Powell returns to winning form in Italian F4’s second Mugello race

Photo: ACI Sport

Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 junior Alex Powell took his first Italian Formula 4 win in race two at Mugello.

The Jamaican won in E4 last year and in F4 Middle East at the start of 2025, but had suffered an inconsistent sophomore Italian F4 campaign prior to this weekend with four non-scores and one podium.

After returning to the podium in race one, R-ace GP driver Powell started on race two pole and instantly had a gap as four drivers fought for second downh to turn one.

Prema’s Newman Chi took the outside line there and went from fourth to second ahead of team-mate Sebastian Wheldon, while PHM Racing’s new driver Reno Francot dropped two places to fourth.

After putting two wheels into the gravel several times but somehow not going off, Prema’s Sacha Bondarev also lost ground as he ended lap one in ninth after starting sixth.

Francot overtook Wheldon into turn one on lap two then set the fastest lap as he tried to reduce the gap the top two had already built to the train of cars behind.

The safety car was needed on lap four as Cram Motorsport’s Elia Weiss moved across on R-ace’s Guy Albag and Real Racing Team’s Luca Viisoreanu, who were already side-by-side, spun around the front of Albag’s car then hit the barriers hard along with Viisoreanu.

Powell weaved his way down the pit straight when racing resumed on lap seven, as drops of rain began to fall and strong winds hit the track.

Bondarev lost further places lap after lap, while US’s Andrija Kostic got past Van Amersfoort Racing’s Dante Vinci into eighth. US’s Kabir Anurag was next to overtake Vinci on lap 11.

Chi and Francot were able to match Powell’s pace following the restart, and Wheldon had his hands full trying to hold off US’s Gabriel Gomez.

The tenseness of the action at the front was ended by the safety car, which led the last three laps after Maffi Racing’s Nathanael Berreby and R-ace’s Emily Cotty collided on the pit straight.

Race results (16 laps)