They were taking part in the opening rounds of the Formula 4 UAE and Formula Regional Middle East Championships last weekend. Two drivers scored points and the Australian AGI Sport team took a podium at its debut in the series.
Formula 4 UAE Championship
There were four Australians at the first round, Jack Beeton, Peter Bouzinelos and Nicolas Stati with the AGI Sport outfit and Kamal Mrad in with PHM AIX Racing.
Only Beeton was able to get into the top 15 of the 33 entered, for which points were awarded. He finish sixth overall. In the first 28min plus one lap race, Beeton crossed the line 13th before he was elevated one place after Gabriel Stilp was penalised 10s for jumping the start.
The top dozen were reversed for Race 2 with Beeton on pole. He led the first 13 laps until the Safety Car was deployed for a car off at Turn 15. That saw the field bunch up with Beeton able to continue in the lead.
But with one lap to go, Mumbai Flacons Racing driver Nikita Bedrin made a move up the inside while which Beeton struggled to defend due to lack of rear tyre grip. Hitech Pulse-Eight’s Declan Fairclough also slipped by which left Beeton to take third place.
The third race had a Safety Car out after an incident at the first corner, and it finished behind the second Safety Car. Beeton was running 15th until contact with a rival late in the race. He pitted as the last lap started, to check for damage and resumed to finish 27th.
Bouzinelos placed 25th in Race 1 and followed with a 21st and 19th. Stati also improved from race to race with 30th, 28th and 21st. In Race 1, Mrad was 27th, 15th in Race 2, and 13th in the last. AGI ran a fourth car for German girl Carrie Schreiner who carded 28th, and 23rd twice.
Formula Regional Middle East Championship
There were three Australians among the 28 entered in turbocharged Alfa Romeo powered Tatuus-built Formula Regional cars with James Wharton lining up with Mumbai Falcons, Noah Lisle in a Xcel Motorsport entry and Costa Toparis racing with Evans GP.
Wharton was third early before an unsuccessful attempt to grab second, resulted in him losing a spot to be fourth at the end. Lisle finished 19th and Toparis two places further back. In Race 2 Wharton was eighth on Lap 10 when he tangled with a rival and broke the front wing. After a pitstop, he resumed to finish 24th. Lisle place 12th and was 25th.
In the last race Wharton recovered from ninth at the start, demoted by a three-place grid penalty for his Race 2 collision and finished seventh while Lisle and Toparis were 17th and 18th respectively.
Both championships will return to Yas Marina for Round 2 next weekend.
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