Powell stays in F4 Middle East title fight with third victory of 2025

Photo: F4 Middle East

R-ace GP’s Alex Powell kept himself in Formula 4 Middle East title contention by winning the third race at Yas Marina Circuit.

He is chasing team-mate Emanuele Olivieri and Mumbai Falcons’ Kean Nakamura Berta with one round to go, and Olivieri actually grew his points lead by finishing third. It had decreased before the race, as Olivieri lost his race one win to Nakamura due to a five-second penalty for jumping the start that dropped him to third.

Mumbai Falcons’ Tomass Stolcermanis started on the race three front row alongside poleman Powell, and made a better start to get ahead on the inside. Powell attempted to stay alongside on the outside, which then became the inside for turn three where he got back into the lead.

Powell built a small gap to Stolcermanis and Oliveri in the first few laps, before the safety car brought them back together on lap five as Tameem Hassiba had retired on the Formula 1 pit straight. Olivieri had attacked Stolcermanis through laps two and three, and on lap four was alongside him on the outside down the back straight.

He was ahead as they approached the final chicane, so Stolcermanis braked late and Olivieri was forced off. He got ahead, but let Stolcermanis back past before turn one on lap five. He locked up there, and found himself under pressure from Nakamura.

Powell led the field back to racing speeds on lap eight, and weaved his way to turn one. Olivieri looked to the outside of Stolcermais at turn one, then Powell did the same thing down the back straight on lap nine. The pair behind him were alongside going into the final chicane, and this time Stolcermanis went off as he accelerated onto the pit straight.

Olivieri crossed the line 0.001 seconds ahead, but Stolcermanis locked up into turn one to keep second. On the next lap, Olivieri tried the outside line there and despite their battling they began closing back in on Powell.

He won by just 0.368s over Stolcermanis, who just remained in title contention, with Olivieri 0.715s behind and Nakamura a few car lengths back along with team-mate Salim Hanna Hernandez.

Prema’s Sasha Bondarev held sixth despite some mistakes, and team-mate Sebastian Wheldon passed Evans GP’s Martin Molnar, Akcel GP by PHM Racing’s Reno Francot and then Yas Heat Academy’s Adam Al Azhari to finish seventh.

Al Azhari kept Molnar at bay, but they ended up in 10th and 11th behind Francot and Evans GP’s Tiago Rodrigues.

Race results (15 laps)