Archiv autora: Tomáš Vacín

Last race weekend: F4 CEZ and TCR stars head to FIA Motorsport Games

Tomáš Vacín

Just five weeks after the end of the F4 CEZ and TCR Eastern Europe seasons, some drivers are heading to the FIA Motorsport Games in Valencia. This unique motorsport “Olympics” offers a prestigious competition, where nations compete across various disciplines.

Representing F4 CEZ in Spain will be this year’s champion Oscar Wurz and Max Karhan, who finished third overall. These two Jenzer Motorsport teammates will once again face off in the F4 single-seater, taking to the grid at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit. Wurz will race for Austria, while Karhan represents the Czech Republic.

Drivers from TCR Eastern Europe will also compete under their national flags. This year’s runner-up, Adam Kout, will take part in the TCR race, alongside René Kircher, representing Germany. But the list of drivers doesn’t end there. Davit Kajaia will head to Valencia to represent Georgia in the Single Make GT category, driving a Ferrari. Martin Kadlečík, who has previously raced in TCR events with an Audi RS3, will also return to the FIA Motorsport Games. After a successful showing in France, Kadlečík will once again compete in the esports category, racing in a simulator.

The FIA Motorsport Games will take place from October 23rd to 27th in Valencia. The event is organised by SRO’s Stéphane Ratel, known for establishing successful series like FIA GT and as the creator of the GT3 category. One of his latest ventures is this motorsport Olympics, which has enjoyed the support of the FIA since its inception.

The inaugural FIA Motorsport Games took place in 2019 in Rome, with the racing held at the nearby Vallelunga Circuit. After a pandemic hiatus, the next edition was held in 2022 in Marseille and at the Paul Ricard Circuit. Now, the event returns to its biennial schedule, with the 2024 edition set for Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo Circuit.

The number of competition disciplines continues to grow, and this year there are 28 categories, ranging from GT and TCR circuit racing to rally, off-road, karting, auto slalom, and virtual racing. Every competitor has the chance to win gold, silver, or bronze medals, with the nation that claims the most gold medals across all categories being crowned the overall winner of the FIA Motorsport Games.

This time, 28 categories are on the schedule, with more than 80 national sporting authorities expected to participate. The event has attracted top GT and touring car drivers from around the world.

More info here:
https://fiamotorsportgames.com/
https://fiamotorsportgames.cz/

Spectacular finale, win for Kout and title for Maťo Homola

Tomáš Vacín

The final race of the TCR Eastern Europe season at Salzburgring was a thrilling spectacle. Adam Kout won the race after starting from last place, battling for every position. Maťo Homola finished third, which was enough for him to secure his second title in a row.

Jiří Zbožínek from Hyundai Janík Motorsport started from pole position, with Jorden Dolischka from Mertel Motorsport alongside him. The second row was occupied by Žarko Knego and championship leader Maťo Homola. Ivars Vallers and Petr Čížek started from the third row, with René Kircher and Giacomo Ghermandi on the fourth. Homola’s teammate and championship contender, Adam Kout, started ninth, alongside Fraňo Dubreta.

Žarko Knego made a superb start, shooting into the lead with Zbožínek second, Ghermandi third, and Homola fourth. Unfortunately, Kout stalled the engine and started with a notable delay, but he soon caught up with the field, which was still tightly packed.

Ghermandi took the lead on the second lap, with Knego second and Homola third. However, Vallers had other plans and overtook both Homola and Knego for second. Soon after, Homola found his mirrors full of Kout. Kout executed a brilliant overtake at the first chicane, moving up to fourth, while Kircher seized the opportunity to overtake Homola as well.

Kout then attacked Knego but outbraked himself at the first chicane, taking the escape road and losing two positions. However, he made an unbelievable manoeuvre on the back straight, passing both Knego and Kircher three-wide and quickly moving up to third.

As the race entered its closing stages, Kout began closing the gap to second-placed Vallers, while Ghermandi maintained a comfortable lead. However, when Ghermandi braked into the first chicane, he locked up, crossed the gravel trap, and retired the car. At the same time, Kout passed Vallers to take the lead.

The final order was Kout, Vallers, and Homola, which was a safe position for Homola to clinch the title. René Kircher finished fourth, with Petr Čížek in fifth. Sixth place went to Knego, followed by Zbožínek and Dolischka.

Adam Kout wins and closes the gap to Homola to just 16 points before the final race

Tomáš Vacín

The penultimate race of the TCR Eastern Europe season at Salzburgring was dramatic. Adam Kout started from pole position and won the race, with Giacomo Ghermandi second and René Kircher third. Championship leader Maťo Homola received a time penalty and dropped down the order.

