Photo: NACAM F4
Alejandro Bobadilla started the NACAM Formula 4 season at Autodromo Miguel E. Abed with two victories.
It was his Alessandros Racing team-mate Mateo Giron who set the pace in practice, topping both sessions and leading Bobadilla by 0.431 seconds around the twisty roval track.
Ram Racing’s Fernando Rivera was third, 0.567s back, with Marco Alquicira (Santinel Racing) and Mariano Alattore (Alessandros) the only other drivers within a second of the pace.
Bobadilla came to the fore in qualifying, setting a 1m34.214s to claim race one pole by 0.173s over Giron. Alattore trailed by 0.444s in third, Rivera was 0.717s behind in fourth and Alquicira pipped Alan Zezatti (Alessandros) to fifth but both were over a second slower than the poleman.
When it came to race one later on Saturday, Bobadilla had to drive on the defensive while Alquicira made his way up into second place. He got particularly close to Bobadilla late on, but could not pull off an overtake and Bobadilla won by 0.492s. Giron was able to match the top two’s pace and was in a position to profit from any drama ahead, but none emerged and he finished 1.328s behind in third. Alattore was best-of-the-rest in fourth, 17.35s back.
Races two and three were on Sunday, and Ram’s Oliver Trejo started on reversed-grid pole for race two ahead of Alatorre, Giron, Alquicira and Bobadilla.
Giron took second at the opening corner, but could do nothing to stop Trejo pulling away through the first lap. Alatorre held third, but his defensive work against Alquicira meant they were quickly gapped.
Alquicira got very close to Alatorre on lap three, while Giron utilised clear air to find a strong pace and get onto Trejo’s tail on lap four. However he pushed too hard and crashed out on lap six, triggering a safety car period.
Alatorre inherited second, and had a gap before the safety car’s summoning as Rivera and Bobadilla had begun pressuring Alquicira.
When racing resumed on lap 10, Trejo pulled away again and Alquicira instantly attacked Alatorre. They ran side-by-side for several corners and Alquicira got ahead. Rivera also got through before the next oval section but picked the high line and dropped back behind Alatorre and Bobadilla too.
He gained a place when Alquicira spun on the next lap, and Bobadilla went around the outside of Alatorre at turn two on lap 12 to take second. There was a big gap to Trejo to make up, and at the finish he was 1.086s behind the winner.
Rivera pressured Alatorre again on laps 12 and 13 for third place, and Zezatti began closing in on the pair. Alatorre defended down the pit straight on lap 14, then under pressure he went too deep a corner and lost two places.
Bobadilla had pole again for race three, and Giron was due to start second but was absent. Alatorre and Rivera were therefore second and third but on row two.
By the opening corner there was already an insurmountable gap between Bobadilla and Alatorre, and he lapped drivers en route to a dominant victory.
Zezatti and Alcquicira got past Rivera on lap one, and there was a four-car group until Rivera was gapped on lap seven. Alquicira was dropped three laps later, but he began closing back in on Zezatti when Alatorre pulled away in second place.
Alatorre was drawn back in late on by Zezatti, with Alquicira left behind, and while he filled his mirrors an overtake was never on the cards.
Results round-up
Race 1 (17 laps)
1 Alejandro Bobadilla Alessandros Racing 29m06.761s
2 Marco Alquicira Santinel Racing +0.492s
3 Mateo Giron Alessandros Racing +1.328s
4 Mariano Alatorre Alessandros Racing +17.350s
5 Oliver Trejo Ram Racing +34.332s
6 Alan Zezatti Alessandros Racing +1m17.163s
7 Fernando Rivera Ram Racing +1m34.557s
8 Agustin Herrera Santinel Racing +1 lap
9 Emilio Martinez Ram Racing +1 lap
10 Patrick Isavi Ram Racing +1 lap
Pole: Bobadilla, 1m34.214s
Fastest lap: Giron, 1m33.566s
Race 2 (17 laps)
1 Trejo 30m54.230s
2 Bobadilla +1.086s
3 Rivera +6.196s
4 Zezatti +8.393s
5 Alatorre +11.319s
6 Moises Zagursky RRK Motorsports +21.804s
7 Martinez +24.033s
8 Herrera +55.544s
9 Jose Carlos Lezama Santinel Racing +55.759s
10 Alquicira +1m13.071s
FL: Bobafilla, 1m33.714s
Race 3 (17 laps)
1 Bobadilla 26m59.344s
2 Alatorre +4.619s
3 Zezatti +5.303s
4 Alquicira +6.709s
5 Rivera +10.728s
6 Trejo +16.990s
7 Zagursky +39.919s
8 Martinez +1m13.069s
9 Lezama +1m39.443s
10 Herrera +1 lap
FL: Bobadilla, 1m34.439s
Championship standings
1 Bobadilla 68 2 Trejo 43 3 Alatorre 40 4 Zezatti 35 5 Alquicira 31 6 Rivera 31 7 Giron 15 8 Zagursky 14 9 Martinez 12 10 Herrera 9