Drummond reopens the OK European Championship fight. Rain and penalties turn Round 3 in Germany upside down

OK
The Super Heats highlighted the balance that characterised the entire event. William Calleja and Zac Drummond had finished the preliminary phase level on points, each securing pole position for their respective Super Heats. Calleja was unable to maintain his front-running pace in his race, eventually dropping to fifth after losing ground in the closing laps, while Lev Krutoholov claimed victory. Noah Baglin, in what could have been a title-clinching weekend but proved more complicated than expected, still managed to recover to tenth place.

Drummond, knowing that simply finishing ahead of Calleja would secure the best possible starting position for the Final, set a competitive pace from the outset of his Super Heat. After initially losing the lead to Oliver Kinnmark, he fought back to regain the position and take victory. Klara Kowalczyk and Valerio Viapiana were among the standout performers, while Asher Ochstein, one of the strongest drivers throughout the weekend up to that point, slipped down the order and had to settle for 18th on the Final grid.

 

The Final was heavily influenced by changing weather conditions. Shortly after the start, rain began to fall, causing several drivers to run off at Turn 1, although the front-runners avoided trouble. Among those losing significant ground in the opening laps were Henry Domain, Gilles Herman and Luke Kornder.
Drummond maintained the lead during the early stages ahead of Calleja. As the race progressed, however, the situation changed, with Niklas Schaufler and René Hoogendoorn moving into contention at the front, while Calleja gradually dropped back. The Australian’s race eventually came to an early end due to bodywork coming loose, an unfortunate setback that spoiled what had otherwise been a strong weekend.

Championship leader Baglin also faced difficulties in the opening phase of the race, losing several positions before recovering to finish seventh. The result keeps the title fight open heading into the final round in Sweden. By mid-race, the battle for victory had narrowed to Drummond, Schaufler and Hoogendoorn. Schaufler steadily increased the pressure on the leader, while Hoogendoorn continued to show strong pace until Kinnmark joined the fight at the front. As conditions deteriorated further, with all drivers running on slick tyres, race control decided to stop the race with a red flag after more than 75% of the scheduled distance had been completed. Schaufler was leading when the race was halted, but a subsequent penalty for a racing incident dropped him to fifth in the final classification.

The victory therefore went to Zac Drummond, whose consistent performance throughout the weekend strengthened his position in the championship standings. One of the standout stories of the event was Valerio Viapiana’s remarkable recovery. After qualifying only 74th on Friday, the Italian steadily worked his way through the field over the course of the weekend. Starting 23rd in the Final, he fought his way into contention for the leading positions, benefiting from several incidents in the opening stages and ultimately securing a podium finish following Schaufler’s penalty.

OK Junior
After winning all of the qualifying heats, Will Green continued his impressive form by winning his Super Heat and securing pole position for the Final. Priam Bruno finished second, while Zhu Zack Zhaoqi gained ten positions to take third. In the other Super Heat, Daniel Miron Lorente emerged as a key contender by climbing through the field to take victory and revive what had previously been a difficult weekend.

 

Green maintained the lead at the start of the Final, while a first-lap incident resulted in the immediate retirement of Zhu. Behind the leader, Alex Molota and Santiago Diaz De La Vega established themselves among the front-runners. The arrival of rain dramatically changed the complexion of the race. Diaz De La Vega briefly moved into the lead before sliding off the circuit as conditions worsened. Molota capitalised on the situation, taking over at the front and building a significant advantage over the field. Meanwhile, Miron Lorente, Antonio Nuvolini and Priam Bruno remained firmly in contention, while Green struggled more on the damp track and slipped back to sixth place. Following a slow procedure that brought the field back together, the race was decided in the closing stages. Molota crossed the finish line first ahead of Babicek, who had produced a decisive overtaking move to secure second on track. Behind them, Miron Lorente, Nuvolini and Green battled for the final podium position right up to the chequered flag.

However, the results were significantly reshuffled by post-race penalties. Several front-runners, including Molota, Babicek and Nuvolini, received five-second penalties for technical infringements. Miron Lorente, who had initially inherited the victory, was also penalised after the podium ceremony. Following the application of all penalties, Will Green was declared the winner from pole position. Antonio Pizzonia inherited second place, while Babicek ultimately retained the third and final podium position.