Adrien Closmenil wins reversed-grid French F4 race at Magny-Cours

Photo: FFSA TV

Adrien Closmenil won from pole in the reversed-grid French Formula 4 race at Magny-Cours.

A slow start meant he was immediately passed by Leonardo Megna but he got back ahead and led through. Kevin Foster and Hiyu Yamakoshi jumped up to third and fourth, with Yani Stevenheydens trying to pass the latter for lap one then making a diving move at the turn five hairpin on lap two. They made contact, but he managed to get past.

Louis Schlesser then crashed out at turn t10, meaning the safety car was summoned at the end of lap three. Racing resumed on lap six, and Closmenil had a long lock-up on the entry to turn two but managed to stay ahead while one of the cars behind lost a front wing endplate as the pack jostled exiting the corner.

The squabbling continued into the next lap, then there was more drama on lap eight as Yaroslav Veselaho was spun into the gravel at turn 15 and the safety car had to be called out again.

Closmenil was defensive straight away when racing resumed on lap 10, but Megna was the faster driver and managed to almost get fully alongside before the middle sector. Foster managed to briefly make it a three-way lead fight but there was not enough room to stay alongside and he dropped back in behind as the top seven ran in tandem.

Battling later in the lap meant Closmenil finished it 0.6 seconds ahead, and he was maintaine that gap on the final lap as the fights behind got even more intense. Evan Giltaire and Enzo Peugeot passed Yamakoshi on the restart lap, then race one winner Giltaire was able to pass Foster too to finish third.

Foster pipped Stevenheydens to fourth, after contact, and Peugot had to settle for sixth ahead of Andriolo. Yamakoshi scored the final point in eighth.

Race result (11 laps)