2023 Formule Dé Championship Schedule

The first ever race in the RBB Formule Dé Championship had the green light at Brands Hatch on 30 June 2023 for the British Grand Prix. Fans were unsure quite what to expect after the pre-season testing but the five teams on the grid all had high expectations for what was to come. Pole sitter Dv Tappis led the pack away as the crowds cheered in glorious sunshine. Hard tyres spun and the sounds of engines roared the racers into the first corner. Somewhat inevitably with the excitement of the first action, a couple of racers had spluttering starts. Both Janes in the middle of the grid and Cahill right at the back were slow off the mark. As the group bunched through the first turn there was a slight bump with a bit of damage to A Tappis’s Lotus. Close fighting through the first couple of turns showed how evenly matched many of the racers were. As others pressed the lead, Dv Tappis made a remarkable move out of Druids and into Surtees. Breaking with the pre-race analysis from various pundits, Dv Tappis launched his Red Bull out of Druids at high speed and banked into Surtees way ahead of the chasers. Tyres screeched but the Red Bull No 10 had emerged from the tough early bend ahead. Behind him, Pedro in the gleaming yellow Fittipaldi pushed past the two Minardis which had started ahead on the grid. The pack going through Surtees was bunched tightly with Dn Tappis in the other Red Bull and MacDonald in the Lotus just ahead of A Tappis and both pairs of Minardis and A Team. The leading Red Bull burst through the fast corners at Hawthorn and Westfield, the wear evident on his treads. Dv Tappis extended his lead as Pedro consolidated second place on the track. The next three racers were Dn Tappis, and the two Lotus’s of MacDonald and A Tappis who jostled for position through the faster part of the circuit. Another slight knock saw A Tappis again take a bit of damage to his car’s bodywork. Further behind, A Team nudged themselves ahead of Minardi, perhaps a slight benefit in aerodynamics helped the power differential as the black cars pushed their way past their silver and white. At the back, Cahill struggled to keep pace but in cleaner air was beginning to make some ground on the Minardis. Dv Tappis continued to streak away at the front, maintaining his gap to Pedro. Dn Tappis consolidated a couple of seconds advantage over the Lotus’s. Much of the action was between the A Team and the Minardis. Their battles for track position slowly going the way of the A Team but also allowing Cahill to close the gap. The No 10 Red Bull’s Pirellis were flailing somewhat as Dv Tappis hurtled into the pits at the end of the first lap of two. It was a not a quick stop. Pedro’s Fittipaldi stayed out and closed the distance as the two were well clear of the rest over the start finish line. Everyone else pitted in turn to bank new tyres with the wear showing on all. Cahill was the only one to stay out as the Fittipaldi race tactics became clear. Despite having been right at the back, with everyone else pitting Cahill emerged into third place to start the second tour of Brands Hatch. Dv Tappis continued to lead the way through the first half of the circuit. Pedro not far behind with Cahill in clean air between the top two and the remainder of the racers. Dn Tappis pushed on in fourth with MacDonald and A Tappis behind him. Through the early corners and especially the tricky Surtees, Dn Tappis’s advantage over MacDonald slowly dissipated. A Tappis found himself being caught by the A Team in particular with the Minardis close on their heels. A jam at Surtees led to all sorts of chaos in particular between Phillips and Stoneham as the latter was squeezed for space time and time again around the circuit. Phillips and Holmes put pressure on A Tappis as he fought to regain ground on those ahead of him. A wheel to wheel collision between the Lotus and Holmes’s A Team led to disaster for the man in the green machine as he spun off on the long, fast straight between Surtees and Hawthorne. The first crash of the RBB Formule Dé Championship was in the books. The nine remaining racers kept up their pace, especially at the front. But it was Pedro who showed late braking capability in his Fittipaldi as the yellow peril scorched into the lead through Westfield. It was a slow corner for Dv Tappis, Cahill also closing the distance through it. The same played out behind as MacDonald cut inside Dn Tappis for fourth place at Westfield. The track conditions seemingly were perfect at that corner for hard racing on hard tyres. A Team edged themselves further ahead of Team Minardi. Their Win-Awesome sponsorship was not quite making the difference in delivering additional pace at Brands Hatch despite the home cooking Stoneham in particular had enjoyed. A concerted effort from Dv Tappis to reclaim the lead was not enough through the final couple of turns. Cars were being pushed to the limit but the Fittipaldi held