Jeddah Corniche Circuit

SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX

Commentary: Cameras:

WATCH NOW
May 17, 2019

 

Joonas Raivio dominated from lights to finish as an Idos Motorsport one-two with new championship leader Erhan Jajovski massively affected the Constructors' championship, Ewan Gale reports.
Nico Barclay finished third for TCS Off, ahead of the GOTeam Racing of Eric Stranne and David Jundt in the Black Hawk Basilea.

Team Rookie Monsters had a hellish round however, as a Matthew Beavis retirement, coupled with the news from earlier in the week that Yuri Kasdorp would be unable to race means that they surrender their lead in both championships.

But take nothing away from a stellar performance from Raivio who never looked under threat from the moment the cars headed out for qualifying.

The Finn set a time over half a second faster than anyone else in qualifying, and in the race put his advantage to good use, quickly opening up a lead that would stay above ten seconds for the whole ninety minutes.

His Macedonian teammate - who inherits the championship lead - had to go side by side with Barclay and Beavis through Les Combes on the first lap. However, when the TCS McLaren and the TRM Aston Martin battled at the bus stop, Jajovski's danger was gone.

Argo Teder had made his way from eighth to fifth on the opening lap, but a mistake at Pouhon left him with suspension damage and he was forced to retire.

The race was full of excitement throughout the field. In fact, every points finisher had to make an overtaking manoeuvre or resist some touring car style contact.

Kasdorp's replacement Timotej Andonovski had a good opening to the race. He was forced to defend from Stranne as the Swede used the tow out of Radillon and down the Kemmel straight. Andanovski went to the inside at Les Combes but Stranne - who started in P11 - made the outside work and took fifth.

The main excitement came wherever Phillip Morby was on the circuit. At one point he went side-by-side with April Carlsvard at Eau Rouge, and the inevitable collision forced Carlsvard to yield and lose out to Bart de Vos.

Itamar Yativ had a storming race in the unfancied Audi R8 of GT Omega. The Israeli started way back in P27, but managed to finish in the top 10.

However, there was a tinge of controversy in that result after Yativ was involved in separate incidents involving Jonatan Acerclinth and Morby. On lap 30, Yativ looked to the inside of Acerclinth's Satellite into Stavelot. The to collided, with Acerclinth spinning out and losing the position.

The Audi was further alongside his rival at Les Combes when Morby and Yativ collided. Both spun allowing Carlsvard to take tenth. Yativ kept his cool, and on the penultimate lap of the race made his move round the outside of Speakers corner to take the top ten berth.

But the race belonged to Joonas Raivio who crossed the line 12 seconds ahead of his teammate Jajovski, capping off a fine event for the Idos team.

Andonovski gave some solace to the Rookie Monsters squad in sixth, with Scott Sovik taking a fine seventh for Schroten. The Fox Racing Corvette of de Vos crafted an eighth ahead of the Realish Corvette of Kyran Parkin, as Yativ rounded out the top 10.

Carlsvard picked up five points in her Smile Vantage, with Morby and Acerclinth the last of the drivers on the lead lap. Simon Marshall made it a double points finish for Fox, with Campbell Wallis repeating the feat for Realish. David Nichols and Mike Bell complete the list of 17 finishers.

Jajovski takes the championship lead, two points ahead of Kasdorp who we now know is out of the running. Race winner Raivio is therefore provisionally second 12 points back. Barclay, Beavis and ACR's Kevin Ryan follow behind.

Idos Motorsport took full advantage of Rookie Monsters disastrous week, with the one-two taking them ahead in the Constructors championship by 21 points on 132. TCS Off close in on the former leaders, the gap at 41 points.