From Rain to Glory: How Imola Launched Season 2 in Style
The lights went out on Season 2 of the Fixxxer Racing Syndicate at a soaked Imola, and from the very first session it was clear this season would not be short on drama. Qualifying delivered ten minutes of pure tension as rain drenched the circuit early on, only for a drying racing line to emerge right at the end. Timing that final lap was everything — go too early and you were stuck on intermediates, too late and traffic ruined your run. Those who judged it perfectly were rewarded, with Abrantes snatching pole, rookie Rybird stunning the paddock with P2, and Brandon lining up P3. Behind them, Tomslick announced himself as a transformed driver, taking a superb P4 — his first top-five qualifying result since joining Fixxxer.
The race itself wasted no time igniting. Abrantes barely had time to enjoy pole before losing the lead almost immediately, kicking off a fierce back-and-forth duel at the front that defined the opening half of the race. While the leaders fought, chaos brewed further back. Salmon’s luck continued to haunt him, as he was shunted into the wall after a Mercedes swerved across the straight, earning that driver a five-second penalty to be applied in the following round. An early Safety Car neutralised the field, bunching everyone back together and giving Salmon and others who had fallen behind a lifeline.
Strategy came alive under the Safety Car. Abrantes, who had started on softs, made the call to pit for mediums, nearly equalising strategy with race leader Rybird. What followed was a long, tense middle stint — almost twenty laps on mediums — where the two traded pressure relentlessly. The decisive moment came late: Rybird forced his way past Abrantes at the final corner, pitted the following lap, and then delivered a flawless final stint. By the last lap, he’d stretched the gap to over eight seconds, leaving Abrantes with no response and sealing a statement victory on his Fixxxer debut.
Behind them, the storylines were just as compelling. Tomslick capped off his resurgence with an impressively consistent drive to P4, his best finish since entering the league. Brandon, too, showed signs of redemption after a miserable Season 1, bringing the Red Bull home in P3 and immediately putting the team into early contention in the Constructors’ fight.
Top 3 – Round 1, Imola:
🥇 Rybird
🥈 Abrantes
🥉 Brandon
Season 2 couldn’t have asked for a better opening chapter — a new winner, a rookie breakthrough, revived veterans, and championship implications already forming. If Imola was any indication, the road ahead is going to be ruthless.
