Not only was the MP Motorsport racer fastest in both wet and dry conditions over the two days of race weekend preparation at the Spanish track on Thursday and Friday, but mixed weather is expected over the weekend.
The 15-year-old also has a year’s experience in Formula 4 machinery, having raced in various championships across Europe in 2023. And he’s up against numerous karting graduates this weekend.
The test’s second-quickest driver, Andres Cardenas of Campos Racing, was also no Formula 4 rookie. The Spaniard was a tenth shy of Peebles’ best time, with both of their laps registered during the course of Thursday’s dry running.
“I’m feeling very confident that Campos and I can do great things this weekend,” said Cardenas. “This is a track where we’ve already raced with great results. Qualifying is going to be very important, and the starts are going to be tricky because I’ve never had a start with so many drivers.”
Heavy rain on Friday morning ensured that the Andalucian circuit was never in a dry state on the second day. But Peebles went almost half a second quicker than his nearest rival in the merely damp final session, laying down a firm statement ahead of the three races on the weekend.
Some familiar names jump out on the 38-car entry list for the first round. Lia Block, daughter of rally and rallycross star Ken, turns out for GRS. The 17-year-old is making her European circuit racing debut ahead of an F1 Academy campaign this season. And Rene Lammers, the 15-year-old son of former F1 racer Jan, is set to make his first car racing start.
The third round of the GT Winter Series sets up well for the SR Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 of Jay Mo Hartling and Kenneth Heyer. Part of the reason for that is that the Haupt Racing Team, for whom Finn Wiebelhaus was so successful at Portimao last time out, is giving this race a miss.
Source: Autosport