Single Seater Series: Pardal and Pinho Make It Two in Portimão as Laranjo and Tavares Secure Their First Titles

With nineteen cars entered – a grid size not seen in the Single Seater Series for a decade – Portugal’s only single-seater category rose to the occasion at the Algarve Classic Festival. André Pardal won both races, while Eduardo Pinho emerged as a new leading contender in the non-wing category.

The first race was dominated by André Pardal, who added the fastest lap to his victory. The G-Tech driver started from pole position, quickly pulled clear of the field and controlled the race at his own pace to secure a convincing win.

Duarte Pires, who had started second, kept close to the winner throughout the race but never found an opportunity to make a pass.

João Silva marked his return to competition after a year on the sidelines with a positive performance and a strong result, securing a place on a podium where all three drivers were at the wheel of Tatuus FR2.0 cars.

João Vasconcelos continued to adapt to his return to racing, finishing fourth despite struggling with an uncooperative engine. Close behind, Fernando Laranjo put in a strong performance and even managed to overtake his rival, only to run wide and lose the position. Nevertheless, he secured victory in the HTG class.

Rui Silva enjoyed a relatively uneventful race to finish ahead of Carlos Tavares, who claimed first place in the CW class.

In Division F, young Eduardo Pinho was the standout performer, securing a convincing win without giving his rivals a chance. French newcomer Patrick D’Aubreby also deserves a special mention after impressing by placing his Van Diemen, entered in the KT class, among the fastest cars in the ZT class.

Manuel Moura Teixeira recovered from a mistake during the race to finish tenth, ahead of Belgians Pierre Dessy and Remy D’Aubreby, who managed to get the better of newcomer Artur Carreira and hold off his superior pace.

Carlos Gaspar returned to the ZT class podium, while Dalmo Pereira secured fourth and last place in both Division F and the KT class.

Among the retirements, Gonçalo Matias was forced to withdraw on lap four. Frederic Montaigne, Francisco Olho Azul, the Division F leader, and guest driver Jesus Fuster did not even make it to the starting grid.

André Pardal was once again the star of the second race. The driver dominated proceedings once more, securing an emphatic victory and confirming the excellent pace he had shown throughout the weekend. The result puts him in a strong position in the championship standings, with just two races remaining.

Duarte Pires, also driving a G-Tech Tatuus FR2.0, finished second, postponing the title decision until the final double-header of the season. João Vasconcelos completed the podium after changes to the set-up of his Italian-built single-seater improved its competitiveness and helped him secure an excellent third place.

A difficult start, during which he lost considerable time, and problems with one of his dampers compromised João Silva’s race. The House Racing driver finished fourth, well short of the positions he would undoubtedly have been hoping to fight for.

Fernando Laranjo was once again in the spotlight. The G-Tech driver took his Mygale to fifth place overall, also securing victory and the HTG class title. Following a blistering start, he even ran as high as second overall.

Just behind him, Rui Silva finished sixth after an entertaining battle with Carlos Tavares. Driving his Ralt RT3, the RodaClássica driver came out on top in the CW class, thereby clinching the title.

One of the highlights of the race came in Division F, reserved for non-wing single-seaters. Eduardo Pinho, Artur Carreira and Carlos Gaspar produced a particularly lively battle for victory, finishing in that order. Pinho took the win, his second of the weekend in the Mygale SJ99 prepared by Bastos Sport.

In only his second single-seater race, Manuel Moura Teixeira came close to a top-ten finish, but a minor excursion off the track compromised his result.

Despite leaving Portimão empty-handed, Francisco Olho Azul is virtually assured of the ZT class title. In Division F (non-wing single-seaters), however, he has the ever-consistent Dalmo Pereira just one point behind.

The 2026 Single Seater Series season will come to a close over the weekend of 4–6 December at the Estoril Circuit, where two closely fought and decisive races are expected as part of the Estoril Endurance Festival programme.