Mercedes-AMG F1 junior Kenzo Craigie claims first F4 pole and win

Photo: Top Speed

Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 junior Kenzo Craigie claimed his maiden car racing pole and win today in UAE4.

The R-ace GP driver was quickest in the first qualifying session at Dubai Autodrome, then a few hours converted pole into victory.

Craigie claimed top spot in qualifying by 0.199 seconds, having previously been 0.531s clear of team-mate Andy Consani before Mumbai Falcons driver Sasha Bondarev posted a last-lap improvement to snatch second.

Mumbai Falcons’ Niccolo Maccagnani was 0.759s slower than Craigie in fourth, with Scott Lindblom (Hitech GP), David Cosma Cristofor (Prema), Alp Aksoy Hasan (Mumbai Falcons) and Emily Cotty (R-ace) the only other drivers within a second of pole.

The six drivers entered by Xcel Motorsport, the fastest of which was Jarrett Clark in 12th, had their cars co-run by Virtuosi Racing. Best known for its title-winning time in Formula 2, which it dropped off the grid of last year when Invicta Watch Group bought out its entry after previously investing in the team, Virtuosi now races solely in British Formula 4.

One of their contingent, the debuting Roman Felber, was eliminated in a dramatic start to race one. He and Lindblom stalled, with Lindblom’s car being struck by Nasser Al Thani (QMMF by Hitech) whose wrecked car then went spinning.

It led to the safety car being called out mid-lap, and the field heading through the pitlane at the end of the first two laps. On lap four Emma Felbermayr (PHM Racing) and Elia Weiss (R-ace) pulled up next to the pit exit and retired, and the restart was not until lap seven.

Craigie had swept to the inside at the start, which was very dusty, and Bondarev cut the first few corners but rejoined the track in second after using the escape road. He then forced Craigie into defence down the back straight before racing was neutralised.

On the restart, Craigie weaved down the pit straight again and Bondarev had another off at turn two. He held his position once more though, soaking up pressure from Consani. They got close to each other at the end of the back straight, and Bondarev’s attention then switched to Craigie.

He had eradicated his 1.2s lead by lap nine, and his look into the inside at the end of the back straight led to Craigie locking up. Another overtaking attempt was made a few corners later, and Craigie was defensive on the back straight through the next two laps. Bondarev had another lunge on the final tour, getting right onto Craigie’s gearbox, but could not get past and the results were taken from the end of lap 10.

Cosma tried taking fourth from Maccagnani on lap eight, and two laps later Maccagnani defended against him on the run to turn one. Aksoy finished sixth, Hitech’s Theo Palmer overtook Cotty for seventh on lap eight, and Pinnacle Motorsport’s Rowan Campbell-Pilling finished ninth on-the-road but got a penalty for jumping the start.

Race results (10 laps)