Low downforce Lindblad untouchable at Teretonga

Championship leader Arvid Lindblad was untouchable in qualifying today for the first race of the penultimate round of the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship at Teretonga.

A fascinating qualifying session saw teams opt for different aero strategies to capitalise on the circuit’s huge 800 metre long straight, the effect of which was amplified even more on Saturday morning by a reasonable head wind.

Likened to the super-low downforce characteristics of Monza by teams, Lindblad’s M2 Competition team opted for a lower downforce setting on their cars and it paid off mightily with their six drivers occupying all top six places half way through the session.

Only later in the 15 minute qualifying did other teams bring their drivers in and follow suit but by then it was largely academic as Lindblad had delivered the only sub 54 second lap to take an impressive pole position.

“It was really nice,” said the Red Bull Junior after the session. “The team this week have been amazing and I think we made a bit of a step forward this week compared to the last three. The car today was on rails and I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

“It’s a great track, a bit too short but the corners that we have are really cool and it’s the first time in the whole championship so far we’ve had a bit of high speed where you can go in with a bit of commitment and that’s really nice.

Team mate Matias Zagazeta made the most of the set-up on his car to take a front row spot – maintaining the solid form he had shown in Friday testing at the South Island circuit. Nikita Johnson – fresh from confirming a joint IndyNxt and GB3 2025 programme after he completes his duties in New Zealand made it three from three for M2.

Patrick Heuzenroeder made a late charge to fourth and a second row starting spot for the afternoon’s first race after a pit stop to change the settings on his mtec Motorsport car’s  front and rear wing, as did his team mates Josh Pierson and Zack Scoular.

Their best laps were ultimately good enough to push M2’s other two drivers – Michael Shin and Enzo Yeh – down into seventh and eighth on the grid. Tommy Smith was a solid ninth for Giles Motorsport and held off a late charge by Sebastian Manson.

2025 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship – Round 4 – Race 1 Qualifying