After successfully completing two days of pre-event collective tests, the young drivers in the Formula 4 South East Asia (F4/SEA) Championship – certified by FIA kicked off the official proceedings for the fifth event of the season on Friday.

Held at the 4.554km Buriram United International Circuit in Thailand, the day had kicked off on Friday with free Practice and qualifying in the morning with two races in the afternoon. The morning session witnessed New Zealand’s Faine Kahia (NZL, Car #55) who edged the field during the practice, but it was Malaysia’s Isyraf Danish (MAS, Car #19) who stole the limelight in qualifying.

The Malaysian youngster was on an impressive form being the only driver to clock a time under the 1:42 minute mark with the quickest time in the session en route to a pole position.

The first race would however belong to Singapore’s Danial Frost (SIN, Car #66) who took the honours in the morning’s Race 1, while it was Kahia who made an emphatic comeback after being denied the win in Race 1 to emerge victorious in the late afternoon’s Race 2.

Saturday will see three more races contested with the final two scheduled for the
weekend billed for Sunday morning.

VNR Description

Qualifying

11:30hours, Friday, 6 January 2017

• Establishing – Buriram International Circuit
• Various of Faine Kahia
• Various of Isyraf Danish
• Isyraf Danish in pole position

Race 1 – Shotlist

13:50hours, Friday, 6 January 2017

• Various of Start.
• Onboard with Faine Kahia at the start.
• Various of Faine Kahia leading.
• Ariel shot as the top three Faine Kahia (55, white), Danial Frost (66, orange) and Presley Martono (blue 32) pull a gap in front.
• Midfield battle between Khalid (8) and Akash (33) and Eric (23)
• On board with Faine as he goes off track an would suffer a penalty.
• Chequered flag.
• Various of podium.

SOT – 1st – Danial Frost (#66) Singapore Started on third place this race, had a really good start took one position, was stuck behind pole position for the whole entire race but definitely stayed behind him really consistent. Definitely happy but I would like to win it by me winning the race instead of them getting a penalty so I hope for the next race.

SOT – 2nd – FAINE KAHIA (#55) New Zealand I made a mistake with my car and myself, my driving, on a very unusual part of the race track I actually went off. I knew I had all fours off. Lost a lot of time, almost lost the lead, but kept it going won the race but then was kicked back to second. It was a bit of a blow but used that as motivation for the next one.

SOT – 3rd – PRESLEY MARTONO (#32) Indonesia So it was a very tough race because slip streaming here is a lot and I was always the guy alone, so I was a sitting duck while everyone was getting my slip stream so it was really hard to keep that third position but in the end I managed to get a good tactic and end up third.

Race 2

17:00hours, Friday, 6 January 2017

Shotlist

• Various of starting formation
• Faine Kahia as he leading at the start
• The midfield battles.
• Faine leading the race.
• Onboard with Komarakul as he spins off the track.
• Grid in closing stages of the race.
• Chequered flag.
• Podium.

SOT 1st – Faine Kahia (55) New Zealand Another great start bang out of the gates this time we started straight on first. First corner launched away third corner I actually locked up, tires were still a little bit cold. Then I said to myself that’s never going to happen again. That never happened again. Gained. Gained. Had a great gap let from start to finish had no penalty so lm stoked as.

SOT – Danial Frost (66) Singapore In the end I found pace Khalid was catching me but I found out of a miracle and I pulled and pulled and pulled and caught up to Faine just a little bit but it wasn’t good enough. Faine was really consistent the whole race so I couldn’t catch him.

SOT 3rd – Khalid Al-Wahaibi (8) Oman Always had Eric Louis behind me, looking at my mirrors he was always there which put me in a position obviously where I would not like to be in. However it keeps me going, that keeps me on the edge to make sure I have consistent times.