Jules Roussel wins the inaugural FIA F4 World Cup in Macau

Photo: Macau GP Organising Committee

Jules Roussel won the inaugural FIA Formula 4 World Cup at Macau after his battle with Rayan Caretti ended with the latter crashing.

Roussel and Caretti spent the 10-lap main race disputing the lead until Caretti found the barriers with two-and-a-half laps remaining. That brought out the safety car, which stayed on track to the end.

Emanuele Olivieri was runner-up after narrowly avoiding Caretti’s crashed car, with Rintaro Sato completing the podium after starting 11th.

Roussel got a good getaway from second to take the lead from poleman Olivieri into the opening corner. Caretti followed him past down the next straight, then after Mandarin a spinning Shimo Zhang wiped out Itsuki Sato.

Kyusho Lee drove straight into the barriers at Lisboa, and there was further drama as mechanical issues meant Kean Nakamura Berta could not reach racing speed and had to pit.

The safety car came out as the three crashed cars were cleared, and racing resumed on lap three.

Roussel weaved his way to Mandarin, but had Caretti all over him at Lisboa and in the mountain section. A lap later, Caretti dived down the inside at Lisboa and took the lead. He weaved exiting Mandarin on lap five, then stuck to the middle of the track as Roussel looked to his outside approaching Lisboa.

That allowed Olivieri, Ary Bansal and Sato to join in, with Sato having passed Yutsai Chan two laps prior. Although Caretti had a gap again by the Melco hairpin, he was weaving after Fishermen’s Bend and as lap six began.

Roussel closed in, and on lap seven was alongside all the way to Lisboa where he tucked back in behind as Caretti chose the middle line again.

A different approach was taken for lap eight, as Roussel overtook Caretti on the inside through the high-speed Mandarin. He defended once ahead, as Sato passed Bansal. Going into Lisboa, Sebastian Wheldon overtook Bansal too.

Caretti ran close behind Roussel into the mountain section, but had a slide at Maternity then a snap of oversteer sent him sliding into the barriers entering the Solitude Esses. The damage ended his race immediately.

The drivers behind had to take avoiding action, with Olivieri’s caution granting Roussel a three-second lead that was eradicated once the safety car appeared. But that also meant the race was won for Roussel.

Wheldon was fourth with the fastest lap, and started 15th after being a lap one retiree in the qualification race. He made up five places on lap one, another two on the restart lap, then picked off Chan and Fionn McLaughlin before reaching Bansal.

McLaughlin also climbed five places on the opening lap to sit seventh, but could progress no further before Caretti’s crash, and Thomas Bearman rose from 17th to seventh. Chan, Marcus Cheong and Gino Trappa, who started last, completed the top 10.

Alexandre Munoz stopped just after St. Francisco on lap three and retired, while Nakamura rejoined the race two laps down with a repaired car to finish 14th.

Race results (10 laps)