Juan Cota tops Spanish F4’s in-season test at Valencia by just 0.001s

Photo: Spanish F4

Drivex School’s Juan Cota topped the times in Spanish Formula 4’s in-season test at Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo circuit.

The field was split into two groups, with three sessions each on Tuesday and again on Wednesday.

Group B was in action first, and MP Motorsport’s Keanu Al Azhari set a 1m33.650s to pip Cota by 0.034 seconds. Tecnicar Motorsport’s Adam Al Azhari was 0.268s behind in third, and MP Motorsport dup Mattia Colnaghi and Maciej Gladysz were fourth and fifth. The 21-car group included five drivers who have not raced in Spanish F4 this year.

Quickest of those was Tecnicar’s recently signed official test driver Sacha Van’t Pad Boch. The Dutchman, best known for his karting achievements, was 0.942s off the pace in 10th place. The other test-only drivers were Bullet Sports Management’s karting protege Santino Panetta (TC Racing) and Drivex’s trio of Brazilian F4 race-winner Gino Trappa, F4 Central European Zone points leader Oscar Wurz and French F4 title outsider Chester Kieffer.

When Group A headed out, Campos Racing’s Jan Przyrowski was fastest with a 1m34.051s. He led team-mates Nathan Tye and Andres Cardenas by 0.13 and 0.173 seconds respectively. Just 0.778s covered the top 13 in the 17-car group, and Sainteloc Racing ran two ‘wildcard’ cars for USF Juniors race-winner Ariel Elkin and Frenchman Philippe Armand Karras who recently graduated from karting to race in F4 Central European Zone. They were ninth and 15th fastest respectively.

Colnaghi lowered the pace to 1m33.440s in Group B’s second session, and was quickest by 0.236s over Gladysz. Drivex’s Juan Cota and Keanu Al Azhari were a further 0.04s behind.

Przyrowski was again fastest when Group A headed back out, but could not match the benchmark pace. He set a 1m33.637s, and team-mates James Egozi, Tye and Enzo Tarnvanichkul were 0.081s, 0.147s and 0.179s slower than him in second to fourth.

Al Azhari topped session three for Group B, a 1m33.596s putting him on top by a slim 0.057s. Cota was second, and Gladysz was 0.15s back in third.

The day ended with Rodin Motorsport’s Peter Bouzinelos leading Group A with a 1m33.713s lap. He was fastest by 0.208s over Cardenas.

Group A went out first on Wednesday, and the pace was immediately lowered. Tarnvanichkul set a 1m33.137s, going fastest by 0.132s. Egozi was second, and the previous benchmark was also beaten by Przyrowski and Cardenas.

Cota beat Tarnvanichkul’s time by 0.001s in Group B. He led Colnaghi by 0.131s, and Adam Al Azhari was third fastest.

A 1m33.318s put Przyrowski on top of Group A’s next session, with Egozi second again, then Colnaghi set a 1m33.289s to lead Group B by 0.201s over Cota.

The final sessions were slower, but Group A’s was close as Tye was only 0.025s quicker than Rodin’s Thomas Strauven, 0.029s ahead of Egozi and 0.095s faster than Bouzinelos. Cota meanwhile had a 0.222s gap to Kieffer in Group B.

Test results