The Senior Max Final of the RMC Grand Final benefited from perfect weather conditions with 24° in the sun of Portimao. Kai Hunter (GBR) and Callum Bradshaw (GBR) were on the front row of the grid ahead of Lewis Gilbert (GBR) and Zsombor Kovacs (HUN). Ethan Pharamond (FRA) started from 6th position and Eduardo Barrichello (BRA) from 8th.
Hunter was leading ahead of Bradshaw, Kovacs and Gilbert, Pharamond was back in 5th place in the lead group, but he immediately dropped to 10th. Nolan Lemeray had a good start (+3 pl) as well as Michael Dauphin (+4 pl). Pharamond’s descent into hell continued in 15th position. Bradshaw attacked Hunter to take the lead, Kovacs snuck into 2nd, but Hunter reacted and took over the lead on the fifth lap. Janne Stiak (GER) was 4th ahead of Gilbert, followed by Barrichello. The positions kept changing in the top three. Brandon Carr (GBR) moved into the top five, followed by Sean Butcher in 6th place. Pharamond defended his place against Harrison Hoey (AUS), Lemeray dropped to 17th. Bradshaw was defending his 1st place with his usual cunning. Hunter was very close, but the grouping of his rivals behind him did not make his task any easier. Hunter still managed to regain the lead on the 13th lap. Butcher joined the all-British battle in the leading trio. Lemeray overtook Pharamond for 14th position, Dauphin reached 22nd (+10 pl). Bradshaw dropped down to 5th in a spectacular battle. Hunter was still leading under pressure from Butcher with Kovacs in ambush and Carr having made the connection. Hunter and Butcher took the lead thanks to the intense battle of the chase group with two laps to go. Hunter controlled the end of the race and took the win 0,268″ ahead of Butcher who moved up 10 places. Bradshaw secured 3rd place two seconds later, Gilbert was 4th and Carr 5th.
The final classification looked very different. Hunter and Butcher, penalised by 5″, were placed 11th and 12th. Bradshaw was declared the winner ahead of Lewis and Carr for a British hat-trick. Lemeray made a magnificent comeback to 7th position (+18 pl), Pharamond recovered in 9th position and Dauphin finished 24th (+8 pl).
Info Kartcom with Kartlink / Photo © KSP