together and it was yellow first. Pedro crossed the line to win the first ever race in the RBB Formule Dé Championship. Dv Tappis pushed hard and brought his Red Bull home second. Cahill in the second Fittipaldi kept his car together and crossed the line for a third place and a double podium finish for the team. MacDonald had managed to keep his Lotus ahead of the Red Bull in Dn Tappis and eventually coasted home into fourth. The No 9 Red Bull had been pushed hard by Dn Tappis though. A brake failure on the very last corner dramatically eliminated him from the race when the chequered flag and a points paying position was there for the taking. A Red Bull in the barriers meant there was more to play for between A Team and Minardi as they battled and scratched for the final points positions. The cars were pushed hard and tight lines were inflicted on each other. Overtaking opportunities were hard to come by despite the extra effort. It was Phillips who ended up with the fifth place spot, followed home by Holmes as the A Team both ended up with points. Janes and Stoneham had only pride to drive for as they emerged from the final corners, ending up in seventh and eigth places respectively. It had been a dramatic start to the first ever RBB Formule Dé race. Team Fittipaldi got their tactics spot on to lay an early claim to both the driver’s and constructor’s championships. The Red Bulls had shown real pace and bravado with Dv Tappis leading at the end of the first lap but Dn Tappis eventually pushing his car beyond its limits. Lotus had a mixed outing. A points paying position for MacDonald but multiple collisions around the circuit put paid to A Tappis’s race. The two teams that brought up the rear were locked in an epic battle but being higher up the finishing positions undoubtedly would be in their goal for future races.

The second race in the 2023 RBB Formule Dé season had the green light at Poznan for the Polish Grand Prix. Grid positioning was determined inversely to finishing position last time out at Brand’s Hatch. A Tappis was the polesitter having crashed out in a collision at the British GP. This being his home circuit, hopes were high for the No 8 Lotus. At the back of the grid was Pedro who had taken the chequered flag in the first race. For the first time, a driver was starting on soft tyres. Dn Tappis in the Red Bull starting second on the grid opted to go with the softer compound. Glorious conditions accompanied the rumbling of engines as the race began. It was a fairly smooth getaway at the front but there was a bit more churn in the middle of the pack as Phillips and Dn Tappis but were a little slow to get away. The slow start meant a bit of bunching in the middle and there was a slight touching of wheels a splash of debris on the home straight from the A Team of Phillips as he touched into MacDonald who had slipped past him at the green light. As the drivers roared into Baba Yaga, it was A Tappis initially ahead from pole position but the pack swarmed closely behind him. Janes, Stoneham, and Holmes battled their way past Dn Tappis and there was a another touch in the corner with more sparks flying onto the track. Behind them, MacDonald and Cahill were both closing fast, picking up momentum into the long corner and pushing their way through. The racing was wheel to wheel. A slow exit to the corner from A Tappis left the door open as Holmes threatened the lead. Behind him, Janes, MacDonald and Cahill were racing hard. Pedro, having started at the back of the grid, found it difficult to find a way through the traffic in front despite the evident pace in his Fittipaldi. The pace picked up towards the second corner at Devil’s Smile. The top six going into the turn were all in close contention to one another. Holmes squeezed his way past A Tappis, going round the outside to move into first. Not far behind it was Janes, MacDonald, and Cahill battled one another just ahead of Dn Tappis. Behind them it was Stoneham and Dv Tappis just ahead of Pedro who had found his way past Phillips coming out of Baba Yaga. The shift down from Devil’s Smile to the third corner was tough on squealing tyres. Cahill broke extremely late and managed to find his way to the front of the pack with Holmes not far behind him and MacDonald emerging ahead of Janes and A Tappis who could not match the pace into the long straight towards Corn. Cahill’s tyres had already developed worn patches but he was in the lead. As the racers approached the fast turn it was Holmes and MacDonald almost neck and neck. Janes was just ahead of A Tappis but it was so close between them that they touched and a small amount of debris landed in the corner. Dv Tappis was within touching distance. Behind them, Pedro had put down the accelerator and overtaken Dn Tappis. He had Stoneham’s Minardi clearly in his sights as well. Phillips and Dv Tappis were losing touch at the back and found themselves struggling to keep the other drivers within