Highly-rated Brazilian racing driver Matheus Tobias Leist secured his, and Double R Racing’s, first victory in the new MSA Formula single-seater category at Donington Park National Circuit on Sunday, 19th April, after a textbook performance during round five of the season. Making an excellent start from second on the grid, the 17-year-old immediately grabbed the lead and went on to control the second of the weekend’s three races with a faultless, and unchallenged, drive to a three second winning margin. “We pushed hard from the start and the team did an excellent job for me”, said the elated South American, “Starting P2, I jumped to first position and then I led to the end – it’s great to take my first win in this championship. The start was really important, after that I was able to drive my race.” Leist’s team-mate, and compatriot, Gustavo Myasava put memories of a difficult first weekend in MSA Formula a fortnight ago at Brands Hatch firmly behind him with a star performance in round four on Saturday, 18th April, to claim his first podium of the year. After celebrating his 19th birthday the day before, Myasava gave himself the perfect belated present with a richly deserved third place. Tarun Reddy, meanwhile, had a challenging weekend but bounced back strongly from a race one retirement to take a battling 16th place finish in race two, having been edged off the circuit early on, and a season best of sixth position in the final contest after a competitive drive. “It’s absolutely mega to get our first win in MSA Formula”, said thrilled Double R team principal Anthony ‘Boyo’ Hieatt, “Matheus did everything we asked, he got the start absolutely right, took the lead before the first corner and controlled it from there. We told him if he was leading to just control the pace to look after the tyres and he did – mega result. “Gustavo really turned things around this weekend, he did a fantastic job in qualifying and getting his first podium was fantastic. We’re really pleased with the pace and racecraft he showed. Things weren’t straight-forward for Tarun but he still did as good a job as he could in the circumstances, sixth in the last race was a good way to end the weekend after the earlier problems.”Myasava leads way for Double R in qualifying and celebrates first silverware Rookie racer Myasava qualified as the best of the Double R drivers with the fourth fastest time in Saturday’s session and he produced an electric getaway from the second row of the grid in round four, leaping into second place before the cars reached Redgate for the first time. Initially staying close behind leader Daniel Ticktum, the Brazilian started to come under pressure for second as the race passed mid-distance and he was elbowed back to third on lap 12. Despite then being nudged back to fourth three laps from the finish, Myasava hit back at the last corner to re-take third and seal his maiden podium. Leist, who had to start from 17th on the grid after the rear anti-roll bar link failed in qualifying, scythed his way through the order superbly. Gaining four places on the opening lap alone, he was into the top 10 by lap 11 and eventually finished in a very creditable seventh position. Reddy, meanwhile, encountered misfortune part-way through the race when a left-rear puncture necessitated a visit to the pits. Having qualified 12th fastest, the Indian had risen well into ninth but after rejoining the race following his stop he had to retire soon after with suspension damage. In round five on Sunday morning Leist was supreme. After grabbing the lead off the line he pulled well clear of the chasing pack and punched in fastest lap after fastest lap. Leading by five seconds at the halfway point, he made no mistakes on the way to a stunning breakthrough victory. Myasava, starting in sixth position, climbed into the top five straight away and piled on the pressure to the car ahead but on lap seven he was edged back to sixth place by Ticktum. Almost getting back ahead on lap nine, Myasava ultimately slipped to eighth before the chequered flag on lap 18. Reddy’s misfortune continued in race two with an excursion on lap six at Redgate after some robust action. Undoing a strong start, which had seen the Double R driver climb into 14th from 18th on the grid, he recovered well and climbed back from the tail of the field into 16th position by the finish. Round six was the undoubted highlight for Reddy. Beginning the race in 12th position, he expertly climbed into seventh on lap one alone and after an early Safety Car period – required after several cars came to grief, including that of team-mate Myasava – the Indian maintained his placing. Driving well, he then moved into sixth place five laps from the end to cap a strong showing. Brazilian duo Myasava and Leist both encountered trouble early in the final race, the latter not even able to make the race start following a highly unfortunate spin and stall on the formation lap. For Myasava, the initial start to the race was incredibly promising as he surged from fourth into third on the run to Redgate, but at the entry to the corner he was tagged by a rival. Breaking the left-hand side of his front wing, the South American than had to run wide across the grass at the exit of the Old Hairpin to avoid a spinning car ahead and another tangle later in the lap resulted in a luckless non-finish. Thruxton in Hampshire, the fastest circuit on the MSA Formula calendar, will host rounds seven, eight and nine just three weeks from now on 9th/10th May. One week earlier Double R will be back in action in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship at Hockenheim in Germany.Provisional 2015 MSA Formula Championship Driver Standings (after Rd6): 5th Matheus Leist, 65pts 10th Gustavo Myasava, 19pts 15th Tarun Reddy, 10pts