Patricio O’Ward wins it for Mexico at Paul Ricard!

Patricio O’Ward from Mexico scored a telling victory and added his name to the list of winners in the 2014 French F4 Championship. He finished in front of Dane Lasse Sorensen, who gave another brilliant display of his talent, and Max Defourny from Belgium who also clinched his first top-3 finish in the championship.

Max Defourny and Russian Vladimir Atoev had injected a lot of excitement into race 1, and they shared the front row for the second heat because of the reversed grid positions for the first 10 in the first event. Behind them on row 2 were Paul Hokfelt Jr from Switzerland and Patricio O’Ward.

When the lights went out Vladimir Atoev was the quickest away, but Defourny fought back and retook the lead in the second corner, which dropped the Russian back several places. Behind these two there was a lot of pushing and shoving among the ASA trainees and Anglo-Swiss Félix Hirsiger was the unwitting victim on lap 1. O’Ward, who started in fourth place had already latched onto the gearbox of the leader with Vladimir Atoev in third place. Swede Reuben Kressner retired and next time round Swiss-Albanian Gjerj Haxhiu also quit the dance, another victim of the hectic mid-field action. Thanks to the reversed grid, the second race of the weekend provided the spectators with a thrilling spectacle.

All the drivers pushed hard out on the track and it was Valentin Hasse’s Clot and Tom Soubiron’s turn to collide costing both drivers several places. Away from this dogfight O’Ward opened up a gap of more than a second over Defourny after the first third of the race. Atoev was still third with Hokfelt Jr in hot pursuit of the Russin ready to seize the slightest opportunity. Lasse Sorensen, who started the heat in 10th place, was carving his way up thought the field and slotted into seventh. Just in front of him Dorian Boccolacci had to keep his eyes open as the Dane posed a serious threat.

Victorious in race 1 Sorensen picked off his rivals one by one and was in sixth place at half distance. Boccolacci still in the running for second place overall in the 2014 championship was seventh in front of Valentin Moineault, Amaury Richard, and Simo Laaksonen from Finland who rounding out the top 10.

English driver Harrison Newey has made constant progress since his debut in the French F4 Championship and was really getting the hang of his car. He was in 13th place as the race entered its closing stages, but was handed a penalty after overtaking under yellow flags.

Nobody was able to stop Sorensen, who has dominated the 2014 season. He was now fifth after getting past Hokfelt Jr, while Boccolacci was unable to fend off Amaury Richard and Valentin Moineault and he dropped back a long way with four laps to go to the flag.

In the closing laps Sorensen kept up the pressure and overtook the two Russians Bulatov and Atoev. Last time round the Dane snatched second place from Defourny. Mexican O’Ward strolled home to victory obtaining his first major result of the season in front of the incredible Sorensen and Defourny.

Moineault who set the fastest time in qualifying will start on pole for race 3 alongside Sorensen with Hirsiger in third place.

Rendezvous for race 3: Sunday 26th October at 10h30.

Quotes
Patricio O’Ward: “I’m really happy with this victory after my podium finish in Jerez. Of course, everybody wants to win and I’m delighted I’ve done it! In the outcome of the championship classification everything will depend on Denis’s result. It’ll all be decided at the end of race three tomorrow.”

Lasse Sorensen: “I don’t need to think about the championship and I still love driving as much as ever. I really wanted to win this race to add more podiums and trophies to my collection!“

Max Defourny: “I’m delighted to be on the third step of the podium after missing out on victory at Nogaro where I led for the whole race.”

Info Auto Sport Academy / © Photo KSP