Author: Alexandre Fernandes

Racing Sound Fest with 4th Round of Caterham Motorsport Iberia in Estoril.

Heat, excitement and the absolute debut of the Ladies Cup.

As part of the Racing Sound Fest sporting program, Caterham Motorsport Iberia returned today, July 19th, to the Estoril Circuit to start the 4th round of the 2024 season. Under a heat wave and with temperatures well above 30º, the The Estoril route was the scene of strong struggles, uncertainty and a lot of emotion on a day marked by training and qualifications.

On the main grid, equipped with the British brand’s most powerful racing models, the 420R lined up 30 drivers divided between two categories: Pro and Gentleman.

 

CATERHAM MOTORSPORT IBERIA 420R – QUALIFICATION 1

Alex Areia unbeatable in the 420R Gentleman and J.J. Oliveira imposing pace in the 420R PRO

After a morning dedicated to training and tuning, and with the beginning of dusk arriving in Estoril, the 420R opened its Qualifying Session. It was an intense 15 minutes to which was added a monumental effort to manage heat and fatigue.

Among the 420R PRO, Alex Areia (Gianfranco Motorsport) “set” the best time in 1:51.790s, thus taking pole position. Areia opened a gap of 0.575 to Rafael Lobato (Speedy Motorsport) who will start alongside him on the grid in Race 1 on Saturday. Third place is in the hands of another Gianfranco Motorsport driver, Sérgio Saraiva, who was 0.588s behind Alex Areia.

The TOP5 was completed with the 4th best time signed by João Aguiar Branco and 5th time for Nuno Afonso, both from Speedy Motorsport.

In order of classification in the 420 PRO, A. Correia (André Villar Pneus) followed. J.J. Magalhães (ADESS), António Correia (Speedy Motorsport), Francisco Villar (ZOME Racing Team), Bruno Knudsen (CRM Motorsport), António Nunes de Almeida (BS Motosport), Luís Filipe Oliveira (Gianfranco Motorsport), Guilherme Del Maso (CRM Motorsport), João Pedro Campos Costa (Gianfranco Motorsport).

In the 420R GENTLEMAN it would be J.J. Oliveira (G2B) who with a very consistent pace would finish Qualification 1 with the 6th best time overall (1:52.449s) being the strongest in the class. Gonçalo Nobre da Veiga (Gianfranco Motorsport) with the 9th time overall needed just 0.380s more than J.J. Oliveira to secure the second best time in the class and Pedro Reis Ferreira (ADESS) with 11th time overall and 0.406 more than Oliveira completed the “podium” in Gentleman.

TOP 5 to be completed with the presence of João Pedro Campos Costa (Gianfranco Motorsport) and Sergey Orekhov from CRM Motorsport.

In order of classification, they were followed by José Rodrigues (Gianfranco Motorsport), Ricardo Pedrosa (ZOME Racing Team), J.J. Magalhães Jr. (ADESS), Tiago Loureiro (ZOME Racing Team), Duarte Camelo (Speedy Motorsport), Manuel Moura Teixeira (Monteiros Competitions) and Jorge Silva (Gianfranco Motorsport).

 

CATERHAM MOTORSPORT IBERIA 340R – QUALIFICATION 1

Miguel Ferreira strongest in 340R

After the 420R session, it was time for the 340R drivers to take on the Estoril circuit, having the same 15 minutes of open track to set times and the starting grid for race 1 tomorrow. In a normally competitive field and where uncertainty in results is by definition the motto of each round of the Caterham Motorsport Iberia 340R, it was necessary to wait for the final seconds of the session to obtain the starting grid for Saturday’s Race 1.

And it was precisely the uncertainty in the results of Qualification 1 that continued until the end of the 15-minute session, with Miguel Ferreira (CRM Motorsport) securing the best time and pole with 1:57.247s but with a mere 0.193 advantage over another CRM Motorsport driver, Daniel Ferreira. The pair will form the front row of the grid in Race 1 on Saturday. The third best time was signed by Kevin Embourg (CRM Motorsport) with 0.457s more than the man on pole.

Rounding out the TOP5 are two more CRM Motorsport drivers, Ricardo Filipe and Guilherme Antão.

In order of classification, Abílio Justo (CRM Motorsport), Guilherme Aguiar de Matos (Speedy Motorsport), Pedro Ramos (CRM Motorsport), Rafael Antunes (Formula F), Gonçalo Aguiar de Matos (Speedy Motorsport), José Luís Teixeira ( CRM Motorsport), Bernardo Bello, Miguel Carmo (both Hirundo Motors), Bernardo Gonzalez (CRM Motorsport), Alex Nabuco (Formula F) and closing the field Salvador Posser de Andrade (ADESS).

 

CATERHAM MOTORSPORT IBERIA LADIES CUP – QUALIFICATION 1

Mariana Machado takes top place among the ladies.

Included in the 340R squad and as far as Qualification 1 was concerned, was the main novelty of the weekend and the 2024 season of Caterham Motorsport Iberia, the LADIES CUP based on the single-seaters of the 310R class and 6 ladies at the wheel fencing arguments in the absolute debut of this CUP which aims to promote and encourage female motorsport.

Names to retain for the future, Jennifer Costa, Margarida Barbosa, Sofia Correia, Rafaela Barbosa and Matilde Magalhães, CRM Motorsport drivers and Mariana Machado from Formula F.

A remarkable moment in the season, and one to remember later, the first best time of the brand new LADIES CUP achieved by Mariana Machado (Formula F) being 17th overall with 2:03.619s. Mariana thus dictated the pace, taking the top spot among the female squad. Also noteworthy are Margarida Barbosa and Jennifer Costa, CRM Motorsport drivers, being 18th and 19th overall respectively, closing TOP3.

Once the “grid” was set for Saturday’s races, there was nothing more to do than wait for the first emotions of the Caterham Motorsport Iberia Ladies Cup.

 

Circuito Estoril

Source: CRM Motorsport

Photos: CRM Motorsport / Nuno Organista

On 19th/20th of June Circuito Estoril will host one of the most competitive and recognized speed championships – TCR SPAIN – which will return to the Estoril Circuit for the fourth round of the 2024 season. The sports program also includes the oldest Iberian speed championship with the presence of Caterham Motorsport Iberia

Circuito Estoril