After already impressing at Valkenswaard with a strong debut in the Supercar Lites category, Robert Vitols used the opening race of the weekend in Riga to show that his two podium finishes in the Netherlands last month were no fluke.
On home turf at the Bikernieki circuit and in just his third outing with Team Färén, the Latvian driver dominated nearly everything in his path, save for a disrupted Q2 session marred by a collision before the first corner. Still, with fastest times in both Q1 and Q3, Vitols secured pole position and capitalized on it perfectly to claim the first victory of his career at this level.
It was a result that set the tone for the rest of the weekend, boosting his confidence in the process.
“Today I stayed focused on the plan,” said Vitols. “I just aimed to put together clean laps, corner after corner, without rushing things—driving to my own rhythm and feel.”
Winning at home always adds an emotional dimension, but for Vitols, the victory also marked a deeper turning point after a long drought.
“Of course, I always race to win—that’s the only goal. And yes, it’s special to take the win here in Riga, at home, at Bikernieki. But more importantly, this is a long-term milestone. I hadn’t won since 2021, and that’s a long time. At some point, you start to wonder—are you still good enough? Do you still have what it takes? But here, I knew I had the speed, I had all the pieces. I just had to put them together. And that’s exactly what I did in Race 1. No mistakes. Consistency, pace, clean execution from the first lap to the last—sector times, lap times, everything.”
The win felt like a natural continuation of his progress since Valkenswaard, even if things weren’t yet perfect in the Netherlands.
“In the Netherlands, we were missing one or two corners to be truly competitive across the full lap. But in the rest of the circuit, we were often the fastest. I knew Riga’s kart-style layout would suit me better. It’s a track that rewards smooth, clean driving—and that’s exactly my style. I knew it could play to my strengths.”
Vitols also made sure to acknowledge the efforts of his crew and loved ones, especially after the Q2 incident.
“A huge thanks, of course, to my family and the entire team. After the issue in Q2, everyone pulled together to get the car back in shape. We worked as one, united and committed. Being able to give them this victory after all that effort—it’s an incredible reward.”