Photo: Saudi Arabian F4
Kit Belofsky extended his points lead in Saudi Arabian Formula 4’s second round at Bahrain.
There were two changes to the grid from round one three days prior, with Ary Bansal and Esmee Kosterman joining.
Adam Al Azhari was fastest in Wednesday’s practice, setting a 2m06.041s to lead Bansal by 0.781 seconds. Scott Lindblom and Belofsky were next, 1.15s off the pace.
In qualifying Al Azhari remained on top, his advantage reduced to 0.547s by Lindblom. Belofsky was a further 0.045s behind, with Theo Palmer 0.034s slower than him in fourth. Bansal was fifth, 0.832s off pole, and Battig was sixth but had a three-place grid penalty.
Al Azhari led race one lights-to-flag, creating a five-second lead before a safety car period left him with three laps to build it back up to 2.051s.
Palmer took third at the start, but Belofsky got back past into turn four and Bansal followed him past Palmer exiting it. Bansal then tried going around Belofsky’s outside at the last corner, which allowed Palmer to get on the inside for fourth.
They ran three-wide into turn one and Bansal grabbed third on the inside while Palmer passed Belofsky on the outside. But Belofsky reclaimed fourth through turn two.
He attacked Bansal through turn 11 on lap three, and on the outside of turn one on lap five. At turn four Palmer went around the outside of Belofsky, who masterfully moved back ahead through the downhill turn six.
Belofsky locked up into turn 10 but overtook Bansal, with Linblom four seconds ahead before the safety car appeared due to Battig and Megan Bruce crashing at turn 11. Battig, who had been attacking, got a five-place grid penalty.
When racing resumed on lap nine, Belofsky kept with Lindblom. Palmer clouted the kerbs as he tried Bansal’s inside into turn one, then nailed a turn eight dive but went off exiting turn 10 and was back in fifth.
Next time by, Palmer switched to the inside at the last moment to overtake Bansal into turn one but they had swapped places again by turn three.
Thereon Palmer had to defend against Thibaut Ramaekers, who had cleared Abdullah Kamel at turn one on his first attempt.
Al Azhari posted a 2m05.917s in FP2 on Thursday to lead Ramaekers and Belofsky by 0.320s and 0.502s respectively.
In Q2, Belofsky earned pole by 0.236s over Al Azhari. Palmer was 0.322s back in third, pipping Lindblom by 0.009s. Bansal and Ramaekers were next.
Belofsky went unchallenged in race two. Lindblom leapt up to second at the start. Palmer relegated Al Azhari to fourth, then forced him off on the straight before turn 11 where Al Azhari got back ahead on the inside.
Bansal and Kamel began lap two alongside Palmer, and Kamel made a triple pass into turn one. But he went off and rejoined down the order, while Bansal overtook Palmer.
Al Azhari locked up into turn one on lap seven, bringing Bansal onto his tail. He pulled off a move exiting the uphill turn 12 on lap eight, then Al Azhari dived down the inside at turn one. He got ahead, went too deep, and was back behind.
Palmer rubbed wheels with Al Azhari there on lap 10, overtaking on the outside. When Al Azhari took the outside at turn four, Ramaekers found space to pass into turn five.
Further ahead, Bansal caught Lindblom and they interlocked wheels entering the last lap. Bansal tried the outside of turn two, which became the inside for turn three and earned him second place. He then had to defend the position.
Results round-up
Race 1 (11 laps)
1 Adam Al Azhari 26m22.179s
2 Scott Lindblom +2.051s
3 Kit Belofsky +2.828s
4 Ary Bansal +6.138s
5 Theo Palmer +7.051s
6 Thibaut Ramaekers +7.418s
7 Abdullah Kamel +8.844s
8 Ava Dobson +9.363s
9 Esmee Kosterman +10.268s
10 Rachel Robertson +12.654s
Pole: Al Azhari, 2m06.699s
Fastest lap: Al Azhari, 2m06.907s
Race 2 (12 laps)
1 Belofsky 25m52.659s
2 Bansal +2.838s
3 Lindblom +3.774s
4 Palmer +8.000s
5 Ramaekers +8.946s
6 Al Azhari +10.116s
7 Kamel +11.583s
8 Kosterman +15.736s
9 Chiara Battig +17.503s
10 Dobson +19.211s
P: Belofsky, 2m07.066s
FL: Bansal, 2m08.187s
Championship standings
1 Belofsky 73 2 Al Azhari 64 3 Palmer 55 4 Lindblom 53 5 Ramaekers 38 6 Nina Gademan 33 7 Bansal 30 8 Kamel 28 9 Micallef 8 10 Battig 6