SILKUNAITE FINALLY ON THE COFTAP PODIUM, TOUGH WEEKEND FOR DEV PREETHAM AND ANGELARD

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A weekend that saw three Minardi Management powered by DAG LTD drivers take to the track in Valencia for the Champions Of The Future Academy Program.

Vanesa Silkunaite – Champions Of The Future Academy Program, Valencia (Spain), OKN Category
RACE 1: DNF
RACE 2: P2
Vanesa returned to the track for the Champions of the Future Academy Program round in Valencia. On Friday, the Lithuanian driver experienced some difficulties in finding the right setup. On Saturday, during qualifying, she was unable to extract the best performance over a single lap, struggling more than expected in the heats and later being involved in a significant crash during the final.
On Sunday, despite hand pain caused by the previous day’s incident, Vanesa did not lose heart, consistently running at the front of the field. In the final, after holding P5 for most of the race, an incident ahead of her allowed her to move up onto the podium, which later became a P2 due to a penalty handed to another driver.
Vanesa leaves the first round of the Champions of the Future Academy Program with enthusiasm and strong awareness of her abilities. The young driver demonstrated character, determination, and extraordinary strength, reacting with grit despite her physical issues.
The podium secured on Sunday — and later confirmed as a well-deserved second place — represents a hugely important milestone, the result of commitment, talent, and resilience. A long-awaited achievement that rewards her hard work and confirms her full potential. What she accomplished bodes well for the upcoming rounds where she will once again be a protagonist.

Rivaan Dev Preetham – Champions Of The Future Academy Program, Valencia (Spain), OKNJ Category
RACE 1: DNF
RACE 2: DNS
The second driver competing in the Champions of the Future Academy Program in Valencia was Rivaan Dev Preetham.
The Indian driver began the weekend consistently running between P12 and P13. On Saturday, he delivered a noteworthy qualifying performance, securing sixth place. Unfortunately, several mistakes in the heats cost him a few positions. In the finals, he was unable to fully express his potential, retiring early from both races also due to engine problems.
Rivaan leaves the weekend with a valuable amount of experience, as this was his first round in COFTAP in the Junior category. The Indian driver showed great potential, although still paying the price of limited experience. The road ahead is long and promising: he certainly has the qualities to perform well, and this weekend represents an important step in his development path.

Julia Angelard – Champions Of The Future Academy Program, Valencia (Spain), OKJN Category
RACE 1: P14
RACE 2: P21
The final driver on track was Julia Angelard, also competing in the Champions of the Future Academy Program in Valencia.
The young Polish driver started with some difficulties due to adverse weather conditions and several engine changes. Despite this, Julia fought with strong mental resilience, even though the equipment at her disposal did not allow her to compete as she would have liked. In the final, she made a very good start and achieved a solid result, but a penalty dropped her several positions.
This weekend proved more challenging than expected, as she was never able to find the right rhythm due to engine issues. However, this did not prevent her from giving her all, battling with determination and fighting wheel-to-wheel with her rivals to secure the best possible finish. We are confident that Julia will make the most of what she learned this weekend and put those lessons into practice as early as the next race.

Author: Gabriele Bovio