Gabriel Gomez has taken an early lead of Gedlich Racing’s 2025 Formula Winter Series standings after two victories at the Portimao season-opener.
The US Racing driver won the opening two races of the weekend before claiming third-place in the final, 30-minute contest on Sunday.
Gomez left Portugal with 69 points in the championship, 33 clear of Edu and Leo Robinson who are tied for second ahead of the Valencia round on 13-16 February.
The Brazilian was on pole for Saturday’s opening contest, in which he shared the front row with team-mate Edu Robinson but both struggled for traction off the line.
It allowed Leo Robinson to immediately challenge before eventually taking the lead come the end of the opening sector with Gomez and then Edu Robinson directly behind.
The Hitech driver stayed in front for much of the contest but then in the final minutes a Turn 3 collision between Sebastian Bach (AS Motorsport) and Enea Frey (Jenzer Motorsport) caused a safety car.
When conditions returned green there was only time for one racing lap, during which the under-pressure Leo Robinson was overtaken by Gomez at Turn 5 for the lead.
The Brazilian pulled clear to take victory ahead of the Algerian with Edu Robinson completing the podium.
Victory in the second race came much easier for Gomez though, who again started from pole ahead of the Spaniard in a US Racing front row lock-out.
Both drivers were quick off the line and thwarted a challenge from Leo Robinson, who attempted an overtake around the outside of Turn 1 but became airborne on the exit kerb.
Just two corners later the Hitech driver’s rear-right tyre collided with Fionn McLaughlin’s front wing endplate, causing Leo Robinson to retire from race two.
After that the action was few and far between in the second contest, as Gomez overcame two safety car restarts to win again in a US Racing 1-2 with Maksimilian Popov (Van Amersfoort) completing the top three.
He did not win the third race though, which took place on Sunday in wet conditions with Edu Robinson this time leading an all-US Racing front row.
The Spaniard led off the line in the second start - the first one was cancelled due to failed gantry lights - but subsequently struggled in the wet as did Gomez as both drivers dropped down the order.
It was the two Hitech drivers of McLaughlin and Leo Robinson who benefitted from their demise, as they quickly pulled ahead and the Irishman comfortably won in a 1-2.
US Racing’s Maxim Rehm finished third on-track, but at the end of the weekend was disqualified from all three races as his brakes did not comply with the technical regulations.
So Gomez was promoted onto the podium to take a significant championship lead after the season-opening weekend, with Valencia, Aragon and Barcelona left to run.
