Sneha Sharma takes lead in women’s category: F4 SEA Championship
Buriram (Thailand), 12 May 2019: India’s top woman racer Sneha Sharma jumped into the lead in the ladies’ category after Round 3 of the highly competitive Formula 4 South East Asia Championship, here at the Chang international Circuit, Thailand.
Sneha won the leading trophy in each of the 4 races to grab the Overall Cup for women in the Thailand round. She even clocked the best time of 1:46:6 to finish in the Top Eight against 11 of the finest racers from 10 different countries, most of them from Europe.
The 28-old who is also an airline captain by profession, supported by Indigo Airlines and JK Tyre, raced in a Formula 4 Race car (for Team Mertius) for the first time at Buri Ram but proved to be up for it.
She took part in all four races in the championship and clocked the best time of 1:46:6 with a best Finish of Top 8 in the overall category and top 1 in her category, making her the current leader of her class in the 2019 championship.
The Chang Circuit is famously known for its Moto GP Racing, which has seen the likes of Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez in action. This series of Formula 4 ran alongside the Formula 3 Asia and the Blancpain GT Series, making it one of the biggest events in Asia.
Sneha, one of the first women to break into racing circles in India, took a highly creditable Pole position in Race 2 and P2 in Race 3, giving her the chance to score good points for the overall season.
“I am totally excited with my second international victory this year,” an exultant Sneha said. “I had fun on the track, driving the races back to back and being part of the wheel-to-wheel action all the way till the chequered flag against such competitive drivers.”
She pointed out that a micro-chip in the car analysed her driving all the way to her turning technique, her braking and her top speed which helped her become better with each race. “The data analysis by the engineers and driver coach was amazing. It helped me stay with the pack and put up a great fight,” she explained.
“I was hoping for a good finish in Race 2 in which I began on Pole. But I was hit by another driver and had to work hard to recover and get into the points. I must say it wasn’t easy as the car requires a lot of physical strength, apart from skill to drive.,” she said.
The 4th round of Formula4 SEA is scheduled for June 21, again in Thailand. In all, there will be 7 more rounds through Asia, including 2 in India in July.
“I am already looking forward to the next race weekend. I am working really hard on the simulator, on my physical fitness and mental strength as well. The aim is to dominate my class and get into Top 5 overall for India,” Sneha declared.
