Michael Benyahia confirms his potential at Pau

The raw results of the second meeting of the 2016 French F4 Championship will not show the evidence, but Michael Benyahia has indeed confirmed very strong growth since last season on the streets of Pau. Now among the fastest in the field, victory is now his main goal. With a good 2nd in the first race, and the victim of technical problems in Race 2, he went off the track attempting an attack on the leader in the third race. Starting from the back of the grid in Race 4, he managed several acrobatic overtakes to go 12th.

Rightly regarded as one of the greatest hopes of Moroccan motorsport, Michael Benyahia has reached a significant milestone in his young career in single-seaters, even though he has not yet reached his 16th birthday. After a season of learning in 2015, he is now able to play leading roles in the French F4 Championship, often against more experienced opponents. His speed capability is confirmed in each event and he is now focusing on managing racing at the front.

The second meeting of the season presented particular difficulties on a circuit within the city, on the narrow winding streets with limited overtaking opportunities. The often rainy weather further complicated the task of the young driver to reach his potential. He began the competition with an excellent 2nd fastest time in Qualifying despite heavy rain and especially heavy traffic which prevented him from aiming for pole position.

Michael first gained a place at the start of Race 1 and then closed up to the leader Javier Cobian, remaining constantly on the lookout for any chance to pass him, he even tried to attack under braking at the Pont Oscar before securing 2nd position, far ahead of the pack and again found himself on the podium. Starting 9th in Race 2 due to the reverse grid for the top 10, Michael encountered early problems with his throttle pedal whose faulty sensor required him to return to the pits before retiring permanently.

Motivated by his place at the front of Race 3, Michael was hindered, however, by the low visibility caused by rain splashing in the wake of the leader, Ye Yifei. Trying to reduce the gap, he blocked his wheels under braking when his new wet tyres were less effective on the surface, and he rather violently went off the track. Although it was indeed a miscalculation, it was just due to his lack of experience leading the race and a fierce determination to aim for victory. This is how future champions are made.

The Auto Sport Academy mechanics were not slow to restore his car for the fourth and last race of the meeting. Michael started from the last position on the grid and gave his maximum to regain ground and succeeded in passing several with several overtakes on the wire. Unfortunately, at Pau more than elsewhere, coming up through the pack from the rear does not help to achieve top rankings. Despite his obvious speed, he had to settle for 12th position at the finish.

The balance of the weekend remains very positive despite the lack of results in the last three races. It was important for Michael to confirm his positive attributes from the first event at Le Castellet. No doubt, the young Moroccan hopeful now has the means to fight for victory in F4 and the rest of the season will not fail to show his spectacular progress.

Grand Prix de Pau, 13th to 15th May 2016, 2nd of 6 events in the French F4 Championship

Qualifying Practice: 2nd best time and 3rd second best time
Race 1: 2nd and 1st Junior
Race 2: 11th (retirement)
Race 3: 16th (retirement)
Race 4: 12th

Provisional ranking of the 2016 French F4 Championship after Pau (2/6): 9th with 48 points – 5th Junior.

Calendar of the 2016 French F4 Championship

3rd – 5th June : Lédenon (30) – Supporting Meeting: GT Tour
8th – 10th July: Magny-Cours (58) – Supporting Meeting: GT Tour
9th – 11th September: Le Mans (72) – Supporting Meeting: GT Tour
5th – 6th November: Barcelona (ESP) – Supporting Meeting: International GT Open + 3.5 V8 Formula

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