
Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship: Rd.3
Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship: Rd.3
Heuzenroeder impresses again with two podiums in rain soaked Round 3 of the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship
Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon, New Zealand
27th January 2025
Young Australian racing driver Patrick Heuzenroeder delivered another demonstration of his racing talent in Round 3 of CTFROC at Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon delivering two podiums and some stunning overtakes amid challenging conditions. A pivotal weekend in his Oceanic campaign, and now with nearly 30 on track passes under his belt this season (in a car known for its difficulty in passing) the Australian is one to watch as they head to the South Island for Round 4 at Teretonga Park, Invercargill on 30 January.
After being in the top 5 across official practice on Friday, Heuzenroeder was slightly disappointed with a P6 in Qualifying 1, but in a field that saw the top 14 covered by 0.443 of a second, it demonstrates just how competitive the field is.
In Race 1, Heuzenroeder again demonstrated what a great starter he is, moving quickly to P4, and enjoying some great racing with fellow Aussie and Formula 3 driver, Tommy Smith, over the next lap (motorsport.tv), ultimately finishing on track in P4. This was later promoted to P3 after a penalty for team mate Pierson, marking Heuzenroeder’s first podium of the season.
Sunday morning was another qualifying chance for Heuzenroeder, this time in very wet conditions. With none of the drivers having experienced wet weather yet this season, he again he showed his capabilities achieving his best qualifying result so far – P4.
The top 8 reverse grid Race 2 provided interesting weather conditions, leaving the teams to make a gamble on the correct tyre choice. Heuzenroeder, one of only a few drivers to take the chance on slicks started P6, but rapidly dropped back to 14th after getting pushed wide when overtaking. The gamble then seemed to be paying off as the track dried and he had recovered to P11 with consistent fast laps before a safety car intervention and more rain. A smart tactical decision saw Heuzenroeder make a pit stop to change to wet tyres, with huge credit to the team for the speedy stop, leaving him at the tail of the remaining field in P15 for the restart. On the restart he showed his immense talent, moving up the field from P15 to P8 in a matter of 3 laps, then making up over a second to catch Tommy Smith, only finishing behind him by in P8 by a mere 0.2 of a second. After a penalty for a car further up the field this was promoted to P7.
Sunday afternoon Heuzenroeder lined up P4 for the Dan Higgins Trophy race. Pouring rain and a saturated track saw a safety car start with the race red flagged 5 laps in due to the worsening conditions without going green. With clearing conditions another start behind the safety car finally saw a green flag, but another safety car again delayed proceedings. After the restart which saw the top 4 quickly gap the rest of the field, Heuzenroeder deftly passed Manson for P3 on lap 14 holding that position comfortably for the remainder of the race, but with an aggressive wet set up on a now drying track without the pace to chase down the leading two. A long-awaited and well-deserved 3rd place podium saw him enjoy his second piece of silverware for the weekend.
For an ever-improving Patrick Heuzenroeder, still recovering points-wise from the disappointing mechanical issue in qualifying in Round 1 which saw him placed 8th after that weekend, the weekend at Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon has again improved his position in the championship, now only two points off 4th place overall, showing what a consistent and adaptable driver the young Australian is.
Heuzenroeder said: “Its obviously great to be on the podium this weekend and with two third places I feel like I’m really in the hunt now. It was a great track and I love to race in the rain, the car felt good and I was really happy with my racing, particularly the recovery drive in Race 2 to make up 7 spots that quickly. Everyone says Teretonga is a real drivers’ track so I can’t wait to get down there.”
About Patrick Heuzenroeder
Patrick embarked on his motorsport career at 13-years-old after a chance visit to Sydney’s Eastern Creek go-kart circuit ignited his passion for racing.
After kart racing in Australia for the following three years, Patrick made the jump to cars and circuit racing, competing in the 2022 NSW Formula Ford Championship where he was third overall in the standings before departing for the UK after his skill was recognised by Ferrari when Patrick earned a top six finals place from 24 competitors in the 2022 Ferrari Driver Academy Asia Pacific trials.
2023 brought a season in British Formula 4 where the highlight of multiple top ten finishes in a competitive field of more than 20 drivers was an impressive third place at the demanding Snetterton track in Norfolk. For 2024 he moved up a gear and into GB3, Britain’s top single seater series, where he once again established himself as a regular points scorer and top five finisher. Another podium finish in third at the annual ‘away’ round at the Zandvoort Grand Prix circuit helped him to an impressive 12th overall from more than 30 drivers.