Patricija Stalidzane impresses on GT3 debut with P7 overall, successful NLS debuts for Chloe Chong and Siri Hökfelt
- MIKA BÖCKER
- 9 minutes ago
- 7 min read
Making a brilliant GT3 debut at the Nordschleife for the NLS 2 event, Patricija Stalidzane secured a highly positive seventh place overall in the top class. Chloe Chong and Siri Hökfelt made their NLS debuts, focusing on the needed track time.
Making a brilliant GT3 debut at the Nordschleife for the NLS 2 event, Patricija Stalidzane secured a highly positive seventh place overall in the top class.
Three women made their racing debuts in the NLS and achieved their goals for the weekend, while another series debut was planned, but a gearbox problem made for a tricky start to her Nürburgring program.
The second NLS race of the season, following the cancellation of NLS 1, in fact represented the true season opener. The planned race debuts of Chloe Chong and Siri Hökfelt, originally scheduled for that race, had therefore to be postponed to this event.
As part of the Girls Only Team and its development program, both completed several laps on the test day of the first race, but did not actually compete. For Chong, this was enough to secure the Nordschleife permit she had been aiming for. Hökfeld hadn't yet completed enough laps, but was able to make up for it in the following week. She started alongside Carmen Kraav and Elena Egger in the #503 Toyota Supra, while Chong shared the BMW 228i with Garbe. Both cars competed in the VT2-RWD class.
EuroNASCAR Lady Trophy winner Happinessa was also set to make her NLS debut, also aiming for her permit. While she managed to complete several laps on Friday and in practice, her race debut was thwarted by gearbox problems that eventually prevented her from starting the race.
Another debut - not at the racetrack but in new machinery - saw Patricija Stalidzane, known from the Girls Only Team, competing for the first time with Konrad Motorsport in a GT3 car. In addition to the aforementioned debutants, Carrie Schreiner, Fabienne Wohlwend, and Janina Schall were also entered in the Girls Only Team, along with Katharina Lippka in the Bitter Corsa, Miki Koyama in the Toyo Tires Toyota, and Flavia Pellegrino Fernandes in a VW Golf 8.
Things didn't go entirely smoothly for the women's teams in the NLS on Friday. The Girls Only team couldn't get their Porsche 992 Cup car on track and had to change the engine overnight. The other female-driven cars also took their time getting out on the track. Only Pellegrino Fernandes' Golf managed to complete numerous laps. It wasn't until late afternoon that the last teams finally started their runs before the session had to be interrupted due to an accident.
All the cars were ready for qualifying. Both the Girls Only Porsche and the Bitter Corsa completed a few installation laps before attempting to qualify. The Konrad Lamborghini initially held pole position until the main body of the GT3 pack moved to the front. The chase for the fastest time was interrupted after just 45 minutes due to a Code 60 in the Hohenrain section. Chloe Chong's #506 was pushed into the pits at the same time with a technical issue, as the mechanics worked on the front of the car until the race start.
When the session restarted, lap times improved dramatically, at least until a few minutes before the end. Fabienne Wohlwend was caught in an accident in the Wippermann section, when the #47 GT3 had attempted to overtake in an unusual spot, ending up making contact with the Porsche's rear and sending it into the wall. The left side was severely damaged, and the car beyond repair - in a difficult start to the season for the all-female team. Most importantly, Fabienne Wohlwend was unharmed.
Maximilian Paul started the race in the Konrad Lamborghini from 7th place, but dropped to 8th in the first lap. The next best female-driven car was at that point the #170 Toyota driven by Miki Koyama in 40th place. Kraav started the Supra from the Girls Only junior team and came out of the first lap in 105th overall place. Further back, Strycek followed in the Bitter Corsa in 120th place, and Chloe Chong was at the back of the field having had to start from the back due to missing qualifying. The former F1 Academy driver had an issue in the Fuchsröhre section, then drove through the Boxengasse, but was able to continue the race.
Happinessa and the main Girls Only team were unable to start the race at all.
Both the Konrad Lamborghini and the Toyo Tires Toyota lost severala few positions in the opening laps before stabilizing. Kraav and Strycek also dropped back slightly, but to a lesser extent. The first Code 60 in the race didn't take long to materialize: a car came to a halt after contact in the Mutkurve section. With five laps already completed in each class, the first teams began pitting. They tried to minimize time loss, as the slowed-down section, under the green light, is one of the fastest parts of the track. None of the female teams pitted, allowing them all to move up the field.
