Colnaghi claims second Spanish F4 win in a row at Paul Ricard

Photo: F4 Spain

MP Motorsport’s Mattia Colnaghi won Spanish Formula 4 race two at Paul Ricard.

The second-best laptimes from Saturday’s qualifying session set the grid, with Colnaghi setting a 2m05.449s to take pole by 0.013 seconds. Filling the next three places were team-mates Maciej Gladysz, Keanu Al Azhari and Griffin Peebles, then the top seven was completed by Campos Racing’s Ernesto Rivera and James Egozi, and Drivex School’s Juan Cota.

Al Azhari took second from Gladysz on the opening lap, and exiting the final corner Monlau Motorsport’s Tim Gerhards spun and was collected by Sainteloc Racing’s Maxi Restrepo. Rodin Motorsport’s Preston Lambert then drove over the top of Restrepo’s car, and his car had to be hoisted away before Restrepo could vacate his cockpit. Thankfully the drivers were able to walk away unaided.

Red flags waved, and there was a 24-minute wait before the race restarted on lap two behind the safety car. There was drama before green flags waved, as in sector two there an incident involving Tecnicar Motorsport’s debutant Adam Al Azhari and Sainteloc’s Yevan David that ended their races.

The field was released on lap five, with 10 minutes-plus-one lap left on the race clock.

Nathan Tye overtook Campos team-mate Jan Przyrowski for ninth on the restart lap, then claimed eighth after Sainteloc’s Matteo Quintarelli ran wide at the final corner on lap seven and lost several places. However an incident then led to Tye stopping on track on the next lap.

Rivera and Egozi passed Peebles at turn four on lap eight, with Cota also getting past Peebles later in the lap and then attacking Egozi on lap nine as Colnaghi grew his lead to 1.6s up front.

The chequered flag waved at the end of lap 10, with Colnaghi claiming his second successive victory by 1.904s. Gladysz was right behind points leader Al Azhari at the finish.

Przyrowski came home eighth, with Cram Motorsport’s Adam Hideg and Rodin’s Thomas Strauven occupying the final two points positions. At the final corner of the race there was an incident involving Lucas Fluxa and MP team-mate Rene Lammers, while Monlau’s Lenny Ried broke his front wing.

Race results (14 laps)