Winner Wharton cuts into Ugochukwu’s F4 UAE lead after latter crashes

Photo: F4 UAE

James Wharton cut Ugo Ugochukwu’s Formula 4 United Arab Emirates lead with victory in the final race at Kuwait Motor Town, as Ugochukwu crashed out.

Wharton led for most of the race, although was overtaken on lap one by R-ace GP’s Jesse Carrasquedo Jr who from fourth on the grid went around the outside of the top three at turn two to briefly hold the lead.

Mumbai Falcons driver Wharton, who started on pole, was back ahead by lap two though and had a big margin to team-mate Tuukka Taponen and MP Motorsport’s Valerio Rinicella who had also got back past Carrasquedo.

Ugochukwu demoted him on the next lap, and then set a spree of fastest laps to close in on Rinicella. Third was gifted to him when Rinicella brielfy ran off-track with a mistake, and then Ugochukwu continued to set fastest laps as he then closed in on the top two.

Wharton had enough of a gap to Taponen to not worry about being passed, but for several laps he weaved all the way down the straight to turn two and that allowed Prema driver Ugochukwu to close in far faster than he otherwise would have.

On the penultimate lap he was right on their tail, and Ugochukwu dived down the inside of Taponen at turn two. But the pair collided, and once they had locked wheels they then ended up both stopped facing the barriers at the exit of the corner.

The danger that posed meant the safety car was summoned, and guaranteed Wharton victory ahead of Rinicella and Zachary David.

Federico Rifai and Arvid Lindblad’s race-long battle for a lowly points position ended up being for fourth and fifth instead, and James Piszcyk just behind finished sixth.

Race results (13 laps)