Barnard fastest in 40-strong Italian F4 test at Imola

Photo: F4 UAE

PHM Racing’s Taylor Barnard was fastest in a three-day Italian Formula 4 test at Imola this week.

The initial 20-strong entry list was split into two groups, with Group A taking to the track first on Thursday.

R-ace GP’s Noah Stromsted was the pacesetter, setting a 1m47.513s that put him half a second clear of Van Amersfoort Racing’s Brando Badoer and almost 1.4 seconds ahead of his own team-mate Marcos Flack, who was caught pitlane speeding, in third. VAR’s Martinius Stenshorne was fourth, and his session was shortened by his car grinding to a halt with technical issues.

Group B benefitted from a more rubbered-in track, and PHM’s Nikita Bedrin went 1.4s up on Stromsted’s pace. He pipped Barnard to top spot in the final minute, with US Racing’s Nikhil Bohra in third and BWR Motorsports’ Alfio Spina fourth despite crashing at the Variante Alta chicane and causing red flags.

Everyone in Group A improved in their second session, with Stromsted fastest again. A late improvement from Badoer put him just 0.005s behind, and AS Motorsport’s Giovanni Maschio was third after a red flag-causing trip into the gravel. R-ace’s Clericy Loris also got beached.

Barnard lowered the pace as the afternoon began, setting a 1m45.379 to top Group B by 0.066s ahead of Kacper Sztuka (US Racing). Spina missed the session following his crash.

Italian karter Maschio was the surprise pacesetter next in Group A, while Barnard topped Group B again as team-mate Victoria Blokhina went in the Villeneuve chicane gravel.

Badoer led Stenshorne in the next session, which was red flagged twice as French karter Loris went off at Villeneuve and Maschio stopped there with a car problem.

Day one ended with Bedrin edging Barnard by 0.07s, and a session-ending red flag caused by Sztuka, while day two began with FIA Formula 3 racer Pepe Marti setting the pace for BWR.

Group A was on the track after, and Maschio visited the gravel again. Stenshorne was fastest until team-mate Badoer edged him at the very end before R-ace’s mystery driver was gravel-bound again.

Spina and Blokhina had costly offs in the next session, comfortably topped by Barnard, while Stenshorne headed Group A’s final session.

Another 20 drivers were on track for the next day-and-a-half, with James Wharton edging Prema team-mate Conrad Laursen in Group C’s first session and US Racing’s Alex Dunne heading Group D. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Prema) and Dunne led the day’s final sessions.

Saturday started with Dunne on top, while AKM Motorsport’s unnamed driver went off at Piratella. Antonelli pipped a trouble-struck Wharton with a speedy lap in Group C, and repeated the feat when on track next. US Racing’s Marcus Amand was fastest in Group D.

Dunne was then back ahead, edging Brazilian F4’s Pedro Clerot, then Antonelli continued his perfect day as the track got wetter. VAR’s Emmo Fittipaldi topped the last Group D session.

Test results