SILKUNAITE FINISHES SECOND AT LE MANS, A WEEKEND OF GROWTH FOR MALIK AND SOOFI

Another intense race weekend saw three young drivers from Minardi Management competing on different European and Middle Eastern circuits.
From Bahrain to France, Tariq Soofi, Nilas Malik, and Vanesa Silkunaite delivered performances full of determination and character, confirming their steady progress and the solid work done throughout the season.

Tariq Soofi – P9 – SMRC, Bahrain
First on track this week was Tariq Soofi in Bahrain.
The young driver had an excellent weekend, facing much more experienced competitors with determination. Throughout the sessions, he consistently remained close to the leading positions and finished the final race in P4 — later classified as P9 due to a penalty.
Tariq continues to grow race after race, showing constant improvement and increasingly convincing speed. Only a few penalties prevented him from achieving an even better result this weekend. The goal now is to keep following this path, gaining more experience to be ready to consistently fight for top positions next season.

Nilas Malik – P18 – IAME Eurocup, Le Mans (France)
From Bahrain, we move to France for the IAME Eurocup, where Nilas Malik took to the track.
The young driver started the weekend in the best possible way, showing great pace from the very first sessions and constantly battling for top positions. However, a disqualification slowed his progress, forcing him to start the final from the back of the grid. Despite the setback, Nilas reacted with determination, climbing up to P18.
Once again, Nilas demonstrated great speed and overtaking ability. Unfortunately, the penalty compromised what could have been a very strong result. The goal now is to learn from this experience, keep improving, and turn the growth shown on track into concrete results to soon be able to fight steadily at the front.

Vanesa Silkunaite – P2 – IAME Lady Cup, Le Mans (France)
Finally, closing the weekend was Vanesa Silkunaite.
The young Lithuanian driver faced a difficult start in qualifying but managed to recover brilliantly through the heats, reaching the final. In the last race, thanks to her tenacity and determination, Vanesa achieved an outstanding second place.
This marks Vanesa’s first podium of the season — a fully deserved result after the hard work shown throughout the year. The Lithuanian driver has confirmed her consistent progress and strong potential. The goal now is to keep pushing and fighting to remain steadily among the front runners.

Author: Gabriele Bovio