their eyelines. Cahill continued to push hard at the front as the race moved on to Tribune. It was another fast corner taken at speed. MacDonald emulated the style, beating Holmes to the turn and moving into second. Janes pulled ahead of A Tappis’s. The Lotus man and home favourite found himself under further pressure as Dv Tappis overtook him. Behind them there was a couple of seconds gap to Pedro who had finally found an avenue to get around Stoneham. The Fittipaldi’s straight line speed was too much for the Minardi. Another fast corner at Oaks saw Cahill and MacDonald closely matched but it was the Fittipaldi driver nudging ahead. The pair had built up quite a significant lead over the other racers but the wear was clearly showing on both cars. They had already reached Radar while the chasing pack was navigating Oaks. Cahill’s pace was good but the wear on his tyres and breaks both significant. Holmes had dropped back slightly from the front two but was still running a confident third as he managed to finally find a bit of space to race without any dirty air. Janes struggled slightly through Oaks and Radar. A burst of pace from Pedro managed to slice the Fittipaldi past the Minardi. It was tougher for the racers behind them as space disappeared. The sound of tyres and breaks were evident, especially for Dn Tappis. His attempts to stretch ahead of A Tappis and to catch up with Janes left the smell of burning rubber everywhere. Phillips also pushed hard, making up a bit of ground and challenging Stoneham. At the back, Dv Tappis was dropped somewhat with his Red Bull not matching the pace of those ahead. The wear on Cahill’s car was evident as he screeched into the pits from first place having navigated the final corner safely. It left the way clear for MacDonald to take the lead despite the toll the first lap had taken on the No 4 Lotus. Dv Tappis also pitted for fresh tyres but everyone else kept going across the line into the second lap. MacDonald led the way, pushing further ahead as Cahill emerged from the pits. Holmes was just ahead of Pedro in third. Janes started the second lap in 5th. Dn Tappis was able to come out of the pits in 6th just ahead of A Tappis and Stoneham. Phillips was further back but his pace across the line was outrageously fast. Dv Tappis brought up the rear at the end of lap 1. MacDonald pushed on through Baba Yaga, stretching his lead. Holmes and Pedro both closed in on Cahill through the corner. The remaining racers took a sensible line into Baba Yaga except for Phillips who had revved the engine in the No 6 A Team car and found himself scorching into the corner. Weaving past Janes, A Tappis, and Dn Tappis, Phillips found himself on an inside line and unable to avoid Cahill. He The A Team clipped the Fittipaldi and flipped out into the run-off area upside down, narrowly avoiding the copse of trees behind the barriers. It was the highest speed crash we had seen in Formule Dé but fortunately Phillips was able to walk away unscathed and was seen laughing about his crash just moments later. Undeterred by the explosive elimination of Phillips, Holmes closed on Cahill and managed to catch him in the straight up towards Devil’s Smile. Pedro raced in just next to him. The three racers were tightly packed through the next turn but the Fittipaldis had the faster line and it was Pedro who emerged ahead, just in front of Cahill. Behind them, Janes continued his steady race while A Tappis and Dn Tappis were close once again, squeezing each other through the corners. The battle between the pair allowed Stoneham to make up time and challenge for a points scoring position. MacDonald was in the lead through Corn but his aggressive approach was clearly showing as his racing green Lotus was clearly struggling with a worn brake pad. Behind him, Pedro was racing for all he was worth. His pace through Corn was exceptional and he was closing the distance rapidly. The Fittipaldis had clearly decided to attack but that approach was overly bold from Cahill. He overshot the Corn and found himself unable to maintain his car’s positioning as he hurtled through the barriers and into a small ditch, his race ending from third on the track. Holmes and Janes were calmer through the corners, maintaining their pace and both moving up a position with Cahill’s elimination. As A Tappis, Dn Tappis, and Stoneham weaved in front of one another, Dv Tappis was able to make up time. He closed the distance to just a couple of seconds by the time the group had manoeuvred through Corn. Up at the front the action was lighting quick. MacDonald was seeing his lead whittle away. The Lotus no longer had the grip needed to match the pace of the charging Fittipaldi looming large in the rear view mirror. Pedro had managed to close the gap and had MacDonald in his sights. The yellow Fittipaldi managed to slipstream his way into the lead, boldly overtaking the Lotus on the outside at Oaks. It was a breathtaking and risky