Nakamura sets the pace before red flags disrupt F4’s Macau practice

Photo: Macau Grand Prix

Kean Nakamura Berta topped the times in the first free practice session for the FIA Formula 4 World Cup in Macau.

The reigning Italian F4 champion was first to set the pace in the 40-minute session and remained in first place throughout. There were 19 drivers on track, all being operated centrally by an alliance between Chinese F4 organiser Mintimes and the FFSA which runs all cars in French F4.

Red flags bookended running in the first F4 session of the weekend, with another stoppage breaking up the action midway through FP1. The first was triggered by British F4 champion Fionn McLaughlin, who came to a stop before even reaching turn two on his outlap due to a mechanical problem.

Green flags waved eight minutes in to start running proper. Nakamura went quickest with his first flying lap, and improved on his next tour of the circuit as Chinese F4 champion Shimo Zhang rose to second place, 0.551 seconds back.

Nakamura lowered the pace two more times, becoming the only driver to go sub-2m28s. Emanuele Olivieri came closest to his 2m27.776s benchmark, but was 0.825s off his pace.

The second red flag period began 21mins in, when Alexandre Munoz crashed at turn 22. FP1 resumed with only eight minutes remaining, and yellow flags waved a minute after that as Itsuki Sato locked up at Lisboa and stopped in front of the barriers. He was able to reverse and get going again, avoiding causing further disruption, but there were soon yellow flags elsewhere as someone went off at the Melco hairpin.

Red flags then returned with four minutes to go, as Yuzhe Wang clouted the Lisboa barriers with his rear-left wheel and stopped his car before reaching the next corner. There was no restart, locking in the order established in the session’s first half.

Gino Trappa was third quickest, 1.107s off the pace and just 0.011s ahead of Zhang. Sebastian Wheldon was fifth fastest and 1.234s slower than his Italian F4 rival Nakamura, with Ryan Caretti and Munoz the only other drivers within two seconds of him. Jules Roussel, Ary Bansal and Thomas Bearman completed the top 10.

Free practice results