The two-time Porsche Sprint Challenge Ibérica champion could hardly have chosen a better way to mark his return to competition. Manuel Alves claimed pole position and won Race 1 at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto, resisting pressure from Borja García. Miguel Lobo completed the overall podium and took victory in the Bronze Class, while Flame Airikkala delivered one of the standout performances of the day by dominating the Ladies Cup and finishing fourth overall.

Manuel Alves’ return to the Porsche Sprint Challenge Ibérica could hardly have been more convincing. Having missed the first three rounds of the season and making a one-off return to share LOB Motorsport’s Porsche 992 GT3 Cup with Duarte Camelo, the two-time champion arrived at Jerez determined to show that he remains one of the championship’s leading benchmarks. And that is exactly what he did on a Saturday marked by intense sunshine and temperatures reaching 35 degrees at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto.

Pole and victory for a triumphant return

Manuel Alves began by dominating Qualifying 1, securing pole position for the first race of the weekend. The Portuguese driver placed himself ahead of championship leader Borja García, with Patrick Cunha and Miguel Lobo taking the positions immediately behind. Chloe Grant also impressed, setting the fifth-fastest time overall and emerging as the fastest of the Ladies Cup contenders.

Race 1 then developed into a duel between Alves and García. The LOB Motorsport driver took the lead and managed to withstand the pressure applied by the Spaniard, although Borja never allowed the two-time champion to truly relax. At the end of the 13 laps, just 1.4 seconds separated the first two finishers.

Alves therefore completed his PSCI comeback with an overall victory, while Borja García further underlined his pace by setting the fastest lap of the race: 1:47.262, recorded on his fifth crossing of the finish line.

Miguel Lobo on the podium as Flame shines solo

Third place overall went to Miguel Lobo. The RGB Racing Team driver produced an extremely consistent race and added a clear victory in the Bronze Class to his rewarding place on the third step of the overall podium. Among the Bronze drivers, rookie Lorenzo Mendieta also impressed by finishing second, while Gildardo Herrera completed the class podium. But one of the standout performances of the day had a Finnish signature. Flame Airikkala’s bold decision to race solo is already beginning to pay dividends.

The young AF Motorsport driver dominated the Ladies Cup, finished an excellent fourth overall and also claimed third place in the Silver Class, behind only Manuel Alves and Borja García. It was a result that carries even greater significance on an extremely competitive grid and confirms the progress Flame demonstrated throughout the first half of the season. The overall Top 5 in Race 1 was completed by João Macedo Silva at the wheel of the Skualo Competición Porsche.

In the Ladies Cup, Francisca “Kika” Queiroz finished second, securing important points for her campaign. Chloe Grant endured a very different fate. After an excellent performance in practice and setting the fastest time among the female drivers in Qualifying 1, the British driver was forced to retire shortly after the start, an especially unfortunate outcome to a day that had until then seen her running among the leading contenders in the overall classification.

Sunday’s programme features three more races at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto. Race 2 begins the action at 09:50, followed by Race 3 at 13:30 and Race 4 at 14:10, all contested over 20 minutes plus one lap. Three further battles promise to extend the intensity seen on Saturday and complete a particularly demanding programme for drivers and teams.