move that had paid off as he was able to hold onto the lead through the corner at Radar. Behind them, Holmes was holding off Janes for third. The battle between A Tappis, Dn Tappis, and Stoneham was tight. They squeezed against one another through German and then Oaks. As they did so, Dv Tappis scorched into view. The pace was too scorching though, he had just about managed to get back in touch with those ahead of him but his pace through German was too much. The Red Bull slid out of the exit and Dv Tappis found himself stuck in the gravel trap, his race over. He had almost pulled off an audacious manoeuvre but the strain on the car was just barely more than it could handle. There were now only 7 cars left running on the track. Pedro’s Fittipaldi was at the front. He pulled slightly ahead of MacDonald but the Lotus was matching the speed as they revved up for the final corner. Track position was key. The No 5 Fittipaldi made no mistake through the final turn and had enough on the home straight to claim the victory. It was the second consecutive race win for Pedro as he took the chequered flag here in Poznan. The first running of the RBB Formule Dé Polish Grand Prix was won by Pedro. MacDonald came in behind him by a couple of seconds to pick up his first podium. There was quite a gap to 3rd. Holmes maintained his position ahead of Janes who could not get enough out of his Minardi to make a move. The A Team car drove in to a first podium for Holmes. Janes finished 4th for his first points-paying race. The fight for the final points places was tight. Stoneham made a great move against Dn Tappis through Radar and was just behind A Tappis. The three cars pushed hard through the straight up to the final curve. The order remained the same as they each navigated the last turn well. A straight line drag towards the finish line was all that was left. A Tappis less than a second ahead of Stoneham who was only narrowly in front of Dn Tappis. It was the Lotus crossing the line for 5th place, a first finish after crashing out at Brand’s Hatch in the last race. Behind him it seemed as though Stoneham would take 6th but he was undone by the soft tyres of Dn Tappis which gave him just enough pace to nudge ahead just metres from the line. The Red Bull claimed the last points position. Stoneham was left with a second 7th place finish in a row. It was a dramatic race. Pedro and his Fittipaldi added a Polish Grand Prix victory to the British Grand Prix having launched himself to the win despite starting at the back of the grid. Podium finishes for MacDonald and Holmes were improvements on their performances from Brand’s Hatch. Janes was in the points for the first time. A Tappis finished and scored points at his home GP. Dn Tappis late surge gave him a point after having crashed out late in Britain. Stoneham was the only other finisher. Poznan had claimed three non-finishers as the fast corners proved too tempting. The high speed action meaning only 7 of the original 10 cars crossed the finish line. Pedro’s lead in the championship has stretched to 11 points while Fittipaldi’s lead in the constructors championship is now a healthy 13. The Championship moves on to Badlands for the Canadian Grand Prix. We’ll see you next time.

Sunshine at the Badlands Motorsport Resort greeted the racers for the Canadian Grand Prix. The first RBB Formule Dé Championship race held outside of Europe. There had been speculation about the weather but conditions were perfect as the racers took to the grid. A front row of Phillips in the A Team and Cahill in the Fittipaldi looked to bounce back after both had crashed out during the previous race in Poznan. Behind them the lineup saw Dv Tappis in the Red Bull alongside Stoneham in the Minardi. It was a reasonable start through the grid once the chequered flag was waved with the long, fast straight into the first turn offering temptation to rev those engines. It was a fairly tight pack into the first turn with jostling for position. The first four were slightly ahead of the rest but closing hard were Janes and further back MacDonald who had both made early passes. Coming out of the corner it was jam packed. Space was at a premium as the entire grid found itself almost queuing through the turn. The leaders were cautious coming out of the first turn and already under pressure. Cahill in particular found it tough to locate a rapid exit and did not have the acceleration to hold onto his space as he drifted back into the pack. The slow exit hampered some of the front runners and allowed those behind to catch up. Janes, MacDonald, and Pedro all took advantage with overtaking manoeuvres s on the long straight. Aa the racers pushed through the subsequent turns the spectators had the chance to see engines really open up for a couple of long straights. Powering clear was MacDonald in the Lotus. Behind him, the pack was fairly bunched though the Minardi of Stoneham struggled a little to match the