With the opportunities for overtaking limited when the drivers are running very close to each other, the standings in Race 1 were little changed from the starting grid. Starting from pole, Enzo Peugeot quickly got the better of Canadian Kevin Foster to win his fifth race of the season.
“I used the formation laps to warm up my tyres and I got off to a perfect start, which isn’t always easy at Lédenon because the start straight is uphill,” commented Enzo. “I opened up a gap from the very first laps, which allowed me to drive calmly without putting too much pressure on the tyres. Kevin came back slightly during the race, but the gap was enough to keep him at bay. What’s more, I got the point for the fastest lap!”
The seven drivers who set their best lap under the 1’22 barrier were also the top seven in Race 1, so the hierarchy was maintained. Behind the Peugeot-Foster duo, Max Reis showed just how competitive he was by setting a fast pace in the opening laps, but saw Enzo Richer come back at him in long strides in the final laps. He fell 65 thousandths short of the line to take the lead. Romain Andriolo followed Richer like a shadow, without being able to attempt a clear attack.
However, many positions were reversed at the start. Paul Alberto started 6th and was overtaken by Evan Giltaire, who in turn was surprised by Romanian driver Andreï Duna. But after a great battle, Duna saw his two rivals get the better of him, while Belgian Yani Stevenheydens took advantage of the situation to make his move. Giltaire finally took the points for 6th place ahead of Alberto, Stevenheydens and Duna. A few lengths behind, Germany’s Tom Kalender completed the top 10 in a race that proved futile for Japan’s Hiyu Yamakoshi, who started 10th.