After an hour, Paul in the Konrad Lamborghini iswas making up ground again and reclaimed 6th place; Kotaka in the #170 Toyota was 45th overall and third in class. Kraav remained in 115th place overall and 10th in the VT2-RWD class, followed by Chloe Chong in 119th overall. Just ahead of them was Strycek in 113th overall and second in his class.
Shortly after the one hour mark, Koyama came to a stop at the pit exit after her pit stop. What initially appeared to be a problem during the pit stop quickly turned out to be an irreparable technical issue. Shortly afterward, the Bitter Corsa was also towed away. Although it could continue after repairs, it lost several laps and was therefore out of contention.
The race was further slowed by a Code 60 at Döttinger Höhe and in the Bergwerk section. Now the Konrad Lamborghini also came into the pits, with Engelhardt taking over the car. Carmen Kraav came in after 80 minutes of racing, with the Girls Only junior team also suffering from an issue. After a quick check, the regular pit stop was performed and Elena Egger took over.
Lippka meanwhile had been ready to take over the Corsa, but this was aborted due to the technical problems.
By the halfway point of the race, the number of female drivers still on track had significantly decreased. The Konrad Lamborghini remained the highest-placed of them, in 11th overall and 10th in class. Schönfeld, driving the Golf 8, followed in 73rd place overall and silver in her class. Next came the Girls Only junior team in 109th place and 8th in class, ahead of Chong's BMW. The Corsa was several laps down in 120th place.
Shortly after the halfway point, Patricija Stalidzane took over the Konrad Lamborghini for the third stint, making her GT3 racing debut. The other all-female cars remained on the track for a while longer.
On lap 5 of her stint, Egger also radioed in problems with the car. However, the car was able to continue without significant time loss. A missing mirror and a malfunctioning gearbox were reported as the issues, but Egger eventually stayed out and she could finish her stint as planned.
In the pits, shortly before the start of the final hour, a damaged right front side and various minor damages on the right side were visible. However, the damage was repaired during the stop.
While no gearbox problems was eventually found, later, it was discovered that a wiring issue for the radio system was at fault for the troubles. The team therefore minimized radio communication with Siri Hökfelt, who had now taken over the car. The Swede was thus making her race debut on the Nordschleife after the test days.
Stalidzane begun the final hour of the race in 12th place overall and 9th in her class. Pellegrino Fernandes' team held 2nd place in their class and 82nd overall. After their pit stop, Hökfelt moved up to 102nd place overall and 8th in her class. Understandably driving a bit more cautiously than her more experienced teammates, Hökfelt still didn't lose much time and focused on the needed lap experience.
Close behind was Chong's #506 BMW in 107th place overall and 10th in class, also just focusing on the track time. The Corsa was holding its own in 113th place, with Schäffer now at the wheel.
For the final stint, Engelhard would take over the Konrad Lamborghini and Flavia Pellegrino Fernandes would climb in the the Golf 8. This completed the final pit stops for the female drivers' teams.
Many more pit stops however were still pending across the field: Hökfelt in the Supra benefitted the most from this, managing to climb to 7th in her class. On the long Nürburgring track, she was only 20 seconds behind her teammates.
Hökfelt described her first Nürburgring race positively: "It was really good. I had fun", she said. "At the end of the stint, coming out of the corners, it sometimes felt like the car wasn't accelerating at full power. But apart from that, it felt good." Hökfelt had also battled with the traction control on Friday.
In the overall standings, everyone moved up one position, as the winning Mercedes #3 was subsequently disqualified. Stalidzane's Konrad Lamborghini thus finished 7th overall, the same as in her class, completing a remarkable first race in GT3 machinery at the toughest racetrack in the world.
Flavia Pellegrino Fernandes brought her Golf 8 home in 81st place overall, 2nd in her class.
The Girls Only Junior Team finished 98th overall, ahead of Chloe Chong in 103rd. They took 8th and 10th place respectively in the VT2 RWD class.
Lippka's team secured the silver medal in the SP2T class with an overall finish of 104th. The other teams with female drivers either did not finish or were unable to start. In the Ladies Trophy, Pellegrino Fernandes now leads with 11 points after this race, ahead of Stalidzane with 3 points. This is because the class results, not the overall results, are being evaluated in this category.
The next race in the series will take place on April 11, 2026. This will be the last race before the 24-hour race and its qualifying race.
