Race Report

FIA FORMULA 4
ITALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP, Rounds 04/05/06

Circuit: Adria (I), Length 2,702 km, 06^th/07^th/08^th May 2016
www.adriaraceway.com

JENZER MOTORSPORT 2016:
Diego Ciantini (ARG), Marcos Siebert (ARG) & Giacomo Bianchi (CH).
Guest drivers for Adria: Kevin Kratz (D) & Fabio Scherer (CH).

Siebert wins in Adria to lead the championship

The second of seven meetings in the Italian FIA Formula 4 Championship took place at the Misano World Circuit near Rimini (I). With 41 competitors present for the meeting, hopes were as high as could be in advance of the start. You can follow the races live on sporttube tv.

Qualifying

Friday, 06/05/16, 18.40 – 19.30, Weather: Sunny, 22°C

Because of the numbers, the weekends are run to the following format: The drivers are divided into groups, and they first run in two 40-minute free practice sessions. Then follows a qualifying session of 20 minutes for each group. The program continues with qualification-races. Each driver competes in two out of three qualification-races and the best 36 drivers normally compete in the final race, though track restrictions at Adria meant only 32 would make it that far.
The fastest lap times for each driver in qualifying are use to set the grid for the first qualification race, with the second fastest lap times determining the grid of qualification race two. The third qualification race grid is based on the results of race one, but with the ten first finishers in reverse order.
Two free practice sessions were run in lovely warm weather in the morning.
Siebert, Ciantini and Scherer were all in Group one.
Bianchi and Kratz were scheduled to start in Group two but Kevin opted not to continue after an accident in the morning left him feeling unwell.

FIA Formula 4 Italian Championship

Qualification Race One/B – C (25 minutes + 1 lap)

Saturday, 07/05/16, 10.30, Weather: Sunny, 22°C

In the first race of the weekend Marcos and Diego both started from very promising grid positions, Marcos was 4^th and Diego 5^th. Two cars stalled so the start was aborted and rerun. Marcos made a good start but then ran wide which cost him a place. Diego got too much wheelspin and didn’t get make a good start, finally getting going in 14^th place. There followed a hard race with very few overtaking manoeuvres. Marcos managed to put some pressure on Shlom, but he couldn’t find a way past, while Marcos held his 5^th place all the way to the chequered flag. Diego was fighting with Iribarne and Ponzio, and eventually got pushed off track at the chicane. That dropped him back to 17^th and though he didn’t stop trying it was very difficult to make up places. In the end he crossed the finish line in 16^th.

FIA Formula 4 Italian Championship

Qualification Race Two/A – B (25 minutes + 1 lap)

Saturday, 07/05/16, 17.00, Weather: Sunny, 24°C

In the second race Diego started from 6^th and was immediately kept on the pace of the leading group. He fought with Raucci, was pushed off and had a brief off track moment that cost him two positions. After that Diego held his position and crossed the finish line in a very good 8^th. Giacomo started the race from 13^th, the best grid position of his young career, and he managed to move up to 12^th soon after. Giacomo set some excellent lap times, and even several fastest sector times, but his next attempt to overtake was a little too optimistic and shot straight into the gravel, where he ended up stuck. That unfortunately ended his race prematurely. Fabio started right at the back, but improved his position immediately. He tried another pass, but was pushed off at the chicane and dropped back again. On the very last lap he set his personal best lap time of the race and finally crossed the line in 19^th.

FIA Formula 4 Italian Championship

Qualification Race Three/A – C (25 minutes + 1 lap)

Sunday, 08/05/16, 09.00, Weather: Sunny, 14°C

Marcos got a great start and immediately leapfrogged from 4^th to 3^rd. Towards the end of lap one he also managed to pass Guzman, though the favour was repaid several laps when he was outbraked by Guzman, putting him back to 3rd. Giacomo also got a good start and held onto his 12^th place, at least unril he ran wide in one of the corners, and was crashed into by another driver. Giacomo flew off track with a damaged car and the Safety Car had to be deployed, Giacomo struggled back to the pit lane where various parts were replaced on his car and he was able to continue the race. Fabio started from 16^th but was soon up to 13^th. After the restart he managed to improve his position further and crossed the finish line in 10^th to collect his first points. Giacomo took the flag a lap down and was classified 15^th. At the restart Cunati pushed Guzman off track, and Marcos, as the lucky third placed man, took over the lead. He promptly opened up a gap and Cunati never had a chance to attack him again. Marcos came home as the winner of the race!

FIA Formula 4 Italian Championship

Final Race (25 minutes + 1 lap)

Sunday, 08/05/16, 14.00, Weather: Sunny, 24°C

For the Final Marcos started from 2^nd, Diego from 16^th, Fabio from 18^th and Giacomo from 26^th. They all started well with Marcos holding onto 2^nd place, though he was soon under pressure from Vieira. It was a tough battle, and allowed Ye to get closer, from where he was able to put the pressure on Vieira, giving Marcos some breathing space, at least until Ye managed to overtake Vieira. Ye quickly caught Marcos and passed him before there was an accident which required the Safety car to be deployed again. Afterwards there wasn’t enough time for a restart, so the race ended behind the Safety Car. Marcos stepped on the podium yet again, this time in 3^rd. Diego drove well in the midfield and worked his way forward to 12^th, while Fabio also made up places, finally finishing the race just behind Diego in 13^th. Giacomo ran wide at the start and lost a few places, but then ran a good race, setting fast lap times and gaining places until he was back to 23^rd again.

The next race of the Italian F4 Championship will take place in three weeks time, on the weekend of the 29^th May at Imola (I).

Championship Standings

FIA Formula 4 Italian Championship 2016 after 6 races:
1^st Marcos Siebert (ARG), 103 points; 2^nd Raul Guzman M. (MEX), 91 points; 3^rd Maurizio Baiz (BRA), 81 points; 4^th Mick Schumacher (D), 60 points; 5^th Joao Vieira Q. (BRA),58 points; 6^th Simone Cunati (I), 55 points; 7^th Job van Uitert (NL), 43 points; 24^th Diego Ciantini (ARG), 3 points; 26^th Fabio Scherer (CH), 2 points; 29^th Kevin Kratz (D), 1 point

2016 FIA FORMULA 4 ITALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP - CALENDAR

More info:

• www.acisportitalia.it/F4/
• www.italiaracing.net