Formula 4 – Two podiums for Camara at Zandvoort

The FDA’s Rafael Camara picked up two second places in the Netherlands in the ADAC series and lies second in the championship. Points for Wharton and Weug.

Brazil’s Rafael Camara came away from the third round of the German ADAC Formula 4 series at Zandvoort with two second places and a fifth. The 17 year old Ferrari Driver Academy student, currently in his first season in single-seaters, consolidated his second place in the standings on 155 points. James Wharton also picked up points, thanks to a fourth, a fifth and a sixth place, so that he is now on 57 points. There were positives too for Maya Weug, who went well in qualifying and finished ninth in the first race.

Race-1. Camara lined up second, ahead of Wharton, with Weug seventh on the grid. The Safety Car came out almost immediately, when Camara was second, Wharton fourth and Weug sixth and they kept those places after the restart. Camara kept his position to the chequered flag, but Wharton and Weug had a much more lively race. James fought hard and long for a podium finish, but in the end, he crossed the line in fifth place, while Weug also battled her way to finish ninth.

Race-2. The second Zandvoort race was much more linear, partly because of two Safety Car periods that effectively neutralised the first half of the race. Starting from second, Camara crossed the line behind the winner Andrea Kimi Antonelli without ever really having a chance to attack. The same went for Wharton, who finished where he started in fourth place. Weug fought in the midfield all the way to the line, taking the flag in eleventh place.

Race-3. As per the regulations, the final race started with a reversed grid, that saw Wharton fifth, Camara seventh and Weug on the sixth row. Unfortunately, Weug’s race was very short, as she had to retire with car damage following a collision with another car on the opening lap. This race had plenty of action, unlike the first two, with Wharton and Camara trading places several times, fighting with Nikita Bedrin. After the second and last Safety Car, the closely fought duel went in favour of Camara, who took the chequered flag in fifth place ahead of Wharton. 

Now Vallelunga. Following on from the German series, Rafael, James and Maya will be back on track almost immediately, with the fourth round of the Italian championship taking place this weekend at the Vallelunga circuit.