Mikes wins F4 CEZ race one at Most after crash mars Friday practice

Photo: F4 CEZ

Miroslav Mikes took his and JMT Racing’s maiden Formula 4 Central European Zone win in race one at Autodrom Most, becoming the eighth different winner from 10 races this season.

Mikes held off a late challenge from Jenzer Motorsport’s Max Karhan, with Jenzer Motorsport’s Oscar Wurz taking third to extend his championship lead over fourth-placed Kirill Kutskov of Maffi Racing.

“[It was] a hard race because Karhan was very fast. In the last laps I could manage the gap and there was always enough between us under braking for the first corner,” a delighted Mikes explained to Formula Scout after the race.

He had taken pole by over 0.8 seconds from Karhan in a morning qualifying session that ended with a rain shower that prevented late improvements.

Wurz was the fastest starter from the second row, but as he tried to attack Mikes around the outside at turn one, his team-mate Karhan was able to regain the position on the exit, with Kutskov tucking into fourth. “It was pretty tight into turn one, but I managed to get a good exit and hold on,” Mikes said.

Thereafter the front four ran in formation with no driver able to challenge the driver in front. Karhan closed onto Mikes’ tail in the closing laps but the leader held him off.

French karter Philippe Armand Karras came home fifth on his race debut for Gender Racing Team, although his twin brother and team-mate Jean-Pierre Karras stalled on the grid before recovering to seventh at the flag.

Karras benefitted from a mid-race incident which eliminated Marek Micik, racing as part of the newly-established F4 CEZ Academy Club, and Kornelia Olkucka. Micik lost his front wing in the contact and was forced to retire, while Olkucka pitted to replace a punctured rear tyre before rejoining a lap down.

Michalina Sabaj finished sixth, with the third female driver Michelle Jandova coming home eighth.

A serious incident during Friday’s free practice session resulted in Jenzer’s Teodor Borenstein and Janik Motorsport’s Franciszek Halatnik being rushed to hospital. The championship organizers issued a statement on Saturday confirming that both are stabilised, fully conscious and no longer in a life-threatening condition.

The F4 paddock formed up to wish both drivers a “speedy recovery”. With both cars having been severely damaged, and impounded following the incident, the field was reduced to just 10 cars for the weekend’s three races.

Race result (16 laps)