Lammers resists Przyrowski for Spanish F4 win in Navarra opener

Photo: Dutch Photo Agency

Rene Lammers kept Jan Przyrowski at bay to clinch Spanish Formula 4 victory in the first race of the weekend at Navarra.

Campos Racing team-mates Przyrowski and Thomas Strauven set identical times to lead Friday’s opening pre-event test session before MP Motorsport’s Lammers topped two further sessions held in wet conditions.

Strauven got the better of Przyrowski to head Saturday morning’s free practice session and then went on to claim a double pole position in qualifying. He was 0.213 seconds quicker than Lammers, who edged out Przyrowski by 0.07s for a place on the front row. Przyrowski will join Strauven at the front of the grid for Sunday’s race two based on second fastest times.

When the lights went out, Lammers was able to nose ahead of Strauven on the inside and claim the lead through the opening right-hander.

The Dutchman was 1.4s clear after one lap while there was little to separate Strauven and Przyrowski once again, with the Pole managing to find his way past in the opening corners of lap two.

One lap later it was the turn of the MP drivers to squabble just behind them, with Reno Francot passing Juan Cota for fourth. Ean Eyckmans also tried to pass Cota, but it was Campos’ Matus Ryba who then made it three-wide and passed both, as did Rodin’s Nathan Tye – who was once again racing strongly from outside the top 10 on the grid.

The fighting behind meant Lammers led by as much as 2.3s but once clear of Strauven, Przyrowski was able to able to eliminate his deficit.

With three minutes to go, he dived to the inside of Lammers in the final corner. He tucked into the slipstream of the leader down the straight and got ahead on the inside into Turn 3, but Lammers fought back with better exit. They went side-by-side again at the same place a lap later, but Lammers once more found better traction on the outside.

Lammers, who lost two wins to Przyrowski last time out at Motorland Aragon to track limits penalties, hung on to take victory by just 0.213s at the chequered flag.

Strauven also finished within a second of the winner in third. Francot was fourth with Cota getting back in front of Ryba and Tye for fifth.

Race results (17 laps)