Jules Caranta wins safety car-filled race to boost French F4 title hopes

Photo: KSP Reportages

Jules Caranta won French Formula 4’s third race at Spa-Francorchamps to put himself back into the title fight.

The race was shortened to eight laps as it ran primarily behind the safety car, but there was still some fighting for the lead.

Yani Stevenheydens started on pole, and led until the exit of Les Combes on lap one when Caranta goes pasto. Taito Kato had briefly tried making it three-wide down the Kemmel Straight but found there was no room for him on the inside to join the battle, and when they reached Les Combes it was the outside line that served Caranta best.

Chester Kieffer ended up reaching the chicane ahead of Kato and kept him behind for the rest of the lap, and at the final chicane Frank Porte Ruiz had a huge lock-up trying not to drive into the back of the cars ahead and ended up totally cutting the corner and knocking off fifth-placed Dylan Estre. While he then parked up in the run-off, prompting the safety car to appear on lap two, Estre was able to rejoin the track in seventh but then at turn one he spun after contact with Alex O’Grady. That incident earned O’Grady a 10-second penalty.

Racing resumed on lap four and Kato went down the inside of Kieffer at turn one for third. Kieffer cut Les Combes as he tried to get back ahead but could not reclaim the place, and on the next lap the safety car returned and led the field for the rest of the race.

Stevenheydens attempted to reclaim the lead at Les Combes on lap five but cut the corner, while the cause of the second interruption was the battle for ninth. Gabriel Doyle-Parfait drove into the back of Arthur Dorison at Pouhon and broke his front wing, with both briefly going off.

Doyle-Parfait got ahead as they rejoined, but while on the outside line at turn 13 they made contact again and this time it sent both of them spinning into the gravel and out of the race.

Race results (8 laps)