pace. Tyre screeching from the Red Bulls filled the air with smoke through the later corners towards the end of the first lap. Pedro was able to take advantage of some of the burning rubber in front of him to move up into second place through the final straight. Behind him, the Red Bulls and Janes battled for third. Philipps, Holmes, Cahill, A Tappis, and Stoneham made up the remainder of the field. MacDonald had stretched out a decent lead but the Fittipaldi of Pedro was still in perfect shape as he gradually closed some of the distance. Some overly bold acceleration through the early corners of the second lap saw the Red Bull of Dn Tappis push too far and create the first major incident of the race as he crashed out. Not long after, Holmes found himself squeezed out of space as he tried to take on a narrow gap in the inside lane. He crashed out on turn 3. With the field thinned a little, Pedro had what seemed to be the fastest car. He covered the distance to MacDonald and the pair raced neck and neck for half a lap. MacDonald still had his nose in front as he opened up the gas into the long back straight. There was not enough power in the Lotus though and Pedro was able to keep pace, his better handling in the final corner just pushing ahead. It was enough to hang on for a close victory. The third in a row for the gleaming yellow Fittipaldi he had helmed so well. Behind the front two Philipps had driven a canny race. He had moved through the gears effectively and when Dv Tappis over-revved to try to gain speed ahead of the back straight, Phillips had been able to move into third while the Red Bull spun out with points on the table. Phillips took advantage of the battle between Pedro and MacDonald to close up. As MacDonald broke to maintain composure at the final turn, his speed slowed slightly and Phillips managed to slipstream across the line to steal a second place. His first ever podium finish leaving MacDonald in third though with the consolation of a second consecutive podium. Janes had driven a steady race. As others crashed out, he had managed to keep himself in a points paying position. Philipps pulled away in the A Team meaning Janes found himself neither able to challenge in front nor being threatened from behind. He coasted in for a fourth place finish, matching his effort in the Polish GP. It was quite a battle for the remaining positions. 5th-7th were definitely up for grabs. Rounding the turn into the back straight, Cahill had position over Stoneham and A Tappis. He had just enough to hold on and to claim 5th for Fittipaldi. Stoneham’s pace in the Minardi let him down though. A Tappis found a little extra in the Lotus to squeeze ever so slightly ahead, taking 6th and the final points position. Stoneham was left in 7th once more, the third consecutive time he had landed in the same spot. The Canadian Grand Prix had seen a terrific race for the top spot with Pedro having too much through the corners. The A Team were celebrating their best result so far and a second consecutive podium for the team. MacDonald had looked strong through the first lap but could not hold on, landing in third place. With three cars eliminated, Badlands matched Poznan for the toughest track so far. The Championship would move on to Austin for the US Grand Prix with Pedro holding a commanding lead over MacDonald and Phillips.

Changeable weather greeted the racers on the start line for the US Grand Prix in Austin. Fans of the RBB Formule Dé Championship around the world had been keenly anticipating the return of racing after a mid-season break. They were greeted with a familiar strategy from most teams but the Red Bulls were both favouring soft tyres. As the lights turned green, the entire grid got off to reasonable starts. At the front, Dn Tappis in the Red Bull led off from pole. Holmes and Dv Tappis were not far behind him. The action in the first corner though was with A Tappis. His Lotus was clipped on the exit, leaving debris on the track that both Janes and Phillips could not avoid. A small dust-up in Big Red and the race had barely begun. The A Team of Phillips was clearly taken out of its racing line by the small impact as an opening in Turn 2 gave Pedro the chance to overtake in front of the grandstand. Fittipaldi were not uniformly quick through the corner though as Cahill’s line allowed MacDonald to slip his Lotus past. There was significant bunching as the pack moved through the early portion of the first lap. Through the technical section with winding corners, the Minardis both struggled for traction as they slipped to the back. Minardi team radio was broadcast internationally with the note that “slow and steady wins the race”. The long back straight out of Turn 5 saw the two Red Bulls in the lead, both of them using soft tyres to their advantage and exchanging positions with one. A Tappis and MacDonald in the twin Lotuses were not far behind. The Fittipaldis were next having overtaken the A Team