Race Report RU1, RU2 & RU3 | Event 6

RU1 | ROUND 6 | SUZUKA (JAPAN)

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PODIUM RESULTS: P1 Siro Zambra | P2 Coque López | P3 Michal Smidl

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Siro Zambra arrived at Suzuka 1 point behind Coque López in the title fight. By the chequered flag, Zambra was 7 points clear at the top.

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Qualifying set the tone. Zambra edged Michal Smidl to pole by just 0.013 seconds, while Enrique Marañón and López were split by only 0.002 seconds in 3rd and 4th. Janik Pletscher and Marcos Valverde could not be separated at all, setting identical lap times.

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From pole, Zambra never looked back. The Zurich City driver led every one of the 27 laps and crossed the line 3.164 seconds clear for a 2nd win of the championship.

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The fight behind was far closer. López, 4th on the grid, worked up to 3rd and then made the decisive move with 3 laps to go, passing Smidl for 2nd on lap 25. Smidl held on to 3rd to stay in the title fight, 15 points off the lead.

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Marañón finished 4th and set the fastest lap of the race.

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The drive of the day came from Alejandro Sánchez. Starting 11th, Sánchez made 8 overtakes, more than anyone else, to finish 5th. The pick was the lap 14 move on Mario Stanic at Turn 7, followed by a lap 15 fight with Sebastian Hirsch that saw 6th place change hands 3 times. A pass on Valverde on lap 21 secured 5th.

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Pletscher recovered just as strongly. Down from 6th to 13th in the opening laps, Pletscher fought back through the field and took 6th with 2 passes on lap 25, on Hirsch and then Valverde.

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Valverde held on to 7th by just 0.254 seconds from Hirsch, the closest finish of the race. Stanic's race was undone by penalties, including a drive-through on lap 24, and the Zurich City driver finished 14th from 8th on the grid.

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Agustin Torlaschi carried a 5-place grid penalty into the round after reaching 10 penalty points, and started from the back of the grid. Torlaschi made the best start of the race, gaining 4 places on the opening lap, and finished 12th.

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Zambra now leads on 176 points, with López on 169 and Smidl on 161. 2 rounds remain: Interlagos on 22 November and the Silverstone finale on 13 December.

RU2 | ROUND 6 | SUZUKA (JAPAN)

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PODIUM RESULTS: P1 Nestor García | P2 Tim Potzmader | P3 Unai Maroto

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Nestor García left nothing on the table at Suzuka: pole, the win and the fastest lap, for the maximum 37 points.

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García took pole by 0.296 seconds from Tim Potzmader, with Unai Maroto 3rd. From there the Madrid driver led every lap, set the fastest lap of the race and won by more than 10 seconds.

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The real fight was for 2nd. Patrick Dubach passed Potzmader on lap 14, only for Potzmader to hit straight back on the same lap. Maroto then took 3rd from Dubach on lap 15 and went past Potzmader for 2nd on lap 20. Potzmader reclaimed the place a lap later and held on by just 0.628 seconds at the flag.

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The result gave Maroto a first RU2 podium, in only a 2nd RU2 race.

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Guzman Miguelez produced the biggest climb at the front, from 9th on the grid to 4th, with the final pass on Dubach on lap 19.

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3 drivers carried penalty points consequences into the round. Aaron Schutz served a qualifying ban and started from the back of the grid, then made up 5 places on the opening lap. With 7 overtakes, the most of any driver, Schutz finished 12th. Adrian Gomez and Walter Trauninger each served a 5-place grid penalty: Gomez recovered from 11th on the grid to 7th, and Trauninger from 15th to 13th.

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Haris Skenderi had a difficult afternoon, dropping from 7th to 18th on lap 2 before recovering to 15th. Norik Lehocki also lost ground, falling from 5th on lap 8, and then spent 7 laps battling Timothy Sperisen, who took 10th.

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Jamie Egeo held on to 8th by 0.475 seconds from Samuel Bartl, the closest finish of the race.

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García now leads on 193 points, 49 clear of Potzmader. Dubach moves up to 3rd on 126, ahead of Lehocki on 122. With 74 points still available, García could seal the title at Interlagos, where Xaver Schmid will serve a 5-place grid penalty after reaching 10 penalty points at Suzuka.

RU3 | ROUND 1 | ZANDVOORT & OKAYAMA

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RACE 1 PODIUM RESULTS: P1 Benjamin Jimenez Klier | P2 Andrin Christoffel | P3 Roberto Miguez

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RACE 2 PODIUM RESULTS: P1 Andrin Christoffel | P2 Benjamin Jimenez Klier | P3 Roberto Miguez

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The RU3 Fall Championship opened with 18 drivers through the qualifiers, and a familiar name at the front. Andrin Christoffel, back in the RU Esports Series after leaving RU2 in the spring, took pole for both races.

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Race 1 at Zandvoort belonged to Benjamin Jimenez Klier. Starting 2nd, Jimenez Klier took the lead from Christoffel on lap 2 and never let go, winning by 1.183 seconds and setting the fastest lap along the way. Roberto Miguez completed the podium.

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Christoffel answered at Okayama. Leading from pole, Christoffel came under attack on lap 11 when Miguez moved ahead, but took the lead straight back and went on to win by 1.483 seconds. Jimenez Klier passed Miguez for 2nd on the same lap, and Miguez finished 3rd again with the fastest lap.

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Christoffel, Miguez and Iván Merino Durán, all former RU2 drivers, finished in the top 4 of both races, with Merino Durán 4th each time.

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Among the drivers making a first start of 2026, Nicola Stanley stood out, climbing from 12th to 6th at Zandvoort and finishing 5th at Okayama. Noah Eder also impressed, rising from 15th to 7th in Race 1 and taking 6th in Race 2.

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Christoffel leaves the opening round with a 1-point lead, 65 to 64 over Jimenez Klier, with Miguez 3rd on 51. Round 2 takes place on 22 November, with qualifiers opening on 11 November.