Gustavo Mortágua and Beto Belo shared the wins at Mosport, but it was Rodrigo Ferreira who left Canada leading the Radical SR3 Trophy. Third and second places earned him 122 points and a 14-point advantage over Gonçalo Brites ahead of round two, taking place today at Oschersleben.
The opener delivered a warning: in this trophy, one victory may not be enough to finish the night on top. With two races and a reversed grid changing the opponents each driver encounters, securing two strong results has already begun to make a difference.
Mosport showed that from qualifying onwards. Mariano Pires took pole position by just four thousandths of a second over Gustavo Mortágua, setting up a first race that ended with the pair once again separated by the smallest of margins. Gustavo won, Mariano finished second just 0.228 seconds behind, and Rodrigo Ferreira completed the podium after starting eighth.
Further back, Gonçalo Brites recovered from 13th to fourth. António João Loureiro also made up ground, moving from 11th to fifth in a race where several drivers turned modest grid positions into valuable results.
The second race produced a different winner. Beto Belo started fifth and won by 3.451 seconds over Rodrigo Ferreira, with Gonçalo Brites completing the podium. For Beto, it was a response to his 12th place in race one; for Rodrigo and Gonçalo, it confirmed a consistent night.
Gustavo Mortágua finished 14th this time, while Mariano Pires did not finish. The protagonists of the opening duel therefore missed the chance to turn their pace into the trophy lead.
Rodrigo seized the opportunity. He arrives in Germany with 122 points, followed by Gonçalo Brites on 108, Beto Belo on 100 and António João Loureiro on 97. Gustavo rounds out the top five with 96. Just 26 points separate these five drivers, a gap that today’s two races could quickly change.
Split 2 also had two winners. Rodrigo Teixeira won the opening race ahead of Antero Cabanelas and Jorge Afonseca, then returned to the podium in race two with third place. Manuel Amaral made the most of starting on pole to win that race, with Miguel Trigueiros finishing second. The opener therefore provided plenty of interest across both grids.
Now the circuit changes—and so does the way to find lap time.
After Mosport’s fast corners and elevation changes, Oschersleben Moto demands precision through changes of direction, clean exits and the ability to link one corner to the next without losing momentum. In the Radical, attacking an entry too eagerly can compromise the entire sequence and leave the car vulnerable to those behind.
With fixed setups, each driver’s adaptation will make the difference. Qualifying will help avoid some of the difficulties in the pack, but the second grid will once again demand overtaking, patience and quick decisions. Mosport has already shown that being fastest for part of the night does not guarantee the best combined result across both races.
Rodrigo Ferreira arrives with a lead to defend. Gonçalo Brites aims to build on the recovery he began in Canada. Beto Belo and Gustavo Mortágua already know how to win in this car, while António João Loureiro remains close enough to enter the battle.
Today, Oschersleben takes the Radical SR3 Trophy to the halfway point of its calendar. After the chequered flag, only Hockenheim and Road Atlanta will remain—and there will be fewer opportunities to recover every point lost.
