F4 South East Asia: Event 6 Day 2
The final day of the Formula 4 South East Asia (F4/SEA) Championship – certified by FIA got underway on Sunday with the two remaining races from the six that were scheduled for the event.
With a very early start, the fifth race would have the same theme as the previous day’s races with action right from the get go. With the grid positions determined by the drivers’ fastest lap times from the previous race, the pole position start would belong to Malaysia’s Isyraf Danish (MAS, Car #19), with Saturday’s double winner Presley Martono (INA, Car #32) alongside in P2.
The 8-lap race would prove another exciting affair throughout with battles that included a fight for the lead between Martono and Isyraf Danish and a battle for the final podium spot between Danial Frost (SIN, Car #66) and India’s Akash Gowda (IND, Car #33). After another photo-finish, it was Martono who would prevail over Isyraf with the victory keeping Isyraf Danish at bay in P2. Finishing in third was Danial Frost (SIN, Car #66), who edged Gowda to the line.
The sixth and final race of the weekend, which was also the final race of the season featured another intense 8-lap race. With the grid determined by the drivers’ finishing positions from the previous race, the race also had the added twist of having the top-half reversed. That meant a pole position start for Oman’s Khalid Al-Wahaibi (OMN, Car #8) ahead of Gowda and Frost. Proving to be the most intense race of the lot, the drama-filled race was won by Gowda who managed to turn around what had been a difficult weekend for the young Indian ace. After taking the lead from Al-Wahaibi on the opening lap, Gowda never looked back as he claimed the win. Al-Wahaibi finished in stellar second position after seeing off the challenge from other drivers in the early stages of the race. Claiming another third place finish was Malaysia’s Isyraf Danish who made it a great weekend with six podium finishes from the six races contested.
In addition to the race win he collected in Race 1, the young Malaysian was also crowned the Petron Star Driver of the sixth and final event of the F4/SEA championship. Unlike previous events, the F4/SEA Overall Champion and F4/SEA Overall Rookie champion titles will be announced and awarded later on Sunday evening at the Meritus AAA Awards Gala night also at the Sepang International Circuit.
