Matias Zagazeta makes history as Peru’s first race winner in CTFROC

M2 Competition’s Matias Zagazeta has etched his name in history as the first Peruvian driver to claim victory in the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship. Zagazeta triumphed in Sunday’s reverse top-eight grid race, finishing ahead of Indy NXT driver Josh Pierson and Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad.

After securing fifth place in Saturday’s race, Zagazeta started Sunday’s opener from the outside of the second row. A strong launch saw him quickly take the lead, a position he maintained until the chequered flag. Enzo Yeh, who crossed the line in second, was relegated to fourth due to a five-second penalty for a jump start.

The reverse top-eight grid saw Pierson and Yeh on the front row, with Michael Shin and Zagazeta behind them. Nikita Johnson and Lindblad filled row three, while Brown and Scoular rounded out row four. Pierson’s slow getaway allowed Zagazeta to seize the lead, with Yeh slotting into second. Lindblad made a strong start, climbing from sixth to fourth.

Drama unfolded on Lap 1 when Southland’s Alex Crosbie and Nicolas Stati collided at Turn 5. Stati’s car sustained damage, forcing his retirement, while Crosbie resumed 12 seconds adrift of the field.

Among the other Kiwis, Sebastian Manson impressed with an early charge from 10th to 7th, overtaking Brown in the process, while Saturday’s winner Zack Scoular dropped from 8th to 10th.

At the front, Zagazeta and Yeh established a gap to the rest of the field as Pierson defended against Lindblad, creating a train of cars stretching back to Scoular. Patrick Heuzenroeder capitalised on this, overtaking Brown through Turns 12, 13, and 14 to secure eighth.

Lindblad briefly eased off before launching another attack on Pierson on Lap 15, allowing Zagazeta and Yeh to extend their lead to over four seconds. However, Yeh’s penalty meant he was still at risk of losing his position.

Zagazeta ultimately secured victory with a 4.156-second margin. Pierson’s resilient defense earned him second place, while Lindblad completed the podium. Despite his penalty, Yeh held on for fourth, followed by Johnson and Shin, the latter setting the fastest lap of the race.

Manson’s strong performance resulted in an seventh-place finish, fending off Heuzenroeder through the final stages. Brown took ninth, while Scoular rounded out the top ten.

At the back of the field, Crosbie demonstrated impressive pace, catching and overtaking Barrett Wolfe and James Lawley before being involved in another incident at Turn 15. The crash saw all three cars spin, Crosbie eventually crossing the line in 15th

The championship continues with the Denny Hulme Memorial Trophy feature race later this evening at approximately 4:45 p.m., where Lindblad will start on pole alongside Zagazeta.

CTFROC Round 1 Race 2 Results

Header Image: Bruce Jenkins/ Toyota Gazoo Racing