Kout lined up on pole alongside René Kircher, with Maťo Homola and Ivars Vallers behind them. Kircher had the best start, managing to take the lead from Kout in the sprint to the tight first chicane. Behind them were Kajaia, Vallers, and then Homola.

All the drivers navigated the first chicane cleanly and continued without incident. Giacomo Ghermandi had an impressive start, moving up from eleventh to sixth.

Vallers made a mistake in the final chicane, losing a position, and Homola soon passed Kajaia to move into third place.

Kout was pushing Kircher, trying to find a way past. For a few laps, they were side by side, before Kout eventually overtook Kircher in the final chicane to take the lead. At the same time, Davit Kajaia ran off the track and crashed heavily into the barriers, which prompted the deployment of the safety car.

The order behind the safety car was Kout, Homola, Kircher, Ghermandi, Čížek, Vallers, Zbožínek, Knego, Dubreta, and Dolischka.

However, the race was soon red-flagged to allow repairs to the barriers. This played into the hands of Homola and his potential title win, but both he and Kircher were given a 10-second penalty for jump starts.

After a brief delay, the race resumed behind the safety car. Kout maintained his lead, with Kircher second, followed by Homola, Ghermandi, and a small gap to fifth-placed Čížek and the rest of the field.

Kout was under pressure, with just half a second separating him from Kircher, who had his mirrors full of Homola and Ghermandi. As we’ve seen multiple times this season, there was yet another clash between Homola and Ghermandi. The Italian driver almost spun Homola, but Slovakian driver managed to keep his car on the track and continued for a few more turns before Ghermandi eventually passed him.

There was also a close battle for fifth to tenth places between Čížek, Vallers, Dubreta, Zbožínek, Knego, and Dolischka. Unfortunately, a collision between Dubreta and Zbožínek at the first chicane caused Dubreta to spin, and the incident was investigated by the stewards.

Kout crossed the finish line first, with Kircher second, but his 10-second penalty dropped him to third behind Giacomo Ghermandi. Petr Čížek finished fourth, Vallers fifth, and Maťo Homola dropped to sixth after his time penalty. This result means that the points gap between Homola and Kout is now only 16 points heading into Sunday’s final race.

TCR EASTERN EUROPE – Race 1

Adam Kout doesn’t give up and scores valuable three points for pole position

Tomáš Vacín

The final round of the 2024 TCR Eastern Europe takes place at the Salzburgring, where this year’s champion will be decided. The battle between Adam Kout and Maťo Homola, teammates from Hyundai Janík Motorsport, began in qualifying.

The fastest driver in a twice red-flagged qualifying session was Adam Kout, which is crucial for his championship chances as he was awarded three points for this result. The second fastest was René Kircher from Mertel Motorsport, and third was Homola, who earned one point. This means the points difference between championship leader Homola and second-placed Kout is now 32 points.

Starting alongside Homola will be Ivars Vallers from the LV Racing team. The third row will feature Kircher’s teammate Davit Kajaia and Žarko Knego from the Autoklub Dubrovnik team. Jiří Zbožínek from Hyundai Janík Motorsport set the seventh-fastest time, with local driver Jorden Dolischka in eighth.

Ninth-fastest was Petr Čížek from Expres Auto Racing, and tenth was Fraňo Dubreta. Giacomo Ghermandi had an incident during qualifying and will start from the back of the grid.

TCR EASTERN EUROPE – Qualifying

Max Karhan dominates again: two wins and the most points of all

Tomáš Vacín

The Automotodrom Brno hosted the penultimate round of this year’s F4 CEZ season, with Czech driver Max Karhan once again taking the spotlight. Over the course of the weekend’s three races, he collected the most points of any driver and claimed victory in two of them. The final sprint was won by Kirill Kutskov.

The expectation of an exciting weekend was set right after qualifying. The pole position went to Kirill Kutskov from Maffi Racing, but Max Karhan was right behind, missing out by just 0.057 seconds. Championship leader Oscar Wurz, Karhan’s teammate from Jenzer Motorsport, was only 0.261 seconds off the pace. Miroslav Mikeš from JMT Racing finished fourth, meaning the top four in the standings lined up in close proximity on the grid for the first race.

Karhan had the best start in the opening sprint, and as he looked in his rearview mirrors, his nearest competitors were fading into the distance. Both Kutskov and Wurz struggled at the start, losing several seconds.

