Robert Hencz, the F500 driver who went through surgery and rehabilitation following a crash back in 2020 looked like he was certainly back to his best yesterday when he won Heat One of the F500 class at the Europcar Swedish Grand Prix here in Mora.

Making what he described as the ‘perfect start’ he then glanced back in his mirrors and could see no one challenging him. After that it was just a case of racing his own race.

In the closing laps the back markers were not picking up the lead boats which I thought was frustrating. I am one of the few drivers who has radio communications with my crew on the bank, if all the teams had that then I think it might ease that situation and would make the racing safer.

Following Hencz home was his fellow Slovakian racer, Marian Jung. Throughout the morning he had struggled with getting his engine to run smoothly. In trying to balance the ethanol and oil it was either way too rich or way too lean and it meant that Jung was only able to get thirty minutes of testing time.

It’s moments like this when you need to use your experience and fortunately, I have gained plenty over the years.

Marcin Zielinski had stated from pole position but that was only after he had to protest the decision that had seen that lap discounted from his qualifying times. The officials had seen the Polish driver miss a turn mark and assumed that was his quickest lap but under appeal the driver showed on board footage to prove that was not the case and so that pole setting time was reinstated.

Just when he thought his troubles were over for the day his engine then decided to run only three out of the four cylinders in the latter stages of the heat.

If I can finish third on just three cylinders just think what I can do tomorrow with four.

Racing resumes in Mora with the second F500 heat just before lunch.

Photos: Chris Davies/PRW