Australian Jack Beeton wins SE Asia F4 Championship

With two races to spare at the third round, Jack Beeton took out the SE Asia F4 Championship at Sepang.

The AGI Sport driver finished second in the opening race and that gave him an unassailable points lead. Sydney Motorsport Park based AGI also won the teams’ title. Together with Nicolas Stati and Peter Bouzinelos, the three young Aussies finished tied on points with the Asian Racing Team, before a race win countback decided the title in favour of the Australian team.

In Qualifying 1, Beeton was fourth with Bouzinelos and Stati sixth and seventh. In his debut, fellow Australian Lincoln Taylor, in the BlackArts Racing team, was 11th. The second qualifying session for Race 3 grid positions, Bouzinelos had a series best of fifth. Taylor was seventh and Stati was 10th fastest. Beeton had several track limitations that saw him 14th for the third race.

Prema Racing’s Rashid Al Dhaheri took out Race 1. His teammate Doriane Pin held second through the first two of 12 laps and until passed by Beeton. Stati was seventh while Taylor finished 15th. Bouzinelos stalled at the start and was second last at the end of the first lap. He mounted a comeback that earned him 10th at the finish.

The reverse grid second race had Bouzinelos off pole. He lost out at the start but was able to regather the lead on the second lap. Stati improved his prospects when Prema drivers Kean Nakamura-Berta and Al Dhaherl had contact.

After the resumption from the Safety Car, Xiao Kunpeng (Asia Racing Team) attempted a pass on Bouzinelos only to spin the Aussie. Bouzinelos pitted with a puncture while the Safety Car was out again.

Stati was the new race leader, and he was able to hold on for a 0.5s victory over Pin with a similar margin to Beeton. Taylor was fourth while Bouzinelos was able to pick off several and finished nith.

Pin took out the last race ahead of Pinnacle Motorsport’s Kai Daryanani. Bouzinelos was rewarded with a third place finish, just in front and Taylor as Beeton came from well outside the 10 to finish in front of sixth placed Stati.