The first ACI Racing Weekend of the season gets into full swing already on Friday at Imola with qualifying for the Italian F.4 Championship certified by FIA, the single-seater series promoted by ACI Sport and WSK Promotion.

The drivers raced divided into two series to compete for pole position in the different groups that will take to the track tomorrow. The fastest time overall went to Ugo Ugochukwu, junior McLaren of house Prema Racing, who lapped in 1'44.002 during the second session today. He will be the poleman of Group A. Kacper Sztuka, Pole driver of the Team US Racing, set the second-best time. Sztuka's best lap came in the first qualifying session and earned him pole position in Group B. Poleman in group C, closing the best lap with 1'44.367 will be Nicola Lacorte, Prema Racing.

 

In tomorrow's race, therefore, with groups B and C engaged on the track, we will see Sztuka start on the front row, flanked by Lacorte. Second row for the Singaporean of US Racing, Akshay Bohra, side by side with Brando Badoer. Precisely the Italian of Van Amersfoort Racing was the author of an excellent qualifying today, holding the best lap for a long time, before being bested the last lap of the session. Starting behind them, a duo of rookie drivers with Zachary David (US Racing) and Roman R-ace GP driver Matteo De Palo. A Prema Racing duo will be in the fourth row, with rookie Rashid Al Dhaheri and Ferrari Driver Academy driver James wharton. Very positive qualifying also for Alfio Spina, Sicilian carrying the flag of BVM Racing, who earns the fifth row, alongside James Egozi, American of PHM Racing who, just on the iconic track of Imola will be making his debut after taking part in the last Supercorso of the Federal School this winter.

 

Starting from the middle of the grid for Prema's Finnish, Ferrari junior driver Tuukka Taponen, who will start alongside French R-ace GP driver Raphael Narac. Behind them Aurelia Nobels, Ferrari Driver Academy driver in the Prema Racing team, and Matteo Quintarelli, R-ace GP rookie. US Racing's Chinese rookie, Ruiqi Liu, will start from the eighth row along with Korean driver Hwarang Kim from Team Jenzer Motorsport. In the next row there will be a duo of AKM Motorsport: Enzo Deligny and Davide Larini. Jenzer Motorsport's Israeli Ariel Elkin, flanked by AKM driver Griffin Peebles will start from the back of the grid. Penultimate row for Akhmed Ismail (Van Amersfoort Racing) and Andrea Frassineti (BVM Racing). Closing the group in the first of the weekend's four races will be the German driver Finn Wiebelhaus and Italian Manuel Quondamcarlo, both racing for AS Motorsport.

 

Ugo Ugochukwu: “I think the pace was good al weekend, we were always in the mix. This qualy I just managed to find a little bit more and put it on pole. I’m super happy, I’d like to thank all Prema Team…I’m just looking forward to the races already!”

 

Kacper Sztuka: “it was good. We were a bit scared of the rain, because it was a few minutes before the qualifying start. The track was pretty dry, just wet in one spot. I’m happy to be first. We will make for sure what we can, we will work together to get the best results and we will see what we can do.”

 

Tomorrow, Saturday April 22nd, race 1 (B-C) will be at the start at 12:10, followed by race 2 (A-B) at 18:20. Sunday will be the turn of Race 3 (C-A) starting at 10.00, then the last race of the weekend starting at 18.00. All races will last 25' + 1 lap and will be broadcast live with English commentary on the Youtube and Facebook pages of the Italian F.4 Championship and on Motorsport TV (https://eu.motorsport.tv/); while they will be aired with Italian commentary on ACI Sport TV (sky channel 228), on www.acisport.it and on the Facebook page @acisporttv.

Public access is free of charge and allowed in the Grandstand 1 (Ex A) and Grandstand 3 (Ex I), open on April 21, 22 and 23. The paddock will be closed to the public.