cars. A Team seemed to struggle a little for raw pace and Phillips in particular was pushing his car hard. Pedro was not lacking for pace in the Fittipaldi. A blistering acceleration down the back straight took him past MacDonald and challenging A Tappis for third. The pair continued to battle one another. Ahead of them, the Red Bulls were evenly matched, swapping positions for first and second. As the pair of Red Bulls emerged from The Andretti in the final corner, the soft tyres were clearly in need of a pit stop. A Tappis in the Lotus and Phillips in the A Team both had question marks over tyre wear but chose to stay out. Further back, the Minardis had struggled with down force, Janes choosing to make his first ever technical pitstop. A Tappis pushed hard out of The Andretti and managed to edge Pedro for the first lap lead. The first time he had been ahead at the end of a lap. The two Red Bulls came out in third and fourth. MacDonald was fifth. Cahill sixth followed by Phillips. Holmes and the two Minardis brought up the rear. At the front it was tight through the technicals including the challenging curves colloquially known as the Thunderbastard. Pedro stormed out ahead though and pushed his gears to challenge the Fittipaldi. A Tappis slipped slightly behind as the Lotus could not match the pace. The Red Bulls seemed to be in a battle of their own, not able to make ground up on the leading two but clearly ahead of the rest. Each corner saw Dv Tappis and Dn Tappis trying to nudge ahead of the other. Cahill had not matched pace and was behind MacDonald and now Phillips who had pulled ahead after the Thunderbastard. Holmes and the Minardis continued their own private battle. It was all very polite except when Janes clipped Stoneham and apologies were profuse over the radio. Nobody could match Pedro’s pace at the front. He was clear by the time he reached The Andretti and raced over the line for his fourth win in four races. It seems nobody could stop him. A Tappis had turned in a strong race. A lack of pace out of the Thunderbastard proved the difference as he managed his car through the final turns and took a personal best second place and a first podium. The battle between the Red Bulls was intense as every yard of track was important. In the end it was Dv Tappis who had his nose cone in front as he crossed the line for third. His second podium of the season. Dn Tappis had managed a personal best fourth. MacDonald and Phillips were having a ding dong struggle behind the leading pairs. The Lotus though was in much better condition than the A Team and held on to emerge from The Andretti despite a desperation lunge by Holmes to try and get into the points scoring mix. MacDonald finished fifth. Phillips sixth. Holmes had pushed hard at the end but he was too far behind, landing in seventh. Cahill had been steady but unspectacular with his eighth place finish. The Minardis had found the course a struggle, they were a distant ninth and tenth. Pedro now had a commanding lead in the championship standings. He would be hard to catch. The racers next stop would be Rio de Janeiro for the Brazilian Grand Prix at Jacarepagua.

It was hot and sunny at the Jacarepagua circuit in Rio for the Brazilian Grand Prix. The home crowd were excited to cheer on their favourite, Pedro, who had won all four races in the RBB Formule Dé Championship to date. The front row was an all-Minardi affair. Stoneham in pole and Janes alongside him. They both got off to a decent start. The pair had split the strategy with Stoneham on soft tyres and Janes on hard. Behind them on the grid, Holmes got off to a tremendous jump in anticipating the green lights but as he tried to squeeze past Cahill, his A Team clipped the Fittipaldi’s wing leaving black debris on the track. It was a poor start from MacDonald who stalled on the grid, letting both Dv Tappis and a surging Pedro through immediately. Pedro found the soft tyres to his liking as he surged into 7th from the back of the grid. It was Stoneham followed by Janes then Cahill into the first corner. The tight turn of Curvha Uma bit into the tyres of Janes Minardi. As the pack navigated the challenging first, Pedro’s home knowledge paid dividends. He scorched through into third with only the Minardis ahead of him. A remarkable surge at the first. Behind the leading three it was Cahill followed by a battle between Dn Tappis and Philips. Holmes was between that pair and close racing between Dv Tappis and MacDonald. A Tappis brought up the rear. At racers opened up for the long straight ahead of Curvha Dois, Holmes over-revved and his engine spluttered. The A Team radio went blue for a moment as Holmes found himself slightly out of position for Dois and the racers ahead of him included now Dv Tappis, Phillips, and A Tappis. Stoneham pulled ahead into Curva da Juncao. His more aggressive approach was paying dividends as it was by far the best the Minardi had looked so far in the Championship. The