Nakamura wins E4 race one at Mugello to level up title fight

Photo: ACI Sport

Kean Nakamura Berta won the first E4 race at Mugello to move level with Gabriel Gomez at the top of the standings.

There was a massive 34-car grid for the race, and on the formation lap AKM Motoesport’s Tomass Stolcermanis failed to get off the line and he was wheeled into the pits.

On the actual start, Prema’s poleman Nakamura had R-ace GP’s Alex Powell attacking him into the first braking zone. A few corners later the safety car was summoned due to R-ace’s Emily Cotty and AS Motorsport’s Mathilda Paatz colliding.

Racing resumed on lap five and Powell attacked Nakamura on the outside into San Donato again. The leader held on and built a gap over the course of the lap, as Maximilian Popov overtook Van Amersfoort Racing team-mate Dante Vinci for third.

Prema’s Salim Hanna Hernandez and US Racing’s Gomez had got into fifth and sixth on lap one, and behind them was the race’s main battle as PHM Racing’s Reno Francot attacked Prema’s Newman Chi for seventh.

They were particularly close on lap seven, with Francot attempting a diving move, and Chi began lap 12 weaving as he tried to break the tow. Francot went around his outside at turn one, which became the inside at turn two but a lock-up prevented him from successfully passing. He attacked at each of the next corners, then went around the outside of Chi at the high-speed Arrabbiata 1 and they collided. Both hurtles into the gravel and retirement.

Behind them, Prema’s Sebastian Wheldon had been attacking US’s Andrija Kostic for 11th consistently after the restart. On lap 10, Kostic then switched from defense to attack and almost got by Prema’s Sasha Bondarev at turn one. That failed attempt gave Wheldon more moentum and he got ahead mid-lap.

However they were side-by-side again as they began lap 11 and the inside line kept Wheldon ahead through turn one. US’s Kabir Anurag was now right behind them and he nailed an overtake on Kostic into turn two. He did not stay ahead for long as when Kostic got back alongside a few corners he left no room for Anurag who went through the gravel and fell down the order.

Nakamura took victory by just under a second, with Hanna taking fourth from Vinci as the final lap began due to Vinci locking up into the final corner on the penultimate tour.

VAR’s Alexander Ruta finished seventh, ahead of Bondarev, Wheldon and Kostic, who had to get back past R-ace’s debutant Andy Consani on the last lap.

Race results (15 laps)