Mansellmania before Goethe
Ex-british Formula 3 battler Christian Mansell won the only non-reversed-grid race of the opening round in Portugal, but it’s Oliver Goethe who leads the standings despite his problems with getting away from the startline.
Goethe qualified his Motopark car on pole from Brit Josh Mason (his machine run by the sister Cryptotower squad). But they both bogged down badly, and it was Mansell (also Cryptotower) who burst through to lead all the way for a commanding victory. French-licensed Russian Vlad
Lomko soon passed Sebastian Ogaard to run second, while Goethe clambered past Ogaard into third with four laps to go.
Goethe was on the move again in race two, and caught long-time leader Alex Peroni (Drivex) with five laps to go. As the Australian swung wide to claim the line at Turn 7, the Monaco-based, English-born Danish-german misjudged things and pitched Peroni off the road. Goethe was hit with a five-second penalty, but eradicated this on the final lap to beat Motopark team-mate Frederick Lubin to victory.
Brit Lubin was second again in the finale, shadowing winner Ogaard’s Van Amersfoort Racing car throughout, with Mansell beating Goethe to third place.