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A string of podium finishes saw Australian Ferrari-aligned driver James Wharton take the Formula 4 UAE Championship lead in Dubai with one round to come.
The Ferrari Academy driver picked up three podiums, a pair of second places and a third, from as many races at the Dubai Autodrome in the #13 Mumbai Falcons Racing entry.
He heads into the finale at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi with a six-point advantage, after collecting eight podiums from 12 races, including two victories.
“Coming into the weekend second, my one goal was to get into the lead before Yas – I’ve done that now,” Wharton said.
“The gap is not big, but as long as you’re winning it doesn’t matter what gap it is.
“Full focus on Yas now, three good races there and hopefully secure the championship.”
Strong weekend for Australian drivers
Fellow Australian drivers James Piszcyk and Jack Beeton enjoyed their best outings to date in Dubai.
Piszcyk, who is driving for Hitech Grand Prix, picked up a pair of top 10-finishes, a fifth-place finish in Race 1 and a ninth-place finish in Race 3 respectively, while Pinnacle VAR driver Beeton finished seventh in Race 2 to score his first points finish of the season.
Despite enjoying their best weekends to date, Piszcyk is 13th in the championship standings, while Beeton is 23rd on the points ladder.
Meanwhile, it was a weekend to forget for Noah Lisle who finished 15th and 19th in the races that he completed.
Lisle is 18th in the points standings, with a podium finish in Race 3 at the Kuwait Motor Town circuit the highlight of his season.
The final round of the 2023 Formula 4 UAE Championship will take place at the Yas Marina Circuit on February 18-19.
