Matteis Stigsen won two heats and was involved in a dramatic crash in the final heat – but there were more protagonists in the first Nordic 4 weekend of the year.
It’s always interesting to see the balance of power when a new season starts in Nordic 4. Unlike many other race series, there is often a large, natural turnover among the participants, and again this year, several new drivers had announced their arrival.
STEP Motorsport’s Matteis Stigsen was probably the one who initially drew the most attention to himself, as he was fastest in both practice and timing, and then won the first two races. In the final heat, he attracted a different kind of attention when he made close contact with Richard Olson’s Aquila Formula Nova in the battle for third place. The two cars ended up in the sand trap outside the Big Mag corner and Olson’s car hung over Stigsen’s car. The track officials were worried that something had happened to the STEP driver, so the ambulance arrived on track and fortunately the young rookie escaped the collision unscathed.
This gave her teammate, Dutch Rosanne den Drijver, the chance to show herself off. She showed good speed throughout the weekend and in the final heat she was at the front of the field and skilfully defended her position from the attack. Only Silas Egedal eventually managed to get past before the chequered flag and den Drijver finished second in her debut weekend.
Championship lead for Hoe – Mille Hoe
A driver who can by no means be considered a debutant, but who has not previously made a name for herself in the Nordic 4 class, took the lead at Padborg Park. Mille Hoe drove the race of her life this weekend and fought for victory in all three heats. With two second places and a third place, Mille proved that it’s not just her older brother who can get a single-seater car round a racetrack fast. This means that Mille is leading the Nordic 4 championship after the first round.
If the opening race at Padborg Park is a true reflection of the season, the male drivers will have to accept a greater diversity on the podium. This weekend, Mille Hoe, Rosanne den Drijver and Milla Sjöstrand all finished on the podium, and with the pace the three of them had, it would be strange if that didn’t happen again.
Great debut for the Nordic formula car of the future
Leonel Skaar and Richard Olson gave the new Aquila Formula Nova its race debut, and the new Danish-made single-seaters left a promising impression. Although both Skaar and Olson experienced technical problems during the weekend, both drivers showed that the car is impressively fast in the corners thanks to the inbuilt ground effect. This was evident in the lap times, and had it not been for a technical problem in the second race of the weekend, Richard Olson would have won the race ahead of Matteis Stigsen.
The season has kicked off in fine style, and the Nordic 4 field is once again ready to be a development platform for young drivers. The next race is at FDM Jyllandsringen on 9-10 May.
