Photo: ACI Sport
Many expected Kean Nakamura Berta to star in Italian Formula 4 this year, but he had gone 11 races without a podium before his first win last time out.
A karting career that earned him a place on Formula Scout’s top karters of the year list twice in a row was followed by a 2023 in which the Alpine junior came third in the CIK-FIA World Karting Championship for OK karts and sixth in the World Cup for KZ2 karts as well as claiming two poles from two weekends in Formula 4 with Prema.
He stayed with Prema for 2024, putting pressure on him to meet the team’s usual title-winning standards, but first drove for the Mumbai Falcons team it provides technical support to in F4 United Arab Emirates. That campaign featured two wins, five other podiums, two poles and a narrow title defeat to team-mate Freddie Slater.
Since then, Slater has accumulated 265 points and 11 wins in Italian F4 while Nakamura had one top-four finish before winning the most recent race at Paul Ricard. He has less than 100 points and is out of title contention.
So how important to Nakamura was that victory, and does the 16-year-old think it will be more than a one-off?
“On the second-to-last lap I got really close to Gustav [Jonsson of Van Amersfoort Racing]. I got a good exit out of turn 12 and I did have a look into turn 14. We rubbed a little bit, it was a little bit sketchy but I thought better of it,” he told Formula Scout.
“I just prepped turn 15 like crazy and just hoped I’d get a good exit. He didn’t have a great exit and from there it was just a drag race into turn one. I knew we were both going to brake really late for the last lap so I just sent it on the brakes. We both washed out of the circuit – I thought I was in front in the corner so I’ll keep the position.
“My heart was beating fast and it was a very stressful last few laps of the race but extremely happy with the result. I thank the team for making a good decision alongside me and for making sure my tyres lasted the whole distance.
“It’s mega. It’s a great way to end the first half of the season which has been quite tough, which I didn’t expect. Hopefully I can continue with this momentum in the second half when we get back [in the car].”
Before the next Italian F4 round are the first two Euro 4 rounds at Mugello – a track he has already raced on – and the Red Bull Ring. Therefore he could still end 2024 as an F4 champion, particularly if his Paul Ricard performance pushes him higher.
“It’s a relief that finally I’ve won a race and I think I’ll treasure this win over many wins I’ve done before because I got a bit of confidence back.”
Interview by Roger Gascoigne