Al Azhari extends Spanish F4 lead with another Algarve win

Photo: Spanish F4

Keanu Al Azhari leaves Algarve with a 26-point lead in Spanish Formula 4 after winning the championship’s third race at the circuit.

After Drivex School’s Francisco Macedo broke down on the formation lap, the start was delayed and another formation lap was added.

MP Motorsport driver Al Azhari had pole and immediately swept to the inside to cover off Campos Racing’s Nathan Tye on the actual start, as James Egozi passed Thomas Strauven for third. Rodin Motorsport’s Strauven got back ahead by turn two, and behind them MP’s Mattia Colnaghi attacked Campos’s Ernesto Rivera for fifth.

Egozi passed Strauven again in the middle of lap one, and Rivera attempted to overtake him too through lap two. There was no change, and the order at the front settled down until Strauven tried reclaimig third at turn two on lap six.

The safety car was then called out due to Sainteloc Racing’s Matteo Quintarelli and Monlau Motorsport’s Tim Gerhards colliding, and racing did not resume until lap 10.

Strauven passed Egozi once again, going around the outside of him at turn one, and Rivera attempted the same move on lap 11 but failed. It mattered little as a lap later Egozi dropped all the way down to 17th.

With the top three positions then settled, Rivera’s fourth place was now under pressure but he managed to pull away from team-mate Jan Przyrowski, who had fought with Fluxa for much of the race.

Maciej Gladysz beat MP team-mate Griffin Peeble to seventh, with Colnaghi demoted to ninth, and Campos’s Enzo Tarnvanichkul took the final point in 10th after MP’s Rene Lammers dropped down to 15th on the last lap.

Race results (17 laps)