To the delight of the fans, the top two positions were taken by the home favourites Karhan and Mikeš. While Karhan steadily built his lead, Mikeš came under pressure from Kutskov. Eventually, the Czech driver was overtaken by Kutskov, but Maffi racer couldn’t close the gap to Karhan. The first sprint ended with Karhan taking victory ahead of Kutskov and Mikeš. Young Australian Joanne Ciconte finished fourth, followed by Wurz in fifth.

For the second race, Karhan started from pole position ahead of Kutskov and Mikeš. However, it was Mikeš who, with a fantastic start, took the lead at the first corner and enjoyed a clear track ahead. But Karhan wasn’t one to wait long and moved into the lead on the second lap. He stayed in front until the end, even during a yellow flag phase caused by a collision between Kirill Kutskov and Miroslav Mikeš. Although Mikeš was hit from behind, he fortunately managed to continue, finishing fifth behind Simon Schranz, Nathanael Berreby, Wurz, and race winner Karhan.

In the final third race, Kirill Kutskov made a comeback. Starting from seventh, he quickly made his way through the field and soon found himself in second place behind Wurz. In the fourth lap, he took the lead and maintained a comfortable gap, crossing the finish line in first place ahead of Wurz, Mikeš, and Karhan.

Throughout the weekend, Wurz, Kutskov, Karhan, and Mikeš were regulars on the podium, with the only driver breaking into their ranks being Nathanael Berreby from Maffi Racing, who finished third in the second race. Berreby was often involved in on-track battles with Simon Schranz from Renauer Motorsport, providing spectators with thrilling, wheel-to-wheel duels. Similarly, Kornelia Olkucka (Maffi Racing) and Michalina Sabaj (AS Motorsport) engaged in some fierce racing. Joanne Ciconte from AS Motorsport also impressed, making her F4 CEZ debut and finishing fourth in the opening race.

Oscar Wurz continues to hold a solid 49-point lead in the overall drivers‘ standings after the Brno weekend, giving him a strong advantage going into the final race at his home circuit in Salzburgring. The fight for second place is, however, heating up, with Max Karhan now just seven points behind Kirill Kutskov, who has 201 points.

RACE RESULTS:
F4 CEZ Qualifying
F4 CEZ Race 1
F4 CEZ Race 2
F4 CEZ Race 3

STANDINGS:
Standings

The battle for the title continues between team-mates

Tomáš Vacín

The penultimate round of this year’s TCR Eastern Europe season at the Brno Circuit was a special one. Not only has the situation in the title fight shifted, but the prestigious TCR Europe series also joined the grid.

The starting lineup in Brno grew to more than 20 TCR cars. Both the Saturday and Sunday sprints battles for victories and points happening simultaneously in TCR Europe and TCR Eastern Europe, providing plenty of action for spectators. Most of the crowd was rooting for the home drivers, led by Adam Kout and the returning Martin Kadlečík – and they did not disappoint.

The leader of this season is Maťo Homola from the Hyundai Janík Motorsport team. Despite his biggest rival for the title, Attila Bucsi, not participating in the Brno round, it doesn’t mean that Homola has the title secured. His next rival is, in fact, his closest – his team-mate, Adam Kout.

Homola didn’t take any chances in the Saturday sprint and crossed the finish line first in the TCR Eastern Europe class with his Hyundai Elantra. In the overall standings, only Franco Girolami and Aurélien Comte from TCR Europe finished ahead of him.

Martin Kadlečík came second in TCR Eastern Europe. The former Clio Cup Trophy champion is racing in selected events this year with an Audi RS3 for Aditis Racing, and he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to race on home soil. He proved his talent in every race, finishing second in a field of experienced drivers who have been competing all season. His second-place finish was no fluke, as he secured another silver in the second race.

Adam Kout finished third in the opening Brno sprint. While this increased his points gap to Homola, he had a chance to make up for it in Sunday’s race. The top ten drivers’ starting positions were reversed based on the results of the first sprint, meaning Kout started fourth, and Homola was back in eighth.

The start was once again tense, with the touring cars jostling into the first corner and continuing the battle. Drivers bumped against each other’s bonnets, trying to gain an advantage over their rivals. Unfortunately, in the second corner, a collision occurred between Žarko Knego and Petr Čížek, prompting the safety car to come out.

It wasn’t long before the racing resumed. Kout held the highest position among the TCR Eastern Europe drivers, but he had to fend off competition from the other championship, while Martin Kadlečík was hot on his heels. Both Czech drivers, racing on home soil, were cautious not to risk their excellent positions too much. Though there was a battle between them, everything stayed within fair play, and they finished in the same order. Adam Kout claimed his second win of the season (his first coming on home ground at Most), while Martin Kadlečík secured his third silver of the year.

