F4 Academy: Arao snatches pole in Pau in the final minutes

Suspense prevailed in the streets of Paul during the Qualifying session. On a city circuit where overtaking is likely to be difficult, all the drivers knew what was at stake in these 25 minutes and they spared no effort to achieve the best possible performance, on a dry track and in good weather.

The hierarchy was constantly changing and the 24 young academicians had to keep a cool head to avoid making mistakes and hitting the rails installed for the occasion in the city of Pau. The Pirelli tyres proved to be effective almost to the end of the session, as the Japanese driver Souta Arao beat the Australian Hugh Barter to the line in the Final minutes with a magnificent 1’17″491.

Barter was the first to go under 1’20” at the start of the session, taking over from Germany’s Max Reis at the top of the timesheet. Elliott Vayron was also the first to take the lead ahead of Enzo Peugeot shortly after the first 10 minutes. As he tried to get into the top ten, Belgian Lorens Lecertua crashed out and brought out the red flags in one sector. The drivers took advantage of this to reduce their pace and cool down the tyres. At the same time, the track conditions improved and most of the drivers managed to improve their times in the last part of the session.

Japan’s Yuto Nomura was the first to take action, dipping below 1’18. Hugh Barter then regained 1st place. Enzo Peugeot and Alessandro Giusti also got the better of Nomura, but it was his compatriot Souta Arao who finally decided matters at the end of the session. Barter kept his 2nd place ahead of Peugeot, Giusti and Nomura. Swiss driver Dario Cabanelas also finished strongly in 6th place ahead of Vayron. Pierre-Alexandre Provost was at the front at the beginning of the session, but had to be satisfied with 8th place ahead of Max Reis and Romain Andriolo. The latter saved an important 10th place by a few thousandths at the expense of Enzo Geraci, synonymous with pole position for Race 2 according to the reversed grid principle.

For Sunday’s Race 3, where the starting order is given according to the best second lap of each driver, Barter will start on pole ahead of Nomura, Arao, Giusti and Peugeot.

> Programme of the F4 / Pau 2022 weekend

Saturday 7th May: Race 1 (08:50 – 09:15) and Race 2 (15:40 – 16:05)
Sunday 8th May: Race 3 (08:40 – 09:05)

Info FFSA Academy / Photo © KSP – Guillaume Veuve