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Pizzi wins again ahead of Mini in Monza Italian F4 race two

by Peter Allen

Photo: ACI Sport

Francesco Pizzi took his second win of the weekend in race two of the Italian Formula 4 round at Monza.

Unlike in race one, Pizzi kept Gabriele Mini at bay to take the chequered flag first, but it’s the Van Amersfoort Racing driver who is under investigation on this occasion following a safety car period.

An electrical issue prevented polesitter Andrea Rosso from taking the start, allowing Mini to lead the field into the first corner, but Pizzi grabbed the lead by the end of the opening lap.

Mini briefly took the lead one-third of the way through the 30-minute race around the outside of the first chicane, but Pizzi soon reclaimed the position.

Then came drama as the safety car was deployed for a first-corner clash between Hamda Al-Qubaisi and Han Cenyu. As the field checked up behind leader Pizzi, third-placed Pietro Delli Guanti was hit from behind by fifth-placed Filip Ugran, eliminating both cars on the spot.

At the restart with five-and-a-half minutes remaining, Pizzi slowly controlled the pack and was able to keep his lead. He was placed under investigation for the safety car procedure, but it’s currently unclear whether this was for his restart or for the way that the pace was slowed when the safety car was deployed.

Mini looked around the outside of Pizzi at the chicane on the restart but got wide and lost second place to his Prema team-mate Sebastian Montoya.

Behind, another Prema driver Dino Beganovic was spun around in a coming together that eliminated Lorenzo Patrese and Dexter Patterson from the race.

Montoya looked on course for his maiden podium finish, even as Mini reclaimed second place at the start of the final lap. However, Gabriel Bortoleto also tried to follow Mini past and banged wheels with team-mate Montoya, who was forced into the gravel trap, dropping him down the order.

Pizzi made the last of several lock-ups into Ascari for the final time under pressure from Mini, and drove in his mirrors down to the Parabolica, but held onto take the win.

Bortoleto took third ahead of Iron Lynx driver Leonardo Fornaroli and Jenzer Motorsport duo Santiago Ramos and Piotr Wisnicki, who both claimed their best ever results.

Montoya finished eighth behind Jesse Salmenautio and just ahead of Taylor Barnard, who stormed from the back row of the grid to finish ninth in just his fifth car racing start.

Race results (14 laps)
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Francesco Pizzi Van Amersfoort Racing 32m18.659s
2 Gabriele Mini Prema +0.438s
3 Gabriel Bortoleto Prema +1.184s
4 Leonardo Fornaroli Iron Lynx +1.542s
5 Santiago Ramos Jenzer Motorsport +1.963s
6 Piotr Wisnicki Jenzer Motorsport +3.495s
7 Jesse Salmenautio Bhaitech +3.895s
8 Sebastian Montoya Prema +5.856s
9 Taylor Barnard AKM Motorsport +6.199s
10 Sebastian Ogaard Bhaitech +10.219s
11 Sebastian Freymuth AS Motorsport +10.563s
12 Bence Valint Van Amersfoort Racing +11.936s
13 Lorenzo Fluxa AKM Motorsport +15.911s
14 Francesco Simonazzi BVM Racing +19.202s
15 Dino Beganovic Prema +25.472s
16 Francesco Braschi Jenzer +1 lap
16 Georgios Markogiannis Cram Motorsport +1 lap
Ret Dexter Patterson Bhaitech
Ret Lorenzo Patrese AKM Motorsport
Ret Cenyu Han Van Amersfoort Racing
Ret Pietro Delli Guanti BVM Racing
Ret Filip Ugran Jenzer Motorsport
Ret Hamda Al Qubaisi Abu Dhabi Racing
Ret Zdenek Chovanec Bhaitech
DNS Andrea Rosso Cram Motorsport
DNS Axel Gnos G4 Racing
Fastest lap: Fornaroli, 1m54.731s

Championship Standings
Mini 215   2 Pizzi 167   3 Rosso 139   4 Ugran 116   5 Jonny Edgar 107   7 Bortoleto 107   6 Beganovic 104   8 Jak Crawford 85   9 Fornaroli 59   10 Montoya 59