Felix Triumphs on the Rollercoaster of Portimão and Scores Maximum Points

After a nearly eight-week summer break, the Porsche Sports Cup Switzerland («PSCS») returned with the seventh and eighth championship races in Portimão. The venue was the «Autódromo Internacional do Algarve» in Portugal. Hot, midsummer temperatures awaited the drivers, but it wasn’t just the weather that posed a challenge. The track itself, with its many high-speed sections and elevation changes, demanded everything from the drivers. 

Return to the GT3 Cup: Felix Back on Track 

The action began on Thursday with the first day of practice, marking Felix’s first day back in the Porsche 992 GT3 Cup after the summer break. After many hours in the simulator, the joy of being back in a real race car was all the greater. Five years ago, Felix had conducted a winter test in Portimão with the predecessor model of the current Cup car. Despite the long break, he quickly adapted and was able to enjoy the track to the fullest already in the first session. During the first two days of practice, the drivers had four 30-minute sessions each day to familiarize themselves with the track, make setup adjustments, and carry out race and qualifying simulations. Felix and the FACH Auto Tech team made optimal use of the two test days, consistently placing in the top 2 in every session. This laid the foundation for a successful race day. 

Qualifying: Perfect Laps Secure Pole Position 

As usual in the PSCS, race day was Saturday. Qualifying started early in the morning at 9 a.m. In a 30- minute session, the first and second fastest laps determined the starting positions for races 1 and 2. Felix entered the session with new tires and executed an almost perfect qualifying program. After two warm-up laps, he began his first fast lap and was the only driver that weekend to post a time of 1:44.9 – the first and only lap in the 44s range. His second fast lap was completed in 1:45.0. After this strong performance, Felix was called back to the pits by the team to preserve the tires for the races, as they had to be used for both races. The tension remained high until the end, but Felix’s times remained unbeaten, securing pole positions for both races.

Dominant Start-to-Finish Victory 

The first race took place in the sweltering midday heat of Portimão. The 14 drivers lined up on the starting grid and set off on the formation lap. Felix immediately took the lead at the start and maintained his position. However, a safety car phase reduced his lead of 2.8 seconds. At the restart, Felix once again demonstrated his class, timing it perfectly and leaving the second-placed driver no chance to overtake. In the end, Felix celebrated a confident start-to-finish victory and also secured the fastest lap of the race. The gap to the second-placed driver was two seconds at the finish. 

Thrilling Comeback after Safety Car Phase 

After a short lunch break, it was time for the second race. The tightly packed schedule was due to the additional 2-hour endurance race taking place that weekend. At the beginning of the second race, the wind conditions had changed, with strong headwinds on the start-finish straight. Felix defended his leading position at the start, but a collision behind him caused the second-placed driver to spin. A driver starting from last place couldn’t see the stationary car due to a dust cloud and collided with the spun vehicle. This incident led to another safety car phase. At this point, Felix was in P2, as the new second-placed driver had overtaken him just before. The safety car was on track for a long time, and with the 

second race only lasting 25 minutes, there was little time for another attack. However, Felix used the restart perfectly to reclaim his original starting position. From then on, he controlled the race and once again secured the fastest lap. Overjoyed with the successful weekend, Felix expressed his thanks to the team over the radio. 

Full Focus on Upcoming Races 

The FACH Auto Tech team was also very satisfied with Felix’s outstanding performance. The team had done an excellent job and provided a perfectly tuned car. With this success, Felix has significantly extended his lead in the championship. The focus is now already on the next races, which will take place on September 21st in Mugello.