Pradel thwarts Slater as safety car mars Italian F4 finale at Monza

Photo: ACI Sport

US Racing’s Gianmarco Pradel just held off champion Freddie Slater to take his maiden Italian Formula 4 victory in a final race of the season at Monza blighted by incidents and safety car interventions.

Repeated appearances of the safety car marred what was shaping up to be a great battle to the flag – a frustrating way to end the season.

Indeed, the timing of the fourth and final safety car proved critical, as the boards were displayed just as Prema’s Freddie Slater made his move to take the lead into Ascari. Pradel was adjudged to have been ahead by millimetres and Slater was obliged to hand back the position.

With insufficient time to restart the race, Pradel took the flag under yellow, giving Slater no opportunity to round off his record-breaking season with a 16th win. However, Pradel fully deserved his success, having passed Slater on track twice to gain and regain the lead.

Behind them, Prema’s Alex Powell held off Kean Nakamura Berta to pip his team-mate to the rookie title, after an exciting battle, as the four leaders swapped positions in the rare racing laps between yellows.

Pradel made a superb start, with the field on slicks on a still damp track surface, to take the lead from pole man Slater into turn one, as Powell slotted into third.

The leaders made it through the first two chicanes but lower down the order, Prema’s Oleksandr Bondarev ran into the back of Edu Robinson under braking for Roggia, with a separate incident eliminated the two ART GP cars of Lia Block and Bianca Bustamante, bringing out the safety car for the first time.

Pradel left his restart late, allowing Powell to challenge Slater for second, but the Englishman was back ahead by the Roggia chicane.

Real Racing’s Luca Viisoreanu spun at the first chicane but managed to rejoin, but an off from Jenzer Motorsport’s Enea Frey at the Roggia brought the safety car back out.

Pradel changed his approach for the next restart, going earlier, but ran wide at the first chicane, letting Slater into the lead, with Powell nipping through as well.

Powell had to defend vigorously from the Australian into the Lesmo, but as they approached Ascari, Nakamura Berta had joined the battle, running three abreast into the corner.

Pradel emerged in front, with Powell dropping to fourth, although he managed to just get ahead of Nakamura Berta before the race was neutralised for the third time.

Slater managed the next restart but was unable to pull a gap on Pradel. Crossing the line just 0.269s behind, the US Racing driver outdragged Slater into Turn one. Slater lined up a move out of the second chicane, and as Pradel moved to defend the inside, Slater was almost forced onto the grass.

With a quick exit out of the second Lesmo, Slater was alongside under through the Serraglio. Had the safety car been called a fraction of a second later he would have been through but, although he completed the pass on track, he was obliged to cede the position back to Pradel.

Race results (12 laps)