
TOYOTA FORMULA REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP – HEUZENROEDER ON THE CHARGE
MEDIA RELEASE/Patrick Heuzenroeder – Photos:supplied
Taupo International Motorsport Park Report
Australian single-seater racing driver Patrick Heuzenroeder has shown off his race craft and made an impressive start to his 2025 racing season as he was forced to charge through the field in the first round of the CTFROC Championship this past weekend with mtec Motorsport. The first championship of the year, the FIA recognised series takes part over 5 weekends in New Zealand, with a competitive field of young rising stars, past alumni including F1 drivers Lando Norris, Lance Stroll, Liam Lawson and Franco Colapinto. Heuzenroeder is supported at the Championship by his mentor, ex Formula 1 driver and 3x Le Mans Winner, David Brabham.
The young talent Heuzenroeder showcased his determination and skill in the championship’s first qualifying after a mechanical issue left him in the pits for 12 of the 15 minutes of qualifying. With only a few minutes remaining on the clock and no time to properly prepare the tyres, Heuzenroeder impressed by jumping from P17 to P6 only 0.2 behind pole, locking out the third row of the grid next to FIA Formula 3 driver, Matias Zagazeta.
“An awful lot of time unfortunately lost with mtec for Patrick Heuzenroeder, he got one lap, one shot at that, and he got that car to 6th. Great work ultimately by the team but particularly Pat, with David Brabham on the radio with him to stay calm, dig deep and get a lap, nice work” was the commentary.
Competing against an incredibly competitive field of drivers, including 2024 Supercar Champion, Will Brown, Heuzenroeder fought his way back in Race 1 after being tapped into turn one of the opening lap taking him down to 15th. Hardest charger of the race, the Australian demonstrated strong race craft as he completed 6 overtakes crossing the line P9, missing out on the chance to start the reverse pole Race 2 from pole position by 0.3 seconds after a last lap attempt to pass teammate, Indy NXT driver, Pierson.
Starting Race 2 from P9, Heuzenroeder was consistently fast, putting the pressure on team mate Scoular after dropping to P10 in turn 1 to make a great pass, then quickly setting off after Brown and affecting a smooth pass into the final chicane, finishing in 8th.
Despite being on a poll worthy lap in qualifying 2, a lock up on the final corner meant he Heuzenroeder set himself more work to do in Race 3, again starting P9. Late Sunday afternoon, the feature race for the Denny Hulme Trophy, saw Patrick have a stellar start, going from 9th to 6th after the first corner, soon progressing to 4th after Brown and Shin had a scary moment when they touched down the straight at 200kmh+. Setting fastest laps, Heuzenroeder held off a charging Will Brown, defending for multiple laps with some impressive side by side racing on fading tyres. Heuzenroeder crossed the line in 5th, but was promoted to P4 after a penalty for Brown.
Despite the challenges faced and not where he wanted to be based on strong practice results, Heuzenroeder grabbed the attention of many, in a series and car known for being difficult to overtake, showing his consistency, strong race craft and potential in such a competitive field with the likes of Formula 2 Red Bull Junior Driver Arvid Lindblad. Patrick has certainly proved himself as a driver to watch throughout the season.
Looking ahead to build on his momentum, Patrick says:
“I was obviously disappointed with the issue in quali 1 as it really set me back for the first two races and impacted me on points, but I was really happy with my pace and race craft, its not every day you get to dice with a Supercars Champion two races in a row and cause him some headaches.”
Brabham was also pleased with the pace and attitude of his young protégé:
“There is no doubt Patrick had the pace this weekend and whilst the qualification 1 mechanical issue was a setback, it gave him the opportunity to showcase what he is capable of with that impressive single qualification lap under pressure and the way he raced showing he has what it takes for the racing to come”
After an unlucky round 1, Heuzenroeder sits in 8th position in the championship, where he will hope to significantly improve that in the next 4 rounds, gaining valuable track experience before his main European 2025 campaign.
Next up is Hampton Downs for the second round of the championship, with testing commencing on the 16th January, another new track for Heuzenroeder.
About Patrick Heuzenroeder
Patrick embarked on his motorsport career at 13-years-old after a chance visit to Sydney’s Eastern Creek go-kart circuit ignited his passion for racing.
After kart racing in Australia for the following three years, Patrick made the jump to cars and circuit racing, competing in the 2022 NSW Formula Ford Championship where he was third overall in the standings before departing for the UK after his skill was recognised by Ferrari when Patrick earned a top six finals place from 24 competitors in the 2022 Ferrari Driver Academy Asia Pacific trials.
2023 brought a season in British Formula 4 where the highlight of multiple top ten finishes in a competitive field of more than 20 drivers was an impressive third place at the demanding Snetterton track in Norfolk.
For 2024 he moved up a gear and into GB3, Britain’s top single seater series, where he once again established himself as a regular points scorer and top five finisher. Another podium finish in third at the annual ‘away’ round at the Zandvoort Grand Prix circuit helped him to an impressive 12th overall from more than 30 drivers.
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