Piszcyk, AGI Sport dominate Aussie Formula 4 opener, Pradel scores podium

The return round of the Formula 4 Australian Championship was dominated by AGI Sport’s James Piszcyk, while Gianmarco Pradel led the Aussies in Italy.

Last weekend the Formula 4 Australian Championship made its racing comeback for the first time since Luis Leeds won the title in 2019 and an 11-car field marked the occasion.

Just like the finale five years ago, the new era of the series was also held at The Bend Motorsport Park and AGI Sport dominated with Piszcyk taking all before him.

The teenager with British racing experience was in a league of his own over one lap, taking both poles by four and eight tenths in the two sessions.

In the opening session local driver Blake Purdie was his nearest challenger and was a threat during the first race.

Although there was little change for position, two Safety Cars for Mark Rosser and Nathan Gotch bunched up the field, but Piszcyk was able to hold on by a second.

Joining Piszcyk and Purdie on the podium was eventually Seth Gilmore after third-placed Nicolas Stati received a 5s penalty.

Race 2 was a clean affair which allowed Piszcyk to flex his muscles and cruise to a 5s victory over Purdie and Stati, who fought his way back to third.

The AGI Sport driver completed the perfect weekend by getting another strong start and blazing to a 9s triumph.

But the fight was on behind him for second best.

Purdie was able to overcome Stati in the contest for second at the chequered flag, but made the move behind double waved yellows due to the retired Nicholas Filipetto.

As a result Purdie was hit with a costly 30s penalty and fell from second to fifth, promoting Gilmore onto the rostrum.

The fight was also intense in the Master Class won by Rosser, with John Paul Drake and Filipetto going at it.

Drake pulled off a big move to get third in class and eighth on the road, only to lose it shortly after.

But the battle was over when Filipetto spun on his own which handed the spot to Drake.

The Formula 4 Australian Championship field has a month to work out how to catch Piszcyk before round 2 at the same circuit on June 7-9.

On the same weekend three Aussies kicked off their Italian Formula 4 Championship campaigns for 2024.

Pradel, Jack Benton and Kamak Mrad ensured Australia was the third most populous country on the grid behind only Italy and Great Britain.

During the opening round held at MotoGP circuit Misano, it was Pradel who showed the most speed of the Aussie trio.

As Freddie Slater took a hat-trick of pole positions, Pradel pushed hard to qualify third, 0.460s away. 

Beeton was the most consistent figure, being seventh, eighth and eighth in the three one-lap sessions as Pradel dropped out of the top 10 for race 2 but returned in race 3.

Despite an early Safety Car, Pradel enjoyed a reasonably quiet drive to third place behind Prema pair Slater and Alex Powell.

It was the Australian’s second Italian Formula 4 podium after getting one in Mugello last year.

Meanwhile, Beeton sensed an opportunity on the restart to pounce on Hiyu Yamakoshi and snare fifth.

Race 2 proved to be a battle for the Aussies with Pradel only emerging in 12th, while Mrad finished four laps down and Beeton was an early retirement.

Slater completed a hat-trick in the finale where Pradel fought hard to secure sixth, passing Davide Larini and almost getting by Rashid Al Dhaheri, just 4s off the lead.

Beeton crossed the line 19th, while Mrad was caught up in a  Lap 2 incident that brought out the Safety Car.

Pradel and Beeton sit fifth and eighth in the Italian Formula 4 Championship and round 2 is at Imola on May 31 to June 2.

Image: SpeedShots Photography

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