Formula 4 SEA – fuelled by Petron – 21 July 2019 Event six in the ten event Formula 4 South  East Asia Championship has come to a close here at the Madras Motor Race Track. It was another weekend of action-packed racing, with the top six drivers very equally matched. But the entire reason we watch these young athletes compete is to see who comes out on top of the leader boards, so with that in mind lets run down the event standings and review races twenty three and twenty four.

Shihab Al Habsi and Lucca Allen tied for first position in the event six weekend standings. The duo both accumulating 77 points after mixed results. But Al Habsi set a faster lap time in the final race of the weekend. That broke the tie and gave the trophy to Oman.

Elias Seppanen was third just ahead of Malaysia’s Alister Yoong. The Finn narrowly missed out on the top spot, after Al Habsi was just a little more consistent and Allen secured pole and several fastest laps. Alister gave it his all this weekend bringing home bronze and silver, but two finishes outside of the top three ruined his event.

Meanwhile, another Malaysian winner, Muizz Musyaffa just beat out Yash Aradhya. Both drivers expecting better finishes but fighting tooth and nail none the less.

While Mira Erda secured the leading lady trophy ahead of Sneha Sharma.

Disappointment for Musyaffa as Allen Takes the win in Race 23

In perhaps the most action-packed race so far here at the Madras Motor Race Track, Sneha Sharma started on pole. The Indian driver alongside Yash Aradhya for a team India front row in race twenty three of the season.

Yash got away well to pull alongside Sneha at the start. But India’s leading lady closed the door through turn one, pushing Aradhya onto the grass and opening the door for Muizz Musyaffa and Lucca Allen to go all the way around the outside into second and third while Shihab Al Habsi took Alister, both sandwiched behind Aradhya.

Ireland and Malaysia dived past Sneha coming into turn four while the Indian driver fended off the onslaught from Shihab, Elias and Alister. This gave Muizz and Lucca a chance to pull away from the rest of the pack. But not for long as the confluence of action for position caused a collision at turn eleven bringing out the safety car.

Muizz resumed the session two laps later barrelling down into the first corner where Lucca had a peak for first. The Malaysian held him at bay until the second sector. Where he touched the grass on the exit of turn four.

That’s all that Lucca needed to pounce. The Irishman went around the outside of turn five to take the lead. His manoeuvre costing Muizz enough momentum for Yash to have a look.

The orange number seventeen tried up the inside of the U-turn sequence of corners six and seven, but Muizz recovered mid corner and Yash compromised his exit at turn seven allowing Shihab past. The Omani capitalizing on the situation to surge past Muizz around the outside of turn eight.

The race would go on to finish in that order with Elias racking up another rookie trophy and Mira bagging the leading lady category.

Allen victorious after race 24’s fantastic conclusion to the tour of India

Allen returned to pole position for the third and final time this weekend at the Madras Motor Race Track for race twenty four of the season. The sizzling Irishman determined to repeat his performance in the last outing. But he had strong competition in the form of Shihab al Habsi and Elias Seppanen. The Omani would start second on the grid with Elias P3. But it wouldn’t stay that way for long!

Elias got past and started charging down the leader, his rival for the championship, Lucca Allen.

The gap between the two drivers slowly closed to nothing, with Elias planning his move for several laps. Waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Eventually the Finn pounced! Snaking the sizzling Irishman through the kink and faking inside before diving outside around turn four!

But calamity struck Seppanen when the race leaders collided mid corner, leading Elias to go through the grass on the exit of turn four, spiking back onto track mid-way through turn five and colliding with the right rear wheel of Allen’s car.

The collision compromised Elias’s aero. He had lost his front left endplate and his front plane was bent down on the left-hand side.

Shihab al Habsi had been using the fierce competition for first to reel in the leaders, and with Elias now at a disadvantage, the Omani’s time to shine had come.

The red number fifty eight put up a good fight, holding off Al Habsi almost until the end of the race. But with only a few laps to go Shihab found a way past, time and the technically demanding nature of the track, eventually winning out.

That made it Lucca, Shihab, Elias at the flag while Sneha snagged up the leading lady trophy. An action-packed conclusion to the tour of India.

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