In a race marked by a problem with Rafael Susuki’s car and the disqualification of Felipe Massa, Baptista wins the race at Velopark and moves to the top of the standings.
The Crown Racing driver took advantage of his opponents’ disadvantages to take the lead.
Felipe Baptista was the main protagonist of the Stock Car stage at Velopark, this Sunday (8). Starting from the fifth position, the Crown Racing driver showed intelligence and patience to take advantage of the opportunities that arose during the race.
First the failure of Rafael Suzuki, then leader, and then the disqualification of Felipe Massa, who crossed the finish line in second. Baptista thus took his third victory of the season, moving to the top of the standings.
THE Suzuki’s failure turns the game around
Everything seemed calm for Rafael Suzuki, who started from pole and led the race without any major dangers. But after the pit stop, a gearbox problem put an end to Suzuki’s hopes.
His car quickly lost performance and he was forced to abandon the race. This break was the turning point of the race, leaving the way open for Felipe Baptista to take the lead and from then on he just had to control the pace.
Massa is disqualified after the check
If the Suzuki failure had already changed the course of the race, Felipe Massa’s disqualification transformed the scenario even further. The veteran crossed the finish line in second place, but a post-race technical inspection revealed that the number 19 car had an irregularity: the ballast compensating for the weight of the engines on the right side did not comply with the regulations.
This led to Massa’s disqualification. “The Stewards have decided to disqualify the driver Felipe Massa, no. 19, responsible for the technical irregularity found on his vehicle”Stock Car reported in an official statement.
With Massa’s exit from the final result, Vitor Baptista, brother of Felipe Baptista, moved up to second, while Gianluca Petecof, winner of Saturday’s sprint race, completed the podium. A turnaround that also allowed Allam Khodair, who had finished 11th, to enter the top-10.
Leadership with consistency
Felipe Baptista had already shown his potential in the sprint race, where he finished second, and in Sunday’s main race he consolidated his status as a title contender. “It was a tough race, but we were able to take advantage of our opportunities. I’m very happy with this victory and to be leading the championship”, the pilot celebrated, already looking forward to the next stages.
Baptista now leads the standings and arrives in good spirits at the Argentinean round of the Stock Car, scheduled for October 4-6. With his consistency and self-confidence, he appears as the favorite in the fight for the 2024 title, especially after a weekend in which almost everything went well for him and his team.
Meanwhile, Felipe Massa, also considered one of the favourites for the title, will have to deal with the loss of the disqualification and try to recover in the next races.
Source: Terra
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