Photo: FFSA/KSP
Hadrien David fought back to beat Enzo Valente to victory in the first race of the French Formula 4 season at Nogaro, before coming through to fourth in race two as Ugo Gazil took a lights-to-flag win.
In his first single-seater race, Richard Mille Young Talent Academy winner Valente made a better start than pole-sitter David, but was never more than 0.7 seconds clear of his rival.
David eventually found a way past Valente on lap 12 of 14, winning by 1.197s.
Third-place starter and Volant Winfield winner Jules Mettetal fell back at the start, with Reshad de Gerus instead completing the podium.
Evan Spenle held fourth early on but dropped back and into retirement, with Nicky Hays then closing the gap to de Gerus late on. Mettetal came home fifth ahead of Stuart White and Gillian Henrion.?Isack Hadjar held off Victor Bernier for eighth overall and junior classification honours.
Tenth place for Gazil gave him pole position on the reversed grid for race two, which he led from start to finish.
From eighth on the grid, de Gerus went around the outside of Bernier for second place with six minutes remaining, and then chased down Gazil.
At the same Ecole hairpin where he passed Bernier, de Gerus twice got alongside the leader, and on the second occasion on the penultimate lap was pushed wide through the gravel, only just rejoining in front of third-placed Henrion.
David came from eighth to fourth in the final four laps, with Hays following him past Bernier on the last tour.
Results round-up
Race 1 (14 laps)
1 Hadrien David 21m37.386s
2 Enzo Valente +1.197s
3 Reshad de Gerus +1.684s
4 Nicky Hays +2.326s
5 Jules Mettetal +2.706s
6 Stuart White +3.445s
7 Gillian Henrion +4.594s
8 Isack Hadjar (J) +5.727s
9 Victor Bernier?(J) +6.609s
10 Ugo Gazil +8.214s
Fastest lap: David, 1m31.488s
Race 2 (14 laps)
1 Gazil 21m53.225s
2 de Gerus +0.759s
3 Henrion +1.181s
4 David +2.782s
5 Hays +3.280s
6 Bernier?(J) +4.180s
7 White +4.329s
8 Valente +4.649s
9 Mettetal +4.970s
10 Hadjar?(J) +5.532s
FL: David, 1m32.305s
Championship standings
1 David 33? ?2 de Gerus 27? ?3 Valente 20? ?4 Gazil 19? ?5 Hays 18? ?6 Henrion 16? ?7 White 12? ?8 Mettetal 11? ?9 Sten van der Henst 2? ?10 Mikkel Grundtvig 1