Felipe Fraga leaves Brasilia this Sunday (30/11) stronger in the battle for the Stock Car title. Championship leader, the driver won the sprint race and finished second in the main race, extending his advantage in the table ahead of the decision at Interlagos.
Following the weekend when Nelson Piquet Raceway reopened, he highlighted the importance of the track to the calendar and recalled his longstanding connection to the city.
“It’s really great to have another track. This year has had these new features, hasn’t it? We’ll be racing in Cuiabá, Brasilia, and Chapeco is coming. So it’s really great to have new race tracks. Brasilia is not new, but it has been renovated, and it looks great,” said the driver when assessing the Federal Capital’s return to the national stage.
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The Stock Car Pro stage was held in Brasilia
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This was the first race at the Autodromo Internacional de Brasília since its reopening.
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We reopened last Thursday (11/27)
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The main race was held this Sunday (11/30).
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The race winner was Nelson Piquet Jr.
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Felipe Fraga and Lucas Foresti closed the top three
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With this victory, Nelcinho Piquet Jr. scored 80 points on Sunday alone (11/30).
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On Saturday (29/11), between first and third place in the race, he had already collected another 48 points. In total over the weekend, he scored 128 points
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The first place trophy was presented by the winner’s father, Nelson Piquet
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The start was clean, with no retirements on the first lap
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Nelcinho Piquet, who started from pole position, created a good advantage in the first few metres
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At the end of the opening lap, Zizinho Mugiatti and Lucas Cole collided, but both managed to return to the track.
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For the rest of the session, Nelson Piquet Jr. was able to gain the advantage and take the trophy
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Fraga also praised the characteristics of the track after the renovation: “The track is big and high. It is a very long course. There is no track in Brazil where we have such a long course. So it is a track that leaves a lot of room for error and also when you are in good condition you can control it.”
The driver also commented on the emotional aspect of competing in Brasilia, where he took his first steps in motorsport. “I have a big passion for Brasilia. Not many people know this, but I’m from Tocantins, and I started racing karts here in Brasilia. My first competition in my life was in Guara. So, it’s really cool,” he said.
With a strong performance over the weekend, Vaga left satisfied. “I’m very happy because I had an amazing weekend. I scored 119 points, much more than I expected. And that’s it, it’s not long before the tournament ends and I hope I can continue at this pace to be the champion, God willing,” he said.
The driver also evaluated how he reached the final stage after increasing his advantage over Gaetano, but stated that any mistake could be costly.
“He was very good today. I was able to finish second and I think he was ninth. So, I was able to open up a little bit more. At Interlagos it was about monitoring him, but there’s not a lot to monitor him because in Kwale I’ll be trying to speed up. There’s no way to take my foot off Kwale. Then yeah, it’s about seeing what position he’s in and then monitoring him. I don’t need to stand in front of him. If he’s 20th and I’m in P21, it’s OK.”