Trident dominates at Spa with Popov, pole and victory
Trident Motorsport returned to victory in the Formula Regional European championship. Maksimilian Popov not only took a brilliant pole in Qualifying 2, but also dominated the final race of the Spa weekend with great authority. Trident's last FREC victory came last year, on September 20, when Matteo De Palo crossed the finish line first at Montmeló. This year, Trident started the season with three rookies and is enjoying considerable success. The Spa weekend didn't get off to the best start weather-wise: a heavy storm led to the postponement of the start time of the first race and the cancellation of the second. Popov finished 11th in Qualifying 1, Kai Daryanani 16th, and Andrija Kostić 19th.
In the first race, Popov had finished in the points in tenth place, but a 5-second penalty dropped him to 18th. Daryanani, who mounted a strong comeback from the eighth row, finished 11th, but due to teammate Popov's penalty, he moved up to tenth, gaining one point. Kostić battled in the middle of the pack, maintaining his 19th starting position.
In the second qualifying session, Popov performed his magic, taking pole position with a 0.46 advantage over the second. A true masterpiece that rewarded the steady growth of the Russian driver, who races under an Italian license, and the competitiveness of Trident Motorsport. Kostić finished 21st, while Daryanani finished 22nd. In the final race, Popov got off to a strong start from the front, resisting the attacks of his rivals who constantly put him under pressure. A safety car deployment at the end froze the positions and effectively ended the race, which saw Popov triumph. Daryanani finished in 18th place, Kostić in 22nd.
Kai Daryanani: “Overall, there were a lot of positives this weekend, but let's say there were also quite a few things that I didn't put together properly. That was the case throughout all the qualifying sessions, and obviously the races were a result of that. In Qualifying 1, I was on for a really good lap but made a mistake in the final corner. We had the pace, but we didn't put it together. In Qualifying 2, I should have adjusted my strategy a bit better to find a tow, because it’s in Sector 1, the fastest, where we lacked the most pace, and that was mainly due to the tow. I've got a nice break now to assess a few things, reset, and come back stronger for Monza”.
Andrija Kostić: “Definitely a step forward from Zandvoort. The potential was there for the whole team to fight for the very top positions, but with such a high level in the championship and the gaps being so close, one mistake puts you at the back. Unfortunately, we didn't put everything together, which prevented us from starting at the front, and basically that was the end of the story”.
Maximilian Popov: “It was definitely a positive weekend, especially with today’s result. On Sunday we were able to take pole position and the victory. It is the first victory for the team this year, so I am really happy. Let’s continue like this in Monza”.