Joao Vieira’s new sport season in the Italian F4 Championship Powered by Abarth started from the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli along with the Antonelli Motorsport team.A path seven events long that will take the Circus at the national circuit of Adria, Imola (double event in May and September), Mugello, Vallelunga, and Monza.
At the start, along with the Brazilian driver handled by the Minardi Management, there are twenty teams and forty-one single-seaters with drivers coming from 21 different nationalities. The high number of subscriptions forced organizers to modify the Championship format, dividing competitors (by drawing lots) in two different qualifying tournaments. Then the drivers are splitted in three groups (A, B, and C) based on the overall standings. Each of these Groups competes for two qualifying races (A vs B; B vs C; A vs C that gives points for Championship standings). Then, an overall standings with the sum of every driver’s points is filled out. The first 36 drivers classified enter into the Final.
During free practice, Joao becomes the protagonist bringing his Tatuus # 97 in the top positions and signs the fastest time in free practice 2. By merging the two qualifying groups, which raced in pouring rain, Vieira is ninth, a placing that he will keep on the grid for the first two qualifying heats for the Final.In Race 1 Joao recovers up to sixth place, while in the second race had to settle the twelfth position, for a mistake at the start. Thanks to the sum of the scores, he enters the Final, and finishes the first event in sixth with eighteen points.
“A start grid with 41 cars is really a nice show. The weekend had started in the right way, unfortunately in race 2 I made a mistake at the start, keeping the car in second gear…Anyway, I managed to enter the Final, and I closed the weekend in points zone. Unfortunately, we still have some engine complications. During Adria’s checks, we’ll do more tests”, Joao Vieira comments.
“On one hand I am very pleased with Joao and his driving, especially in the mixed section where he was one of the fastest. Unfortunately, in qualifying he was not perfect, and the final result was affected by his mistake in race-2. Since he had started the weekend with the fastest time in free practice two, we expected to pick up something more. Now, we just have to prepare us at best in view of Adria. We expect a season really fought and at the highest level. 41 cars on the track are a sight“, manager Giovanni Minardi says.
Next Wednesday, Joao will be back on the track in Adria to prepare himself for the second round scheduled next May
