Balazs Erdelyi became the inaugural Crown Racing Series champion after a dramatic season finale at Interlagos, Brazil. With championship leader Nicolai Pedersen and third-place Youp de Vos not starting, Erdelyi had a golden opportunity to snatch the title. But the Hungarian wouldn’t have an easy run as a crash on Lap 19 left him in danger of missing out on the crown. However, Erdelyi rallied in the closing stages to finish sixth on the road and take the three points for fastest lap, snatching the title by one point. Away from the championship fight, David Bozga finally took his maiden CRS victory with Silverstone victor Luciano Witvoet second and Mihai Neg third, completing the podium.

Pedersen fails to start

Before the green flag waved on the CRS season finale, there was drama as Pedersen was declared a non-starter.

Having led the championship since the third round at Daytona, Pedersen held a 20-point lead over Erdelyi and de Vos going into Brazil and had looked to be in prime position to claim the championship.

But a commitment clash that was in place ahead of the season meant Pedersen had to sit and watch as his rivals tried to pip him to the title.

De Vos no-show

But Pedersen wasn’t the only championship contender to be a no-show in Brazil, as de Vos also failed to make the grid, ending his hopes of the title.

Going into Brazil, de Vos was in great form, having taken victory in the previous round in Monza, and although he needed a perfect weekend, the Belgian remained a threat. But de Vos failed to make the green flag, reducing the title fight to two.

Also missing were Igor Kos and Andrea Pagnini, who had to skip the season finale due to medical reasons.

Erdelyi snatches it at the end

With his fellow title rivals out of contention, Erdelyi appeared poised to claim the title provided he finished no lower than seventh. For the first stint, Erdelyi was locked in a battle for third, featuring rivals Dani Neo and Gregory Hovesen, with the two trading the position lap after lap, keeping the Hungarian in touch. Then came the rain, and with it the first victim as Neo hit the wall at Turn 8, damaging the Mustang and dropping him to fifth.

Hovesen and Erdelyi tried to brave it out on slicks, but the Canadian was next to fall foul as he spun on the exit of the Curva do Sol. Now Erdelyi was up to second, but staying out proved near-fatal as he went round at the Descida do Lago before striking the wall on the approach to Pinheirinho.

Fortunately for Erdelyi, he was able to bring the Mustang back to the pits for repairs and a set of wets. But despite making up some ground, Erdelyi started the final lap seventh and out of title range despite having the fastest lap of the race. However, at the last corner, Erdelyi muscled his way past Kodi Cosford at Juncao, promoting him to sixth, allowing him to seal the Crown in the most dramatic of circumstances.

Bozga finishes with a flourish

One driver who felt he could have been in the title fight was Bozga, but the Belgian, who hasn’t enjoyed the luckiest season, ended his campaign with a flourish by taking a superb win in Brazil. After losing a dominant win in Monza, Bozga was eliminated from championship contention but came into the Brazil meeting knowing he could become kingmaker.

From second, Bozga and Witvoet set a blistering pace in the first stint of the race, with the Benelux pair running in line astern for the first six laps. But at the start of Lap 7, Bozga got tired of waiting and drove up the inside of the Dutchman at the Senna S to take the lead, which he held until his first pitstop on Lap 17.

One lap later, Witvoet was in, and Bozga regained command, quickly pulling out a huge lead over the Dutchman to end a topsy-turvy season with a dominant victory.