Al Azhari wins at wet Losail as Olivieri closes in on F4 Middle East title

Photo: F4 ME

Yas Heat Academy’s Adam Al Azhari converted pole position into victory in the opening Formula 4 Middle East race at Losail.

The track was damp for the start of the race, but everyone was on slick tyres. Al Azhari made a great launch, and R-ace GP’s Alex Powell and Mumbai Falcons’ Kean Nakamura Berta went side-by-side for third at turn one.

Nakamura got ahead a few corners later, as R-ace’s Emily Cotty charged up from 15th to 11th place on the opening lap.

Powell began lap two by running very wide at turn one, and after going off he rejoined in sixth behind Akcel GP by PHM Racing’s Reno Francot and Yas Heat’s August Raber. Despite a huge lock-up at turn one, Al Azhari was unchallenged up front.

Rain started to fall, and when Nakamura went to attack R-ace’s points leader Emanuele Olivieri for second on lap three he had a small sliding moment and Francot got involved. However Raber had the greater benefit of cars ahead displacing water, and he took fourth from Francot into turn one on lap four as Mumbai Falcons’ Tomass Stolcermanis overtook Powell.

Raber went off later in the lap and Francot tried regaining a place by going off-track, but instead ended up falling behind Stolcermanis too. Powell overtook Francot before the safety car came out on lap six due to Mumbai Falcons’ Arjun Chheda being stopped at the side of the track, and when racing resumed on lap nine there was a big collision between Cotty, Xcel Motorsport’s Yuhao Fu and Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation’s Bader Al Sulaiti.

The safety car returned on lap 10 and stayed out to the end, guaranteeing victory went to Al Azhari. Second for Olivieri meant he grew his points leader over Nakamura, and he looks likely to wrap up the title in the next race.

Race results (13 laps)