It has been a long wait, but More Female Racers is back! A grid of 36 Mercedes-AMG GT4s, divided into Pro, Silver and Am classes, hit the track at the Nurburgring, for the first two races of the series’ fifth season. In fact, compared to the past editions, female racers are competing solo in two 30-minute races scheduled for every round.
Aenore Rose edges out Aloo Gobi twice to lead the championship
Pro class had a similar script in both races, with the duel between Aenore Rose and Aloo Gobi keeping the spectators on the edge of their seats. A fight that had already started in qualifying, it was Aenore Rose to take pole position setting a 2.04.245. From the start, Rose drove brilliantly, but could never really shake off an equally brilliant Aloo Gobi. The latter finally managed to make a move with less than 3 minutes on the clock, making the best of a rare mistake by Rose in turn 2.
The change of leadership did not last long, though. The overtake ignited a fierce wheel-to-wheel fight that ended in tragedy for Gobi. In fact, she found herself facing the wrong way at the exit of Turn 1 following contact between the two leaders. Rose took the flag in first, with Gobi keeping P2 just ahead of reigning champion Sara Dove. A key result for Gobi, as race 1 final standings determine the grid for the second heat.
As we already mentioned, the second part of the racing evening had some similarities with the first one. Rose and Gobi pulled away from the rest of the field and started to fight in the final minutes of the race. Gobi tried a last-ditch effort in sector 2, but it did not really work out. Once again, it was Rose taking the flag first. The trio on the podium of race 1 repeated once again in the same order: Rose, Gobi and Dove. Hazel and Thomson traded the last two places in the Pro class, with the latter finishing ahead in race 2 after a long comeback drive.
Swensen and Acosta take one win each in Silver class
Silver class will be one to watch in this season of MFR. The large field, featuring 17 racers, looks more balanced than ever and the first two races of the season prove that. Like in Pro, at the front of the pack sat a Queens’ Design entry: number 40 driven by Ruby Acosta, closely followed by Mia Swensen, Denise Pope and the sister car of April Carlsvard.
Race 1 had been kinda quiet in terms of track action, but still reserved some twists and turns. A slight mistake by Denise Pope in the early stages of the race opened up the chance for Carlsvard to claim P3. Luckily enough, at the chequered flag, Pope found herself back on the lowest step of the podium, right behind winner Mia Swensen and April Carlsvard. In fact, a costly 10 seconds time penalty handed by the stewards resulted for Ruby Acosta. She took the line in first but had the win taken away from her hands, having to settle for P4.
The second race has been a different story, though. No time penalties to stop Ruby Acosta, who recovered from P4 in class to finish first and claim a maiden win of the season. April Carlsvard tried to make it a 1-2 for Queens’ Design in Silver class but came up short. Her fight with Denise Pope and Mia Swensen dramatically turned around when they went three wide on the main straight. A misunderstanding put Carlsvard in the wall, who fell down in P4, while Swensen and Pope went on to keep P2 and P3 respectively.
Azzy Iredale sets the tone in AM
Azzy Iredale is in the AM class, but you could safely say that at the Nurburgring she has been more of a Silver racer in disguise. Number 37 showcased strong pace and consistency, taking by storm a double win in the first round of the season. Race 1 has been a no-contest kind of race. 23 seconds over P2 Cammie Sturch and a 32 seconds gap from Eris Aphelion, third at the finish line.
Similar to what happened in Pro, the second race repeated the same exact trio on the podium. But this time around, Iredale had to sweat in order to emerge on top. Her involvement in a first-lap collision meant that the race 1 winner had to recover from P24 overall (P6 in class). Despite being hit by a 5 seconds penalty too, Iredale patiently started a charge through the field, at the end of which she managed to claim P1.
Next up: Brands Hatch
Nurburgring offered us a great evening of racing and we are definitely looking for more in two weeks’ time. You wanted it, you voted for it, and you will have it. MFR is visiting Brands Hatch on Monday the 7th of November for another doubleheader.
Make sure to tune in for the official broadcast on SimGrid YouTube channel to follow all the action and cast your vote to choose the race venue for round 3.