two Fittipaldis were not far behind though. Pedro was now in second. Cahill pushed past Janes with some late braking into Dois. Curva da Juncao was eventful. Stoneham, A Tappis, and Janes all found themselves slamming on the brakes. Dn Tappis did not see the late change of speed ahead of him and ended up clipping some damage onto the track. Phillips burnt some rubber into the corner. Juncao definitely left its mark. Holmes and MacDonald were having a ding dong battle. The pair neck and neck at the back. It was entertaining the crowd at least when MacDonald slipstreamed past Holmes but no matter what each did they seemed to match each other wheel to wheel – even if they were now quite far behind the rest of the pack. Some dramatic acceleration from the Red Bull of Dv Tappis pushed him up the field rapidly as others could not match the raw pace. Dv Tappis surged up into 3rd ahead of Janes and Cahill, the latter of whom found the transition to a higher gear more difficult. Perhaps it was an engine issue as a spluttering sound could definitely be heard. Through the short Curva do Cotovelo, A Tappis found a line that took him past Phillips. It was a tight line though and the A Team was the one that suffered, more black debris hitting the circuit. At the front, Stoneham’s lead had been whittled away through Curva Oposta and was gone by the time Pedro reached Curvo do Placar. There was a serious difference in speed between the two Fittipaldis. Cahill was struggling with his gearbox as he slipped back down the pack. The circuit was clearly hard on gears for many with A Tappis and Dn Tappis both hitting the gears hard. Tyres were also burning as through the final corners of the first lap and it was clear the pit crews would be busy. Pedro crossed the first lap marker while Stoneham went into the pits for a technical stop. Behind him, Janes came in and out quickly, both Red Bulls, the Lotus of Tappis, and Cahill’s Fittipaldi also found themselves pitting. Pedro was away and clear. Stoneham was in second. Janes third with the Red Bulls just behind him. Pedro’s lead was significant. It would be tough for anyone to catch up. Cahill and A Tappis had a battle through Uma and Dois and it was the Lotus that came out ahead. The Fittipaldi suffered for it with piece of debris landing in Dois. The pair were pushing hard and both over-heated their tyres coming out of Dois. Two different teams were having their own battles. The Minardis were closely matched as were the Red Bulls. The latter team seemed to be perhaps too competitive as they pushed their cars hard with tyres screeching out of almost every corner. The Red Bull battle took its toll by the time of Oposta as they both spun exiting the curve. This left the Minardis free to push on while others moved past including Phillips who was now in fourth and A Tappis who pushed ahead into Placar. Pedro crossed the line in first. His fifth consecutive victory. There was absolutely no stopping him especially on his home track as he cruised home unchallenged. Behind him the Minardis were close together. Stoneham had to protect his car going into the final corner and that allowed an apologetic Janes to slip by and claim second. Stoneham crossed in third. It was a first podium for either man and the first time Stoneham had managed a point. The Minardis had arrived in the RBB Formule Dé Championship. It was an uneventful drive for Phillips who steered his A Team home in fourth. The action was further down the grid. A Tappis had taken advantage of the Red Bull’s problems with their tyres and had managed to take a comfortable fifth place finish. This left the Red Bulls, MacDonald, Holmes, and Cahill battling for the final points paying position. Cahill pushed too hard. His Fittipaldi could not brake in time and Placar was his undoing. He crashed out for the second time in the Championship. The Red Bulls were still ahead of MacDonald and Holmes going into the final corner. They seemed to have the track advantage but an audacious overtaking manoeuvre from Holmes saw him surge past into sixth place. The Red Bulls could not answer and found themselves spinning once more. Holmes claimed sixth. MacDonald had hit the brakes to avoid collision with the Red Bulls and the three limped home slowly to bring the Brazilian Grand Prix to a close. It had been a dramatic race though not at the front where Pedro was unstoppable once he had made up the ground on Stoneham. The Minardis did themselves great credit though and filled out the rest of the podium. Phillips ended up in fourth despite not having been well. A Tappis and Holmes rounded out the scoring. Jacarepagua had been hard on the tyres, brakes, gears, and engines but somehow not for Pedro who seemed to know every inch of track and was rarely troubled. As the Championship moved on to Kyalami for the South African Grand Prix, the question now had become whether anyone would ever be able to cross the finish line ahead of Pedro.