ENDRU TRIUMPHS IN QATAR AFTER DRAMATIC FINAL-LAP CHAOS

The third round of A1881’s Season 18 at the Lusail International Circuit saw Endru take a well-earned victory in a race filled with strategy gambles, late-race drama, and a controversial post-race penalty. With an early safety car shaking up the order and chaos unfolding in the final laps, the Alpine driver managed his tires to perfection, capitalizing on others' misfortunes to secure his first win of the season, while Rollie and Mejg followed him in podium...



Starting second on the grid, Endru made the decisive call to pit under the Lap 4 safety car—triggered by a crash between Bhavish and Jordan, which saw the latter retire. Switching to hard tires early, Endru managed them expertly to the end of the 29-lap race. His final laps were a tense showdown, but when Rian, driving the KICK Sauber, and Rollie in the Aston Martin collided in a dramatic last-lap incident, he was able to coast to victory. In an exclusive interview after the race, Endru shared his thoughts on the race and his victory:

"Great race I would say. My teammate got unlucky, but I was able to take advantage of the early safety car as I got spun exactly when it happened. Pitting on lap 4 and trying to go to the end of lap 29 on hards on this track was counterintuitive, but I had to stick with it. After lap 15, it was all strategic—making sure to take care of my tyres and not get my third warning on track limits, which I managed pretty well. Leading into a great fight for the win in the last 3 laps or so, but on the final lap, Rian and Rollie came together, so I just had to limp to the finish line with my old tyres. Great result for me after a horrible start this season, and ggs to the top 3!"

Rollie finished second, marking his first podium in the 24 game and since Imola in last season of 23 game. He was in contention for the win, even leading on the penultimate lap, but the contact with Rian saw him lose a shot at victory. Meanwhile, Dunce crossed the line in second but was handed a controversial post-race penalty, dropping him to fifth. Although an appeal has not yet been filed, there is potential for one, meaning the final classification may still change.

For Alpine, it was a race of mixed fortunes. While Endru claimed victory, his teammate and championship leader AA_Mejg started from pole but lost out strategically by staying out under the safety car, which came out at the worst timing for hard compound runners like himself. Despite this setback, he still salvaged a podium, maintaining his lead in the driver standings by 26 points. His early rival Tvoje Mamkacz, driving the other Aston Martin, also missed the key safety car pit window, finishing sixth. Despite this, Aston Martin extended their lead at the top of the Constructors' Championship, now just one point ahead of Alpine.

Rian had a bittersweet outing, finishing fourth but being involved in the controversial last-lap clash with Rollie. His aggressive late-race push could have earned him a podium, but instead, he left with a damaged car and mixed reactions from the paddock...

Further down the order, NaeDangerDavid had a solid race, bringing his Haas home in seventh, ahead of Bhavish, who recovered from his Lap 4 incident to claim eighth. Selecta secured ninth for Mercedes, while Quartiux was named Driver of the Day, delivering the best race of his A1881 career so far. Starting 15th in his McLaren after an unlucky disqualification in Q2, he charged through the field to finish tenth.

Javinwain had a quiet race in the Ferrari, finishing 11th, followed by Gordini in the VisaRB and TarkanGino in the Mercedes, who crossed the line 12th and 13th, respectively. Dan, reserving in the Williams, finished 14th after an up-and-down race, while Inginne and Lindbl, who made his debut in the KICK Sauber, rounded out the top 16. Crunchypancake and JamezKiller, also making his first appearance in a Haas, secured the final classified positions, bringing home points for the drivers they replaced.

Unfortunately, Jordan was the sole DNF of the race after his early crash with Bhavish. Sir Ibbo also had a tough outing, finishing 19th in his McLaren, becoming one of the rare drivers in A1881 to finish a race but not receive any points, by staying out of Top 18.

With three races down, the championship is beginning to take shape. Mejg still leads the drivers' standings with 109 points, but Dunce (83) and Tvoje Mamkacz (81) are keeping him in sight. Rollie’s strong result moves him into fourth with 77 points. Meanwhile, in the Constructors’ battle, Aston Martin’s consistency keeps them just ahead of Alpine, while Ferrari sits a bit further back in third.

Next up is Round 4 in Japan, a full-length 100% distance race that will be a true endurance test for the grid, aligning with the real-world F1 schedule. With the championship fight heating up, the race at Suzuka could be a defining moment in the season.

For those who missed the action, the full race stream, commentated by the legendary Ironghost, is available here:

https://www.youtube.com/live/sh4t3LjqAno?si=S4s_d5GR3FiS6ZNZ



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