Photo: NACAM F4
Cristian Cantu ended the NACAM Formula 4 season by winning both races on the support bill of Formula 1’s Mexico City Grand Prix.
This year’s champion Pedro Juan Moreno was absent from the finale due to contesting the Ferrari Driver Academy’s Scouting World Final in Italy, leaving regular rival Cantu free to become the benchmark driver for the weekend.
On Saturday morning he took pole by 0.397 seconds over Arturo Flores, with 0.897s covering the top five in the season’s biggest grid of 14 cars. However Cantu did not get to make use of his pole advantage as he started from the pitlane for race one following a mechanical issue.
That did not stop him from earning his sixth win of the year, as it took him less than seven laps to get into the top three. Third place become second when Flores retired from the position on lap 11 of 14 following contact, and the lap after Cantu passed Jose Carlos Hernandez – making his first start of the year – into turn one to take the lead.
There was a big gap between the top two and David Cardenas in third, with Daniel Forcadell finishing a lonely fourth.
The top six were reserved to form the grid for race two on Sunday, and Cantu won again. It was a quicker route to the top this time, and once ahead he built a huge ten-second lead over Marco Alquicira. Flores bounced back from his Saturday dissapointment to finish third, and Forcadell was fourth again.
NACAM F4 is set to return to Mexico City in December for a non-championship event consisting of three races.
Results round-up
Race 1 (14 laps)
1 Cristian Cantu RE Racing 26m06.023s
2 Jose Carlos Hernandez Ram Racing +3.040s
3 David Cardenas Ram Racing +10.861s
4 Daniel Forcadell Morelia Racing Team +15.770s
5 Julian Diaz Morelia Racing Team +25.707s
6 Moy Zagursky Ram Racing +26.276s
7 Alexandra Monhaupt HRI Mexico +32.202s
8 Marco Alquicira Santinel Racing Team +32.403s
9 Esteban Rodriguez RE Racing +33.343s
10 Eduardo Alquicira Santinel Racing Team +44.042s
Pole: Flores, 1m49.869s
Fastest lap: Cantu, 1m50.389s
Race 2 (14 laps)
1 Cantu 27m09.859s
2 M Alquicira +10.108s
3 Arturo Flores International Motorsport +13.328s
4 Forcadell +18.192s
5 Diaz +21.571s
6 Monhaupt +29.876s
7 Rodriguez +39.685s
8 Cardenas +42.769s
9 E Alquicira +43.232s
10 Juan Contreras Morelia Racing Team +1m16.144s
FL: Cantu, 1m49.120s
Championship standings
1 Pedro Juan Moreno 315 2 Cantu 311 3 Cardenas 219 4 Flores 174 5 M Alquicira 166 6 Diaz 124 7 Rodriguez 120 8 Zagursky 74 9 Monhaupt 70 10 Alejandro Berumen 47