Queens’ Design returned better than ever for the new season of More Female Racers with Aenore Rose, Ruby Acosta and April Carlsvard representing the team for the five round championship. Consisting of a single spec Mercedes-Benz AMG GT4, it all came down to a matter of driver skill and engineering knowledge, the smallest differences mattering the most on race day.
Round 1 took the 37 driver strong roster to the iconic Nurburgring Grand Prix circuit, with the extremely technical ribbon of tarmac proving a challenge for the rather front heavy AMG race car. Turn 1 would decide many drivers’ fates as early as the first lap as the hard braking zone into the insanely tight apex gave way for big pile ups.
Aenore took pole position overall with a 02:04.245, pulling a .205 second gap from second place driver Aloo Gobi. Ruby qualified sixth overall and squeezed her way into first in Silver with a 02:05.805, only separated by a measly .015 seconds from fellow teammate April and .085 from third place contender Jenny Camugli.
The qualifying gap wouldn’t tell the whole story between Aenore and Aloo, as their race pace was a match for one another. With only two minutes to go Aenore would momentarily lose control of her Mercedes exiting turn 2 due to a game freeze, allowing Aloo to take the position momentarily. Eager to take her rightful position back she had a crack with some exciting overtake attempts, trying to go around the outside at turn 6 but just barely running out of track and making contact.
Time expired and the final lap would come, with Aenore looking to make a brave maneuver into turn 1. Aloo unfortunately came just wide and clipped the grass, losing control and tipping herself into the front end of Aenore’s front bumper – subsequently sending her into the inside barrier. This moment would prove to be crucial as Aenore was well clear of any threat from second place, crossing the line with an enthralling win and with a moment to catch her breath
Ruby and April’s race turned out to be just as chaotic from the word go, as a turn 1 incident right after the green flag saw third place Jenny collide with Vicky Thomson, allowing Ruby and April to sneak on through staying clear of any danger. Ruby held onto her lead until an incident with Delilah Hazel once again at the notorious turn 1 left her with front end damage and a very late 10 second penalty as a consequence.
April found themselves locked between a battle with Denise Pope for a place on the podium until Pope forced herself into a mistake that would later result in a fantastic second place finish just behind Mia Swenson after Ruby’s penalty was added to her overall race time. It was a fantastic display of progress for the Swedish driver after picking up over two seconds during the pre-qualifying sessions!
Race 2 would further add to the insane chaos, the start once again proving to be an immediate heart breaker for many contenders. Yet another massive accident would occur right behind a fleeing Ruby allowing fourth and above in Silver to scurry away with a sizable gap. Aloo would make another emphatic challenge against Aenore, providing the viewers and broadcast booth with a thrilling battle between top talents whilst April enjoyed the sharp end of the Silver class fending off a contentious Mia Swenson and even asking questions of Pro class contestant Sara Dove.
Ruby in the meantime would find herself stuck behind Denise Pope after starting from fourth due to the penalty in race 1, and whilst she was frustrated by the decision of the stewards she managed to keep herself calm to leave Denise stranded at the outside of the Bit-Kurve to make the move. She would then set the fastest lap among the Silver class after taking care of second place Mia, instantly closing down on her teammate. Despite Aloo setting the fastest lap of the race, Aenore did her best to keep the Canadian right behind her and maintain a cool head on her shoulders right until the very end. Aloo slightly overshot her braking point at the Veedol Chicane and tapped the rear end of the pink Mercedes, sending Aenore into the sand and forcing her to keep her foot pinned down on the throttle and sail through the trap. Showcasing masterful control she crossed the line first and swept the race day with two wins in round 1 and stunned the viewers in the process! A battle between teammates ensued in the top end of the Silver class, with Ruby finally getting the move done cleanly past April at turn 1, but April still had a case to reclaim that lead keeping the gap close until a mistake at the chicane found themselves having to recover the time lost. Going down the main straight a three wide battle ended in an unfortunate result with April becoming the innocent victim after Mia and Denise made contact. The damage was quite significant, but they pushed on towards a very respectable fourth place finish and capping off a wonderful debut! Ruby would get to keep her win this time around as she crossed the line first, finally achieving victory with Queens’ Design and yelling on the top of her lungs in an emotional celebration. This result would find the team winning on three separate occasions that day, with a QD car on the podium in both races.
Monday was a day to remember for the team as Victoire’s valiant racers picked up many milestones in their budding careers; as Aenore continued to show her insane pace at a track she usually struggled at, Ruby and April found themselves at a point in their sim racing careers in which they had progressed to a level once deemed impossible. We hope that in the near future they continue this amazing form and that the fans will maintain their valuable support and dedication as always!
(text by Ruby Acosta, pictures by Aenore Rose)