Dubai, UAE, 23 February 2020: Dubai-based Xcel Motorsport has dominated Round Four of the F4UAE Championship powered by Abarth with three victories out of four, including a maiden win by Lorenzo Fluxa (#7), while teammate Francesco Pizzi (#51) extended his championship points lead with just one round remaining in 2020.
Fifteen-year-old Fluxa’s win in Race One was his first career victory out of karting, and his sixth podium to date in 2020. He went on to claim another podium in Race Three and completed every race over the weekend inside the top five.
While Pizzi – who has scored six race wins prior to the weekend – took victory in Races Two and Three, and now leads the title chase by 49 points heading into the final round which will be held again at the Dubai Autodrome on 6-7 March.
“It’s always nice to win, especially when it’s a first in a single-seater and I hope it’s a first of many,” said Fluxa. “Pulling up near the podium and seeing my dad so emotional and happy, and my mum is also here this weekend, it was quite a moment for me.”
“Although I wanted to overtake Nico [Göhler] in the race and I knew I had the pace to, the team told me it wasn’t necessary because he got a penalty for a jump start so he would finish behind me at the end of the race anyway. I’ve had the pace for the whole championship but I feel much more confident now that I’ve already won a race and feel like I can go for more. F4UAE has been a very good pre-season campaign, and I think it’s helped me a lot to get ready for racing in Europe this year.”
BWT Mücke Motorsport’s Nico Göhler (#2) took the final race victory on Saturday afternoon, and sits second in the outright championship points. Xcel Motorsport – the reigning drivers, rookie and teams champions – are on track for another potential hat-trick of titles thanks to Pizzi’s success, leading all three points ladders with just four races remaining in 2020.
Pizzi (#51) is one of six drivers to have tasted victory this season, and the only driver other than Göhler (#2) to win multiple races. Other drivers who’ve won a single race each include Fluxa (#7), the UAE’s Hamda Al Qubaisi (#88), Italian Nicola Marinangeli (#14) and Mexican racer Erick Zuniga (#23); all of which fill the top six places in the championship fight respectively.
Twelve drivers contested Round 4 of the F4UAE Championship, with the only change from last round being the return of Constantin Reisch (#52) for 3y Technology, in place of Isack Hadjar.
F4UAE Championship RD4 Results
Championship Points
After 15 races contested in four rounds, Francesco Pizzi leads the drivers and rookie championship standings by 49 points over Nico Göhler in second, while Lorenzo Fluxa’s race victory assisted his move up the ladder to third outright with one round to go. Xcel Motorsport continues to dominate the teams standings.
Round Five of the F4UAE Championship powered by Abarth, the grand finale of the 2020 season, will return to the Dubai Autodrome from March 6-7, 2020 with free entry for all.
Report: Driven Productions (edited)
Photos: Aaron Meriwether & Driven Productions
