Eurocup-4: Maria Germano Neto almost in the points, Fluxa's top-10 pace goes unrewarded
- RACERS
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Following their debuts one week earlier in Portimão, Luna Fluxá, Zoe Florescu Potolea and Maria Germano Neto returned to the Eurocup-4 Winter Championship grid aiming to build experience and confirm the encouraging pace shown during the opening round. Despite some misfortunes, Fluxá and Germano Neto shared female victories, just outside the top-10.
The Eurocup-4 Spanish Winter Championship returned to action at the historic Circuito de Jarama, just outside Spain’s capital Madrid, for the second round of the winter campaign, an important preparation phase ahead of the main Spanish F4 season.
Following their debuts one week earlier in Portimão, three of the most promising young female talents in junior single-seater racing - Luna Fluxá, Zoe Florescu Potolea and Maria Germano Neto - returned to the grid aiming to build experience and confirm the encouraging pace shown during the opening round.
While it turned out to be an eventful weekend marked by incidents and interruptions, Jarama ultimately delivered valuable learning opportunities for all three drivers, highlighted by Germano Neto achieving a new personal best finish of 11th in Sunday’s final race.
The trio arrived in Spain following an impressive debut at Portimão. Fifteen-year-old Mercedes junior Luna Fluxá immediately made headlines by securing pole position, a podium finish, and two points-scoring results in her first Formula 4 appearance after stepping up from karting.
Romanian driver Zoe Florescu Potolea, competing in only her third ever car-racing weekend, demonstrated strong racecraft with multiple recovery drives, while Portuguese talent Maria Germano Neto, also former winner of the FIA Girls On Track – Rising Stars programme like Florescu, impressed with determined races that culminated in a personal best P12 finish.
At Jarama, the objective shifted toward consistency, qualifying improvements, and adapting to the twisty, technical and overtaking-limited circuit.
Friday’s two practice sessions provided early optimism. Fluxá consistently emerged as the fastest female driver, running within one second of the outright pace and making a significant step forward in FP2 by finishing inside the overall top ten again, just half a second from the session’s benchmark. Florescu also showed progress, placing P26 only one second from the top of the timing sheets, while Germano Neto followed closely in P28, merely 1.1 seconds off the fastest time, showcasing the extraordinary competitiveness of a field where margins remained extremely tight.
Saturday morning’s 20-minute qualifying session determined the grid for Race 1. Germano Neto delivered a solid early lap, setting a 1:32.5 that briefly placed her third fastest after the initial runs before she returned to the pits. As lap times continued to improve across the session, she ultimately secured P21, nonetheless demonstrating strong pace with short gaps.
Fluxá recorded a 1:32.405, edging closer to the top ten but ending the session P17 as the field tightened further. Florescu posted a 1:32.903 lap to qualify P28, leaving her with recovery work ahead despite competitive pace relative to the field spread.
At the start of the first race, Fluxá lined up P17, Germano Neto P21 and Florescu P28. When the lights went out after a short delay, Fluxá slotted into P18 while Germano Neto executed a brilliant launch to climb immediately into P19. Florescu also gained a position, completing the opening lap in P27.
However, Germano Neto’s race ended prematurely on lap two when she became involved in a multi-car battle with Blascos and Cochet for a top-15 position at Turn 1, sending the trio into the gravel and triggering the safety car. Under neutralisation, Fluxá held P17 while Florescu advanced to P24.
The restart produced immediate drama as Kanthan spun while defending from Tye, collecting Coronel in the process. Fluxá navigated the incident calmly, gaining multiple places to move into P15 before overtaking teammate Micallef for P14. Florescu also progressed steadily through the field, returning to P21 after a penalty for Reijs promoted her.
Fluxá then began closing on Bulbarella with competitive pace but found overtaking difficult on Jarama’s narrow layout. A heavy accident involving Tuñón and Schormans brought out a red flag that ended the race early. Fluxá was initially classified P14 and later promoted to P11, gaining six positions from her starting spot. Florescu completed another clean recovery drive to finish P22, also gaining six places.
The afternoon sprint race again saw Fluxá start P17, Germano Neto P21 and Florescu P28. Chaos struck immediately as Tuñón spun at Turn 1 and several cars went off, including Coronel, prompting an early safety car. Fluxá made another excellent launch, climbing to P15, while Germano Neto surged forward to P17. Florescu avoided trouble and moved into P26 after early position changes.
Following the restart, midfield battles intensified: Fluxá ran competitive 1:33.3 lap times while chasing Tuñón and gradually closing on Bulbarella ahead, although passing opportunities remained limited.
Germano Neto fought hard within a tight pack, briefly losing positions before stabilising her race, while Florescu maintained consistent pace despite pressure from behind.
Late incidents allowed Germano Neto to climb to P20, while Florescu returned to P27. At the chequered flag, Fluxá finished P15 after a largely uninterrupted race that limited opportunities, with Germano Neto P21 and Florescu P28.
Sunday morning’s second qualifying session marked a clear step forward across the trio. Fluxá initially broke into the top ten with a 1:32.788 before improving to a 1:32.303, securing P14 on the grid.
Germano Neto produced one of her strongest sessions, improving progressively to a 1:32.394 lap that placed her P19 in an exceptionally tight field. Florescu also found significant pace late in the session, recording a 1:32.526 to qualify P23, just eight tenths off pole position, with 25 drivers covered by a single second.
Cloudy but dry conditions greeted the field for the weekend’s final race. Fluxá’s race began disastrously when her car stalled on the grid, forcing her to start from the back once she eventually got underway. Moments later, a five-car pile-up at Turn 1 eliminated several drivers, including Zoe Florescu, whose race ended through no fault of her own, bringing out a red flag.
Germano Neto however capitalised brilliantly on the opening chaos, launching from P24 to P16.
After the restart, Fluxá immediately began carving through the field, passing Moodley and Radeck before continuing her recovery charge with overtakes on Kaczynski, Frigolet and Cochet to re-enter the top 20.
Germano Neto meanwhile remained deeply involved in midfield battles, briefly losing positions before regaining P15 following contact ahead that damaged Tuñón’s car.
Fluxá’s comeback was however halted when contact with Blascos caused damage requiring a pit stop, dropping her a lap down and effectively ending her chances of a strong finish.
Another safety car, triggered by a collision between Bulbarella and Lowette, reshuffled the order again, promoting Germano Neto into P13 and placing a career-best result within reach.
A final two-lap sprint restart followed; driving with notable maturity, Germano Neto defended firmly while remaining within striking distance of the cars ahead. Late contact between Coronel and Fisher further promoted drivers behind, thus allowing the Portuguese driver to cross the line in an outstanding P11 finish, improving her previous best and narrowly missing the points. The result also earned her the weekend’s female trophy victory.
Fluxá recovered to finish P23 after her earlier setback, gaining valuable experience despite an unlucky race, while Florescu endured a frustrating weekend shaped by incidents beyond her control despite clear qualifying progress.
Despite mixed fortunes, the Jarama round confirmed steady development for all three young drivers. Germano Neto demonstrated rapid adaptation to Formula 4 machinery, Fluxá continued to show top-ten pace despite challenging circumstances, and Florescu reduced qualifying gaps significantly in one of the tightest junior grids in Europe.
The Eurocup-4 Spanish Winter Championship will conclude on 14-15 March at MotorLand Aragón, where the trio will aim to convert growing pace into stronger results ahead of their main programs.
