After two consecutive seasons in Supercar Lites, Roberts Vītols did not need long to find his feet behind the wheel of an FC2. Invited to contest the final round of RallyX Americas in Canada, the Latvian turned what was initially meant to be an extended learning exercise into victory on his very first appearance in the category. It was an encouraging result less than a month before the RallyX Global Final at Montalegre, where Vītols will return to FC2 machinery on 24-25 October.
The original objective in Canada had been considerably more modest. The priority was to gain seat time, understand the technical characteristics of the car and prepare for Portugal. But the stopwatch quickly changed the complexion of the weekend.
“The invitation to race in Canada was already a small victory for our team. Initially, we saw the event as an opportunity to get to know the car and prepare for Portugal, but we quickly realised that we had the pace. When I set the fastest time by more than half a second, I realised there would be no racing in ‘training mode’ and that we had to fight for the win.”
Beyond learning a new circuit, Vītols also had to get to grips with several aspects specific to the FC2.
“On Saturday evening, I analysed several important areas: the start, the gear changes and the power settings. I had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted to try in Sunday morning practice. The main objective was to get closer to Andersson, who has been competing for the full FC2 season in both Europe and America and was our main benchmark.”
“I tried what I had planned in practice and realised that I could go even faster. I put together some very good laps, set the fastest time and knew we now had a solid foundation for a successful Sunday.”
What followed confirmed that impression, with Vītols winning both the third and fourth qualifying heats before topping the qualifying standings after all four sessions.
He then won his semi-final before repeating the feat in the final.
“In the final, I knew the start would be very important. I chose the right engine speed and focused on getting the gear changes right, which allowed me to lead into the first corner. From there, the aim was to be fast but smart.”
“There were a lot of holes in the track and I didn’t want to lose the victory because of a puncture or a damaged wheel. I could see in the mirrors how far back the drivers behind me were, and the information my father and sister were giving me over the radio also helped me control the situation.”
“I could have gone even faster, but it was more important to maintain a sufficient gap and bring the car home intact. I didn’t take any unnecessary risks, put together solid laps and defended the lead. It was an excellent result for my debut.”
The victory was made all the more notable by the fact that Vītols says there was no need to make any changes to the car’s set-up during the weekend.
“We didn’t even make any adjustments during the race. I got used to the car very quickly. I felt as though I understood what it wanted to do and, with every heat, I was able to adapt my pace. The feeling was very natural. I could drive freely and confidently with a more powerful car. It’s a huge pleasure to be back in the fastest class in rallycross and to achieve a result like this in my very first race.”
After two seasons in Supercar Lites, the Canadian weekend also allowed Vītols to take an important step in a project his team has been working towards for some time.
“This victory gives me particular satisfaction because I managed to make the most of the opportunity I was given, and you only get one chance to win your debut race. Moving into FC2 has been a long-term goal for our team. Even during the European RallyX events, the team, the championship organisers and our partners wanted to see us continue in this category.”
“In Canada, the leading teams and several high-profile drivers were also competing in the FC1 Hypercar class and, in my opinion, we showed ourselves very well. I hope this performance has taken us another step closer to the bigger goal we are currently working towards.”