Formula 1 'son of a gun' extends championship lead in Toyota race series

Sunday, 22 January 2023

Wurz entered the weekend having not won a race, and leaves it a dual race winner.

Austria’s Charlie Wurz has extended his lead of the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship, after winning two of the category’s three races in Invercargill over the weekend.

Second for the round (and now second in the standings) was New Zealander Callum Hedge, having finished second to Wurz in each of his wins, splitting the results with victory in a fascinating tit-for-tat reverse grid race.

Wurz leads Callum Hedge during a closely fought feature race.

Wurz’s stunning weekend saw him break through as the fourth different race winner of the season thus far – the second-generation racer earning win number one following a commanding victory in the weekend opener.

“We were good off the line and I knew that was the most important thing. Callum was very fast today and maybe I lacked a bit of race pace compared to yesterday so we will need to have to look at that but the team have worked on the qualifying pace and that is so important in the championship and especially here,” said Wurz after race three.

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The Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship heads to Hampton Downs in two week’s time for the New Zealand Grand Prix; a trophy last won by Shane van Gisbergen.

Beating pole-sitter Hedge off the line from second place, Wurz held the lead for the race’s duration, beating home Hedge, Jacob Abel (United States), Josh Mason (United Kingdom), and James Penrose (New Zealand).

Wurz (son of former Formula 1 driver Alexander Wurz) and Hedge were a cut above the rest of the pack for the bulk of the weekend. Both of the event’s dry races, race one and the Spirit of a Nation Cup, were a Wurz versus Hedge affair at the front – the two youngsters never looking under threat from behind.

“I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect at the start but I went a little off my instinct and it worked well. I knew at turn one I was halfway there but the tyres did drop off a bit later in the race so I had to keep a close eye on Callum in the mirrors,” said Wurz.

The only difference in the finale was the final podium getter. Quiet achiever Liam Sceats ended up third (his second podium finish of the season so far) after holding out Mason following a race-long tussle for the spot.

The highlight of the weekend, though, was race two. The partial reverse grid showdown was punctuated by wet conditions and a dynamic racing surface that went from wet to dry, before becoming wet again before the finish as the heavens opened.

Hedge’s victory only came after the Carrera Cup Australia star carved through from seventh on the grid to score an exciting win – underscored by a bold pass on Jacob Abel that involved him briefly taking to the grass at turn one.

Ryan Shehan (United States) and Ryder Quinn (Australia) completed the weather-affected podium. Such is the competitive nature of the Toyota Formula Regional series that almost two thirds of the field have scored a podium finish after just six races.

“I had my work cut out for me but when the track started to dry I knew that was my moment to push and that was also when I was faster than the other cars so it was either a win it or bin it moment to be honest,” said Hedge. “I came around the outside and I did get run off into the weeds which was fine but I did then decide to get a bit more aggressive and get the move done.

“It was definitely a difficult race. At the start I was on the radio saying we might need slicks and in the first half of the race we did need slicks but then in the second half of the race we needed wets. It was up and down but I’m stoked for the team.”

The series now travels to Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon for the season’s mid-point next weekend. The event doubles as the curtain raiser for the New Zealand Grand Prix, which is to be held on February 3–5 at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park in Waikato.