All four STEP Motorsport drivers deliver, extending lead in the Nordic 4 Championships ahead of final weekend.
The Nordic 4 season is nearing its conclusion, with the penultimate round taking place this past weekend at Padborg Park. Arriving well-prepared, both drivers and the team anticipated strong results based on their solid standings across the championships.
Intensive preparations leading up to the Night Race seemed to pay off early in qualifying, where all four STEP drivers placed within one-tenth of a second of each other, from second to fourth, setting a promising stage for Friday’s race.
In Friday’s race, Mathias Bjerre made a strong start, taking the lead by the first corner and holding it through to the finish line. Sebastian Bach followed as the second-best STEP driver in fifth place. Gustaw Wisniewski received a 10-second penalty for a jump start, while Lærke Rønn Sørensen finished in seventh.
On Saturday afternoon, the drivers were back in action. Starting from second ahead of Gustaw and Sebastian, Lærke Rønn Sørensen took up the charge while Mathias Bjerre had to fight his way forward from eighth. Lærke held onto second place and put significant pressure on the leader. Just as she managed to overtake and take the lead, Bjerre followed suit, moving past and claiming the top position. From there, he didn’t look back, securing his second heat victory of the Night Race weekend, with Sebastian Bach and Lærke Rønn Sørensen completing the STEP podium.
The final heat continued STEP’s strong performance. Mathias Bjerre once again broke away from the field, winning with a 12-second lead over Sebastian Bach, who had found new motivation to overtake several seasoned competitors. Gustaw Wisniewski crossed the line in third but was penalized with a six-second time penalty after a competitor’s protest, citing track limits.
For Lærke Rønn Sørensen, the final heat didn’t go as hoped. After a promising start, she spun in the first corner and had to spend the rest of the heat fighting her way back up the field. With impressive overtakes and a strong pace, she climbed up to ninth place by the time the checkered flag came down.
Emotions ran high after such a weekend—fortunately, most were positive. Team manager Morten Dons expressed his satisfaction in seeing his young talents perform at such a high level:
-There has been visible and tangible development in all four drivers this weekend. Mathias was incredibly fast all weekend and showed why he’s the favorite to win the Danish Championship this year. Sebastian has been fast all year, but this weekend he showed the racecraft and aggression he’s been missing—a style we saw him use in karting. It was an absolute pleasure to watch, said Morten Dons, who sympathized with Gustaw Wisniewski and Lærke Rønn Sørensen.
-I’m not sure why Gustaw attracted the judges’ attention this weekend. We disagree with the penalties he received, but instead of dwelling on it, our focus is on bringing Gustaw back strong for the Danish Championship Final.
-Lærke made a strong comeback this weekend. She’s had some struggles this season, so seeing her back up front and achieving the results we’ve always known she’s capable of was fantastic. Despite an unfortunate spin in the final, she fought back and even posted the fourth-fastest lap time. She has a lot of potential, and it was great to see her take her place in the field, Dons added.
With two weeks until the season finale, Mathias Bjerre Jakobsen sits solidly in contention for the Danish Championship, and Sebastian Bach holds a substantial lead in the Rookie Championship. However, nothing is guaranteed yet, so it will be a busy period in the workshop and on the simulators to ensure everything is ready for an unforgettable finale.