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F1H2O
Carella salvaging team pride and his
early championship hopes with a
valuable nine points.
up to second, passing Erik Stark by the end of the opening lap.
He trailed race leader Torrente for nine of the 50 laps, then hit
the front as Torrente slowed and left the circuit with engine
problems, a disappointing ending to the day for Victory Team
after Torrente and Ahmed Al Hameli’s one-two in qualifying.
For the remaining laps Chiappe’smain challenge came fromStark
who kept the pressure on the leader, but his hopes of a podiumon
his return to racing for Team Sweden faltered two laps short of
the chequered flag with engine problems, retiring but classified
in eighth, his teammate Jonas Andersson suffering the same fate
after just five laps.
Mad Croc BABA Racing’s Sami Selio made up for a frustrating
morning session after qualifying in ninth and despite a three-
way duel with Duarte Benavente and Bartek Marszalek early
on, broke away and drove away to take his second consecutive
podium in Portimao.
Benavente and Marzsalek enjoyed a race long tussle, albeit
somewhat hampered by back marker Mike Szymura, and the
late demise of Stark upped the ante with a podium place at
stake. Benavente managed to take advantage of a mistake from
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