinkiewicz inherited the race lead. Oscar Ryndziewicz soon found his way into second place, in the Cup 1 Mertel Motorsport Ferrari. However, as the pit window began, Moritz Wiskirchen was handed the SR Motorsport Mercedes early. He immediately began setting fastest laps, and by the time the pitstops were completed, Wiskirchen had inherited the lead. Further back, Matt Griffin (AF Corse) dispatched Oscar Ryndziewicz for the Cup 1 lead, in the Ferrari that Griffin inherited from John Dhillon. Soon after, Spinkiewicz lost second overall to Griffin, and in the wet conditions, all of the Ferrari 296 Challenge entries were moving forward.
Griffin was being chased down by the likes of Sean Hudspeth and Mikkel Mac, and as the final lap began, one last twist came as Moritz Wiskirchen withdrew from the race one lap before the chequered flag. The SR Motorsport Mercedes pulled into the garage, and this allowed Griffin to claim the overall win for himself and Dhillon, ahead of Sean Hudspeth in the car he took over from racing newcomer Rafael Duran. Mikkel Mac rounded out the overall and Cup 1 podium alongside Andreas Bogh Sorensen.
GT3 winners Thomas Andersen and Simon Birch (Razoon Porsche) finished fifth overall, behind Rui Aguas and Cristian Maciel. The Portuguese pairing currently lead the overall championship by ten points over SR Motorsport’s Wiskirchen and Heyer.
16 JAN – 19 JAN ESTORIL /P
23 JAN – 26 JAN PORTIMAO /P
30 JAN – 02 FEB 6h of PORTIMÃO /P
13 FEB – 16 FEB VALENCIA /E
27 FEB – 2 MAR ARAGÓN /E
6 MAR – 9 MAR BARCELONA /E
13 MAR – 16 MAR 6h of BARCELONA /E
At all seven events of the 2025 GEDLICH Winter Series, teams running Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport and 992 GT3 Cup cars will benefit from the presence of Manthey’s support truck. Over 1900 spare parts are available, from the smallest nuts and bolts to brake, suspension and body parts: Even complete engines and gearboxes will be on-site!
On request, Manthey will also be able to offer spare parts for other Porsche racing cars, delivered to the venues (subject to availability and sufficient delivery time).
Manthey, a previous entrant in the GT Winter Series, has been successful at every level of GT racing. Most recently, Manthey-entered Porsches secured a 1-2 finish in the FIA Endurance Trophies for LMGT3 Drivers and Teams, part of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
The paddock support of Manthey will prove to be an invaluable asset for Porsche teams during the 2025 GEDLICH Racing Winter Series campaign, across the GT and GT4 Winter Series, as well as the new-for-2025 6h of Portimão and Barcelona events.
16 JAN – 19 JAN ESTORIL /P
23 JAN – 26 JAN PORTIMÃO /P
30 JAN – 02 FEB PORTIMÃO /P (6h of Portimão)
13 FEB – 16 FEB VALENCIA /E
27 FEB – 2 MAR ARAGÓN /E
6 MAR – 9 MAR BARCELONA /E
13 MAR – 16 MAR BARCELONA /E (6h of Barcelona)
For the first time, FWS will race in Portugal, as the season begins at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal from 30 January to 2 February. After crossing the border to Spain, Valencia will hold the second round from the 13-16 February, followed by a pair of consecutive weekends from 27 February-2 March at Aragon, and the season finale at Barcelona from 6-9 March.
Each race weekend will feature three 30-minute +1 lap races, with over 30 cars expected to compete.
Formula 4 teams from across Europe have proven that there is a market for Winter Series racing in their home continent. And as a result, the 2025 Formula Winter Series was fully-booked by October 2024, with additional teams on the waiting list. The FWS grid will feature entries from teams familiar to the GEDLICH paddock, including AKM Motorsport, US Racing and Jenzer Motorsport.
These teams are joined on the entry list by new competitors such as Hitech GP and Van Amersfoort Racing. The teams of the Formula Winter Series are currently finalising and announcing their drivers, and early indications suggest the potential for the strongest grid in series history.
Teams can expect professional service from Winter Series partners including local Pirelli tyre distributor QF-LDA, and racing fuel specialists Panta. In addition, Formula Winter Series teams are bolstered by a support truck from Tatuus.
For fans, the Formula Winter Series marks an exciting opportunity to see talent from different national F4 competitions go head-to-head for the first time. And, since spectator access is free for the first three rounds of the season, fans can discover potential future superstars and meet them as their career begins.
