Nakamura Berta wins F4 UAE race one to set up five-way title race

Photo: F4 UAE

The Formula 4 United Arab Emirates title battle reduced from seven to five contenders following race one of the weekend at Dubai Autodrome, which was won by Kean Nakamura Berta.

The Mumbai Falcons driver started from pole and immediately swept to the inside off the line before weaving down the pit straight to find grip on what was a dusty track. After that he was practically unchallenged, despite the appearance of the safety car during the race eradicating the gaps he made up front and two lock-ups on the final lap putting him in sight of his chasers.

Prema’s Rashid Al Dhaheri and Mumbai Falcons Alex Powell ran in second and third throughout, while there was plenty of drama in the battles behind.

That drama actually began before the start as Dion Gowda failed to get going on the formation lap and so had to start from the back of the field rather than the top 10, while Kai Daryanani spun on lap one and joined him at the tail of the order.

Jack Beeton and Enzo Yeh rose from sixth and seventh to fourth and fifth on the opening lap and Beeton was able to hold position until the end. Yeh was fast enough to stay in fifth, but lost the position on a safety car restart on lap 11.

Keanu Al Azhari and Deagen Fairclough squabbled over seventh on lap one and Al Azhari came out on top but was given a drive-through penalty. Al Azhari then forced Fairclough off down the pit straight on lap two, but when he missed turn one it meant Fairclough got back past and Enzo Deligny and Freddie Slater passed him too.

Deligny passed Slater on lap three, then the safety car came out on lap four due to debris at turn eight.

Racing resumed on lap six, and Al Azhari lost another spot to Jules Caranta who had started in fourth. Deligny and Slater made their way past Faiclough on lap seven with strong moves, then on lap eight Caranta passed Fairclough off-track down the pit straight but then drifted wide at turn one so lost out to him, and Fairclough then gained back another spot moments later by passing Deligny.

This group continued to fight until the safety car returned on lap 10 due to more debris retrieval. Slater passed Yeh when racing resumed on lap 11, and Deligny went down the inside of Fairclough and Caranta at the last corner.

Caranta did the double in return at turn one, but Deligny passed him for seventh again on lap 13.

Al Azhari chased in 10th, and with an investigation for possible overtaking during a safety car period hanging over him. The point he provisionally scored kept him atop the standings by one point over Nakamura, with Slater a further three behind.

Race results (14 laps)