Giacomo Ghermandi held third place for much of the race. The Italian, racing in the latest Honda Civic, has come close to the podium several times this season, but luck hasn’t been on his side. Unfortunately, Brno was no different, and he was forced to retire due to technical issues in the penultimate lap. This allowed Maťo Homola to move up to third in the final moments.

After the Brno weekend, the points gap between Homola and Kout is 34 points. This leaves the door open for a dramatic conclusion at the Salzburgring. However, the team championship is already decided. Maťo Homola, Adam Kout, and Jiří Zbožínek have secured enough points for Hyundai Janík Motorsport to celebrate the title early, after the first Brno sprint.

TCR Eastern Europe – Qualifying

TCR Eastern Europe – Race 1

TCR Eastern Europe – Race 2

Driver Standings

Juniors and Teams Standings

Max Karhan continues winning streak with second victory in Brno

Tomáš Vacín

Czech driver Max Karhan from Jenzer Motorsport secured another home victory at Automotodrom Brno, driving from pole position to the win and closint the points gap to championship leader and teammate Oscar Wurz, who finished second.

Max Karhan and Kirill Kutskov started on the front row, with Miroslav Mikeš and Joanne Ciconte behind them. Karhan got a slightly better start than Kutskov, but it was Mikeš who had the best getaway, moving from third into the lead as they braked into the first turn. The order at the front was Mikeš, Karhan, Kutskov, and Wurz in fourth, after overtaking Joanne Ciconte, who dropped to seventh behind Simo Schranz in sixth and Nathanael Berreby in fifth.

Karhan reclaimed the lead on the second lap, and the battle continued between second-placed Mikeš and third-placed Kutskov. However, in the stadium section, Kutskov collided with Mikeš, sending him off the track. Shortly after, Kutskov also ran off the track and became stationary, prompting the deployment of the safety car.

The order behind the safety car was Karhan, Wurz, Berreby, Schranz, Mikeš, Ciconte, Olkucka, Sabaj, Němec, and Mičík.

The race was restarted after a couple of laps behind the safety car, with Karhan holding the lead and Wurz following closely. Behind them, there was a fierce battle for the final podium place between Berreby, Schranz, and Mikeš.

A close fight also unfolded between the three young women in the field—Ciconte, Olkucka, and Sabaj. Ciconte and Olkucka had a thrilling but fair duel, giving each other as little room as possible.

In the final lap, Schranz launched an attack on Berreby, and they drove side by side for a moment, but Berreby managed to hold on to third place until the finish. Max Karhan crossed the line first, claiming his second victory of the weekend and closing the points gap to championship leader Oscar Wurz, who finished second.

Simon Schranz finished fourth, Miroslav Mikeš fifth, Kornelia Olkucka sixth, Michalina Sabaj seventh, and Joanne Ciconte eighth.

Adam Kout secures another home victory, this time in Brno

Tomáš Vacín

Adam Kout from Hyundai Janík Motorsport claimed his second race victory of the season, this time at Automotodrom Brno. Thanks to this win, he remains in contention for the title against his teammate, Maťo Homola.

The combined TCR Europe and TCR Eastern Europe race in Brno provided thrilling racing throughout the weekend. Levente Losonczy and Bartosz Groszek started from the front row, followed by Giovanni Scamardi and Ignacio Montenegro. TCR Eastern Europe drivers Adam Kout and Martin Kadlečík lined up in the third row, with championship leader Maťo Homola just behind them.

The grid, with more than 20 cars, got away cleanly, side by side into the first corner. However, in the second turn, Petr Čížek and Žarko Knego collided, sending both off the track, which led to the deployment of the safety car.

The highest-placed TCR Eastern Europe driver was Adam Kout from Hyundai Janík Motorsport in seventh position. Martin Kadlečík from Aditis Racing was ninth, followed by Davit Kajaia, Giacomo Ghermandi, Felipe Fernández from TCR Europe, and Maťo Homola.

After the restart, the battle on the track resumed fiercely. Kadlečík soon found himself right behind Kout, who was trying to overtake the TCR Europe drivers ahead of him. Giacomo Ghermandi held third place, but Maťo Homola passed Davit Kajaia and closed in on the Italian.

It seemed as though Ghermandi would hold onto third, but unfortunately, he retired his car in the closing stages of the race. As a result, Homola moved up to third place, with Davit Kajaia fourth and Ivars Vallers fifth. Behind them were Fraňo Dubreta, René Kircher, Jiří Zbožínek, and Jorden Dolischka.