For teams, competitors and supporters alike, another bonus comes in the form of full-season live-streaming. Every race of the season will be aired live, and based on the action witnessed in 2024, it will be exciting to watch.
Who will join Kazper Sztuka and Griffin Peebles on the list of Formula Winter Series champions? The journey to finding out will be thrilling!
23 JAN – 26 JAN PORTIMÃO /P
13 FEB – 16 FEB VALENCIA /E
27 FEB – 2 MAR ARAGÓN /E
6 MAR – 9 MAR BARCELONA /E
The outgoing second-generation LMP3 cars will lead the field, while first-generation cars will also be included within their own ‘Gen 1’ class. The 5.0 and 5.6-litre V8 prototypes will bring the roar to Portugal and Spain.
There are two 50-minute races per Prototype Winter Series weekend. There are mandatory pitstops, with the length of time spent in the pits depending on the calibre of the driver line-up. This creates heart-pumping races to the chequered flag whenever the PTWS cars are on-track.
The calendar will begin on 16-19 January at Estoril, followed by a trip to Portimão on the 23-26 January. The series, organised with the blessing of the ACO, will then take a break as the Asian Le Mans Series comes to an end during February. The final two rounds of the season will take place from 27 February-2 March at Aragon, followed by the season finale at Barcelona from 6-9 March.
2024 frontrunners Konrad Motorsport and Rinaldi Racing will be joined by other renowned teams in the world of sportscar racing. This includes CLX Motorsport (Cool Racing), DKR Engineering and Racing Spirit of Leman. The PTWS grid is expected to feature 10 to 15 cars, with a split of Duqueine D08s and Ligier JSP320s running on Michelin rubber.
As is the case with every Winter Series grid, every moment of racing will be broadcast live on YouTube. Experienced voices such as Andy McEwen, Isi Browning, Andy Mather and Adam Weller will provide insight and reaction during the broadcast, produced by Alpha Live.
The 2025 Prototype Winter Series promises to once again deliver action in spades. Exciting driver line-ups will be announced by the teams PTWS in the weeks leading up to the first race.
16 JAN – 19 JAN ESTORIL /P
23 JAN – 26 JAN PORTIMÃO /P
27 FEB – 2 MAR ARAGÓN /E
6 MAR – 9 MAR BARCELONA /E
As was the case in 2024, there will be PRO, PRO-AM and AM classes for driver line-ups of differing rankings, alongside the Cayman Trophy class for the slightly more production-based Porsche Cayman GT4 CS. These four classes will be joined by the new-for-2025 ‘Club’ class, for older GT4 machinery with expired homologations.
SR Motorsport will once again join the GT4 Winter Series grid, fielding four cars across two categories. As one of the 2024 frontrunners, the Niederzissen-based outfit will be the benchmark for other renowned German teams, including BWT Mücke Motorsport, FK Performance and W&S Motorsport. UK-based teams like SVG Motorsport, Century Motorsport will also be a prominent part of the grid, and the overall feeling of the paddock will be pan-European. The 2025 GT4 Winter Series is expected to have varied grids with 20 to 30 cars depending on the circuit and round.
Three races will be contested on each of the five GT4 Winter Series weekends: Two 30-minute sprint races, in addition to a 60-minute endurance with a mandatory pitstop. Estoril hosts the first round of the season, on 16-19 January. Just one week later, the second round will be held at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão.
The Spanish leg of the season begins at Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo on 13-16 February, followed by a pair of consecutive events held at Aragon (27 February-2 March) and the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya Barcelona (6-9 March).
For teams, access to support will be simple. For instance, teams running GT4 or CS-spec Porsche Caymans can call upon Manthey Racing for support, spares and expertise. For Mercedes-AMG and BMW M Motorsport teams, HWA and BMW M support trucks will be on-site to lend a helping hand.
The fan experience is of the utmost importance to GEDLICH Racing, and GT4 Winter Series fans will be able to follow every moment of the action live. Every race will be streamed on the Winter Series YouTube channel in collaboration with broadcast experts Alpha Live, with familiar presenting and commentating talent including Isi Browning, Andrew Mather, Andy McEwen and Adam Weller.
In addition, access to the circuit during Winter Series weekends is typically free, with the only exception being the final events at Barcelona. Whether you are in the grandstands, watching at home or looking to take part, the GT4 Winter Series promises to be a perfect kick-off to the 2025 season!
16 JAN – 19 JAN ESTORIL /P
23 JAN – 26 JAN PORTIMÃO /P
13 FEB – 16 FEB VALENCIA /E
27 FEB – 2 MAR ARAGÓN /E
6 MAR – 9 MAR BARCELONA /E
