Formula 4, an FIA event comes to Madras Motor Sports Race Track
By Vivek Phadnis
Bengaluru, 1 Aug 2018: Indian motorsport is definitely on the upward path. Come September, the Madras Motor Race Track will host two weekends of the FIA Formula 4 South East Asian Championship.
Coming close on the heels of the Asian Road Racing Championship this weekend, what makes the event special is that it is an event that is sanctioned by the International Automobile Federation (FIA). After Formula 1, this is the biggest FIA track racing event that India will be hosting.
The event is being conducted by the Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC) and is a stepping stone for teenage drivers who aim to move to the top echelons of track racing like GT or even the pinnacle that is Formula 1. This championship provides the perfect platform for karters to move to single-seater racing.
The championship began with two consecutive weekends at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, while MMRT will host the second round. The dates for the Chennai round are September 1 and 2 and the following weekend on 8 and 9. With the MMRT, an FIA Grade 2 track, having upgraded the pit and garage facilities, it promises to be an event to remember.
India’s first Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan had won the F4 championship way back in 1996. Haas Formula One Team development driver and one of India’s best talents, Arjun Maini, has raced in this championship.
The remaining races will be held in Thailand at the Buriram International circuit and will return to Sepang for the final two weekends. Each weekend will see three action-packed races as the drivers battle it out for the championship.
The service and engineering for the cars are being provided by Meritus GP. “The cars are powered by FIA-homologated two-litre Renault engines that produce about 160 bhp, while the monocoque chassis is also FIA-homologated. FIA safety standards apply to this championship,” said Peter Thompson, CEO of F4, talking to INDIAinF1.
In the first weekend in Sepang on July 7 and 8, Thai driver Kane Shepherd came out on top and ended the weekend with 55 points, Presley Martono (Indonesia) finished just two points behind. Frenchman Alessandro Ghiretti finished third with 51 points. Ghiretti was the topper in the Rookie class.
In the following weekend, again in Sepang on July 13 and 14, Shepherd comfortably took the top spot with 67 points, while Belgian Antoine Potty was second with 45 points. Ghiretti and Malaysian Muizz Musyaffa were on 43 points each. Potty topped the Rookie class.
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