In a rollercoaster weekend of highs and lows, Kiwi racer Will Bamber and co-driver Elias De La Torre delivered an impressive double podium, finishing second in both the Super Trofeo North America finale and the World Finals.
North America Race 1:
Bamber lined up on the front row for Race 1 after qualifying second.
A slow getaway saw him drop to fourth as two rivals powered past on the run to Turn 1. Bamber then found himself in a tight battle with Colin Queen, who had also slipped back, but the Kiwi managed to hold his position through the opening corners.
With drivers pushing the limits, several cars ran wide, spun, or picked up penalties. Bamber stayed composed amid the chaos, maintaining control and keeping himself in the hunt for a strong result.
Early in the pit window, he was the first to stop, handing over to co-driver Elias De La Torre. Once the field had cycled through their stops, De La Torre emerged in second place, benefitting as the leading cars had longer pit times due to running solo.
At the front, Hampus Eriksson held a six-second advantage after his co-driver, Formal, delivered a rapid opening stint from pole position.
Staying clear of penalties and on-track incidents, De La Torre brought the car home safely in second overall — and second in class — securing another well-earned podium for the pair.
North America Race 2:
De La Torre took the start for Race 2, lining up on the third row after qualifying fifth overall. His race began in dramatic fashion when contact through Turn 1 sent him spinning off the track, dropping to the back of the field.
Determined to recover, De La Torre immediately began carving his way through the pack. On the opening lap, he overtook Jonathan Hirshberg and Rocky Bolduc, then powered down the front straight to pass two more cars. With Sid slipping back, the charge moved him up five positions to 16th.
Maintaining his momentum, De La Torre gained another six places over the next two laps, climbing to 10th overall and leading all Am and LC class competitors.
By the time the pit window opened, he had closed to within four seconds of ninth place and held sixth in class, setting up a strong platform for the driver change.
Once the pit stops cycled through, Bamber rejoined the race in ninth overall, running just behind the top three Pro-Am contenders.
Showing strong pace, he began closing the gap ahead, quickly catching and overtaking Paul Nemschoff before setting his sights on the next car eight seconds up the road.
In the closing laps, Bamber continued to push, making another pass to climb to seventh overall at the chequered flag. After post-race penalties were applied to car No. 128, he was classified fifth in class.
The pair’s consistent performances across the weekend secured Bamber and De La Torre second place in the Pro class standings heading into the World Finals.
World Finals Race 1:
After a strong qualifying performance, Bamber lined up on the second row for Race 1 of the World Finals, starting from fourth.
Off the line, he found himself stuck behind Paul Levet, the pair running side-by-side through the opening corner and making light contact as they battled for third. Bamber held firm around the outside to edge ahead and immediately set his sights on Enzo Geraci in second.
A tense exchange followed as Bamber attacked on the outside, briefly taking the position before Geraci crossed back ahead. Undeterred, the Kiwi reclaimed second at the next corner and successfully defended the spot.
Out front, pole-sitter Formal had pulled clear, setting a rapid pace while those behind fought for position. Once Bamber broke free of Geraci and Levet, he began to close the gap quickly, slashing the margin down to just 1.2 seconds by the time Formal pitted to hand over to his co-driver, Hampus Eriksson.
Bamber stayed out for an extra lap before pitting, with De La Torre emerging ahead thanks to a quicker stop and the Kiwi’s strong in-lap.
As Eriksson’s tyres came up to temperature, he closed back in and launched a series of attacks to retake the lead. Though De La Torre initially held firm, lapped traffic soon intensified the battle, with the pair swapping positions multiple times before De La Torre regained control.
A late safety car with ten minutes to go, brought out after Luchetti stopped on track, set up a sprint to the finish. On the restart, Eriksson ran wide while Putera seized the moment to take the lead just before the flag.
However, a post-race five-second penalty for Putera elevated Bamber and De La Torre to first overall and in class — their maiden victory of the World Finals.
World Finals Race 2:
De La Torre faced an uphill battle at the start of Race 2 after qualifying 21st. He made quick progress off the line, gaining two positions through the opening corners to move into 19th before chaos erupted ahead.
Just in front, Josef Knopp spun and was collected by another car, forcing De La Torre to take evasive action and run wide to avoid the incident.
Once the race resumed, De La Torre immediately began to recover positions, moving up to 18th before gaining another spot when Adam Putera spun and dropped to the back. Building momentum, he continued his charge, overtaking Dmitri Enjalbert and another competitor to climb to 16th overall — just behind a tightly packed group of Pro-class drivers.
After the pit window opened, Bamber took over early to maximise his stint. Once the stops cycled through, the Kiwi rejoined in 13th overall and ninth in class, setting his sights on the group ahead.
With clear air, Bamber began to close in, pulling off an impressive double move to pass Bon and Kingsford simultaneously and move just outside the top ten with ten minutes remaining. He then erased a two-second gap to Amaury Bonduel in a single lap and overtook him for tenth, though Bonduel retook the spot shortly after.
Following post-race penalties, Bamber and De La Torre were classified eighth overall and seventh in class. Combined with their Race 1 victory, the result secured them second place in the Pro class standings — earning a pair of runner-up finishes across both the Super Trofeo Europe season and the World Finals.
Header Image: TR3 Racing
