Photo: Saudi Arabian F4
The new Saudi Arabian Formula 4 series launched this weekend with a non-championship ‘Trophy Event’ in Bahrain.
All 13 cars participating were run by Meritus GP, which previously centrally ran F4 South East Asia, and the inaugural season is set to begin next month.
Suleiman Zanfari topped practice, setting a 2m06.487s to lead Faisal Alkabbani by 0.665 seconds. The top six were covered by 2.713s, with the remaining drivers seemingly not setting representative laptimes such was their deficit to Zanfari’s pace.
In qualifying Zanfari was fastest again, improving to 2m05.585s to lead Hamda Al Qubaisi by 0.359s. Oscar Wurz was 0.475s behind in third, with three others within a second of pole.
At the start of race one Zanfari covered the inside line to hold the lead, while Federico Al Rifai passed Wurz for third at turn two. Al Qubaisi forced Zanfari into defence at the start of lap two, then on lap three she had to hold off Al Rifai when he attempted a move down the inside of turn four.
On lap four she made multiple attempts at passing Zanfari but he held firm, and it brought Saqer S Almoasherji into the lead fight. At turn nine Al Qubaisi dropped to fourth, with Al Rifai now Zanfari’s closest challenger. He also made multiple attempts at passing but lost out to Wurz in doing so.
Al Qubaisi retired on lap five, prompting the safety car to come out until lap eight. Wurz attacked Zanfari on the restart but got overtaken by Al Rifai, who managed to take the lead from Zanfari at turn four on lap nine. Zanfari came back past at turn eight, with Wurz now in second. He took the lead at turn 13, with Zanfari running off and returning to track behind Al Rifai.
Almoasherji wriggled his way into second at turn one on lap 10 and held the position to the end, while Zanfari became the next retiree. Wurz won, and Amna Al Qubaisi was spun around on the last lap, dropping from fourth to ninth.
Alkabbani had reversed-grid pole for race two, which had two formation laps after several drivers stalled. Zanfari took the lead from Alkabbani at turn four on lap one, while Wurz broke his front wing the back of the pack and trundled around before changing it on lap two.
The safety car appeared at the end of lap one, and racing resumed on lap four. The top three, completed by Amna Al Qubaisi, held their positions through the rest of the race and the four-car fight for fourth gradually died down with Omar Alwaleed Aldereyaane prevailing. But a 10s post-race penalty dropped him to seventh, handing Al Rifai the position.
Drivers’ second-best qualifying laptimes set the race three grid, with Zanfari and Hamda Al Qubaisi sharing the front row. Zanfari went as tightly as he could to the inside to cover off Al Qubaisi at the start, and that enabled Al Rifai to go around the outside for second place. That became first when Zanfari suddenly slowed (and retired at the end of the lap), and the top two distanced themselves from the battle for third between Kutskov and Almoasherji.
Al Rifai won by 1.266s, and Wurz finished third after Almoasherji passed Kutskov down the inside of turn one on lap four but then made a mistake a few corners later that dropped him and Kutskov behind Wurz.
Jabor Bin Hassan Al-Thani started on reversed-grid pole for race four, but a sluggish getaway meant Amna Al Qubaisi led Aldereyaane into turn one.
At turn seven there was a huge crash involving Abdulaziz Altayar and Al-Thani, with the former loing his front wing, then at turn 11 Aldereyaane took the lead. The race was neutralised seconds later, as Al Rifai had crashed out too.
When racing resumed on lap four, Wurz went from fourth to second and pursued Aldereyaane. He overtook him at turn 10 on lap six after several side-by-side moments, then resisted pressure from him for the remaining laps.
Zanfari and Almoasherji passed Maassen on lap five to finish third and fourth. Hamda won her battle with sisster Amna for seventh.
Results round-up
Race 1 (11 laps)
1 Oscar Wurz 27m06.770s
2 Saqer S Almoasherji +1.131s
3 Federico Al Rifai +1.267s
4 Kirill Kutskov +3.391s
5 Motego Maassen +4.863s
6 Abdulaziz Altayar +10.758s
7 Omar Alwaleed Aldereyaane +11.124s
8 Jabor Bin Hassan Al-Thani +18.314s
9 Amna Al Qubaisi +22.931s
10 Abdulaziz Abuzenadah +27.621s
Pole: Suleiman Zanfari, 2m05.585s
Fastest lap: Zanfari, 2m05.437s
Race 2 (10 laps)
1 Zanfari 23m12.063s
2 Faisal Alkabbani +2.620s
3 A Al Qubaisi +2.825s
4 Al Rifai +6.254s
5 Maassen +6.767s
6 Hamda Al Qubaisi +7.962s
7 Adereyaane +13.181s
8 Kutskov +21.660s
9 Almoasherji +23.890s
10 Altayar +36.796s
FL: Al Rifai, 2m06.508s
Race 3 (10 laps)
1 Al Rifai 21m15.775s
2 H Al Qubaisi +1.266s
3 Wurz +2.557s
4 Almoasherji +3.181s
5 Kutskov +3.841s
6 Maassen +4.935s
7 A Al Qubaisi +8.337s
8 Alkabbani +13.286s
9 Aldereyaane +22.517s
10 Altayar +32.854s
P: Zanfai, 2m05.759s
FL: Al Rifai, 2m06.965s
Race 4 (11 laps)
1 Wurz 26m17.528s
2 Aldereyaane +0.532s
3 Zanfari +2.846s
4 Almoasherji +4.714s
5 Maassen +5.003s
6 Kutskov +7.560s
7 H Al Qubaisi +9.069s
8 A Al Qubaisi +10.240s
9 Alkabbani +15.940s
Ret Abuzenadah
FL: Wurz, 2m06.742s