The joy of the first victory and the dominance of one team.
The third round of the F4 CEZ Championship at Slovakia Ring brought many unforgettable moments for the drivers and an attractive show for the spectators. Oscar Wurz was unbeatable in the first two races, but in the third one he found an opponent in the form of Max Karhan.
Oscar Wurz of the Jenzer Motorsport team arrived at the Slovakia Ring as the championship leader. He had almost twice as many points as the runner-up Kirill Kutskov from Maffi Racing. The other drivers, who regularly compete in the F4 CEZ, lost even more points. It was therefore generally expected that Wurz and Kutskov would fight for the championship in Slovakia. Wurz was the favourite and he confirmed his position in the first race. He took pole position, made a great start and won. Behind him, however, the battle was very tight and intense. Kutskov, Jonathan Correrella of Gender Racing, Max Karhan of Jenzer Motorsport and Miroslav Mikeš of JMT Engineering competed for the remaining two podiums. Wheel-to-wheel battles and overtakes eventually resulted in contact between Mikeš and Correrella. While the Czech driver went off the track, Correrella continued and defended his third place at the finish with a 0.1 second lead over Karhan. Kutskov finished second.
The course of the first race gave a hint that Wurz would have a good race. He proved it also in the second race when his engine went out at the start, but he was able to work his way up to the front. Although he was greatly helped by the safety car, he was still the fastest driver on the track. But he had to fight hard for the win. Correrella, Karhan, Kutskov and Mikeš did not give him anything for free and it was only at the end of the race that Wurz worked his way to the front. Four minutes before the end of the race, Miroslav Mikeš moved into second place with a successful maneuver on Kutskov. The Czech driver from the Czech team celebrated on the podium for the first time. Karhan finished fourth again, followed by Correrella.
The final race got a whole new charge in the fight for the championship. Karhan led after starting from second place, but Wurz soon caught up with him and took the lead. But Karhan didn’t escape. Quite the opposite. Teammates were running in close succession and Karhan soon began to attack. Correrella closed in on them and everyone started to think about victory. The close but very clean battles between Wurz and Karhan were a feast for the eyes. They trusted and respected each other. They wanted to win, but if they collided with each other, the Jenzer Motorsport team would not be happy. Side by side, they went through the corners and competed to determine who would take the lead. Karhan managed to settle into the lead at the end, and above all successfully defended against Wurz, who was also defending his position from Corrella. Czech driver Max Karhan took his maiden victory in the F4 CEZ and the crowd in the stands was happy with him.
Michalina Sabaj was the most successful of the young ladies in the starting field during the weekend, finishing twice in fifth place and recording her best results in F4 CEZ. Teodor Borenstein from Jenzer Motorsport made his big debut behind the wheel of a Formula 4 car. He showed speed in the timed practice sessions, but was still learning in the races and unfortunately, on two occasions his driving ended in collisions with Gabriel Holguin from Maffi Racing.
The weekend at the Slovakia Ring once again showed the grit and tenacity of the drivers. However, they will now take a longer break and return in August for the fourth event of the season at Autodrom Most.
SOURCE: Petr Frýba