Thanks to Kout’s win, the championship battle will go down to the final race event of the season at Salzburgring. While Homola still has a comfortable lead, Kout remains mathematically in contention. Although the drivers‘ title chase was not decided in Brno, the team championship went to Hyundai Janík Motorsport. Homola, Kout, and Zbožínek scored enough points throughout the season to win their third consecutive team championship in TCR Eastern Europe.

Max Karhan leads from start to finish and wins in Brno

Tomáš Vacín

Jenzer Motorsport driver Max Karhan had a perfect start in the opening race at Automotodrom Brno, taking the lead and holding it throughout the entire race to claim his third victory of the season.

Kirill Kutskov from Maffi Racing and Max Karhan lined up on the front row, with Oscar Wurz from Jenzer Motorsport and Miroslav Mikeš from JMT Racing starting from the second row. The top four drivers in the championship standings secured the best starting positions then.

Karhan took the lead, with fellow Czech driver Miroslav Mikeš slotting into second place. Kirill Kutskov, along with other drivers behind him, had a poor getaway and lost several positions.

The running order was Karhan, Mikeš, Nathanael Berreby from Maffi Racing, and Simon Schranz from Renauer Motorsport, rounding out the top five. Karhan was slightly faster and began to extend his lead each lap, while Mikeš soon found himself defending his position from Kutskov. Maffi Racing driver managed to pass Mikeš on the fourth lap and started chasing down Karhan, who had already more the three seconds lead.

Wurz collided with Nathanael Berreby, causing the championship leader to drop several positions. Berreby was investigated by race control for changing the line in this incident.

F4 CEZ debutant Joanne Ciconte from AS Motorsport had an impressive race, moving up to fourth place. A great battle unfolded for fifth and sixth positions between Nathanael Berreby and Simon Schranz. Their fight was intense for several laps until Wurz caught up, passed Berreby, and then set his sights on Schranz. Wurz also passed Schranz and began chasing down Ciconte, but she was to far away.

Meanwhile, Michalina Sabaj and Cornelia Olkucka fought fiercely for eighth and ninth positions for many laps, as their pace was very similar. When Sabaj claimed eighth place, she never really pulled away from Olkucka.

At the front, Karhan led Kutskov to the finish line, securing his third victory of the season. Kutskov finished second, while Miroslav Mikeš brought his car home in third. Ciconte had an excellent debut, finishing fourth just ahead of Oscar Wurz. Simon Schranz completed the top five.

Race Results

Max Karhan continues winning streak in F4 CEZ

Tomáš Vacín

Czech driver Max Karhan, representing the Swiss team Jenzer Motorsport, secured his second victory in the F4 CEZ championship in front of a home crowd in Most. Over the weekend, he collected the most points of any driver in the field.

The fourth round of the F4 CEZ took place at the Most Autodrom as part of the Racing Journal SpeedFest weekend. Karhan stood on the podium in all three races, collecting trophies for first, second, and third places.

In qualifying, Karhan clocked the second-fastest time, placing him on the front row of the grid alongside fellow Czech driver Miroslav Mikeš. Throughout the race, Karhan kept the pressure on and eventually finished second, trailing by just 0.555 seconds.

„I’m satisfied, but I’d be happier with a win. We have the pace, so I know I can get more out of the car. Unfortunately, overtaking on this track is quite difficult, and I didn’t want to take unnecessary risks at the start,“ Karhan commented after Saturday’s race.

In the second race, held on Sunday morning, Karhan was once again battling at the front. His main competitors were teammate Oscar Wurz, Kirill Kutskov, and of course, Miroslav Mikeš. Karhan had a fierce duel with Wurz and ultimately finished in third place.

Karhan saved his best performance for the final race of the weekend. Starting from fourth, he fought his way up to third and began challenging Wurz ahead of him. The two teammates engaged in another intense battle, and by the thirteenth of the sixteen laps, Karhan had moved into second place. A lap later, he overtook the leader, Kutskov, and quickly pulled away from his pursuers. Within three laps, he had built nearly a five-second lead, celebrating his second win of the F4 CEZ season.

„When you know you’re the fastest in the race, it gives you a huge boost in confidence and trust in the car. That’s why I pushed hard, and it paid off. There was no reason to hang back. My victory at the Slovakia Ring gave me a lot of self-belief, and this win in Most continues that momentum,“ Karhan concluded. We’ll see him back behind the wheel in September at the fifth round of the F4 CEZ in Brno.