The two leaders of the 2023 French F4 Championship now have three wins apiece. Starting from pole position in Race 1, Evan Giltaire won solo from Kevin Foster and Enzo Peugeot won Race 2 by holding off Romain Andriolo.
Magnificent weather has accompanied the FFSA Academy drivers since their arrival at Spa Francorchamps, and the weather promises to be just as kind on Sunday for Race 3. Just as bright as the Belgian sun, Evan Giltaire confirmed his performances in Qualifying since the start of the season by claiming another double pole position for Races 1 and 3 thanks to his two best times of 2:24.303 and 2:24.666. Canadian Kevin Foster was closest to the Frenchman in a session that produced a number of surprises. Germany’s Tom Kalender demonstrated his progress by taking 4th place between Japan’s Hiyu Yamakoshi and Romain Andriolo, while Enzo Peugeot had to settle for 8th place.
Race 1: Evan Giltaire handles the pressure
Managing the start and two restarts following incidents in the field which necessitated the intervention of the safety car didn’t prevent Evan Giltaire getting back to winning ways. He set the fastest lap of the race and was always able to extend his lead after each regrouping. Behind him, Kevin Foster was solid. Although he couldn’t do anything against the leader, he was never really troubled by his pursuers, who battled it out for the third step of the podium. Romain Andriolo got off to a good start and immediately found himself ahead of Hiyu Yamakoshi and Tom Kalender. The three drivers neutralised each other after seeing Enzo Peugeot, 8th on the grid, come back into their wake. Contact between the two cars led to the retirement of Edgar Pierre, who was in 7th place at the halfway stage of the race. Louis Schlesser, who drove a solid race, regained this position ahead of Germany’s Max Reis, who came back from 12th place. Adrien Closmenil and American Garrett Berry completed the top 10, which was coveted by Belgian Yani Stevenheydens.
Race 2: Enzo Peugeot strikes back
3rd on the grid for Race 2, which was run in reverse order of the top 10 in Qualifying, Enzo Peugeot played a trick on Garrett Berry and Louis Schlesser, who had started just ahead of him, by taking the lead at the Combes bend! Berry set off in pursuit of the Frenchman, while Schlesser was forced to retire with regret. Romain Andriolo once again got off to a good start from 6th place, moving up to 3rd place and even 2nd a little later after winning his duel with Berry. Berry found himself under pressure from Hiyu Yamakoshi, then Edgar Pierre.
The end of the race was intense, with Andriolo returning to Peugeot’s wing, the battle for the podium and a duel between Yani Stevenheydens and Evan Giltaire. In the end, Peugeot held on to win. For his part, Berry spared no effort to thwart Pierre, who had regained a final position more in keeping with his ambitions after a difficult start to the season, and Yamakoshi. A stealthy 6th, Giltaire eventually lost out to Stevenheydens, who made a spirited comeback from 15th on his Belgian home turf. Canadian Kevin Foster claimed the final point of the race, ahead of his compatriot Jason Leung. Adrien Closmenil, who started the race in 4th place, crashed out in 10th place, while Tom Kalender was unable to hold on to his place in the top ten.
Continuation of the programme at Spa Francorchamps (Belgium): Race 3, Sunday 4th June from 16:05 to 16:35
> Race 1 standings
1 Evan Giltaire (France) with 8 laps
2 Kevin Foster (Canada) at 1.278
3 Romain Andriolo (France) at 3.746
4 Hiyu Yamakoshi (Japan) at 4.548
5 Tom Kalender (Germany) at 4.883
6 Enzo Peugeot (France) at 5.114
7 Louis Schlesser (France) at 9.440
8 Max Reis (Germany) at 9.593
9 Adrien Closmenil (France) at 10.312
10 Garrett Berry (United States) at 10.806
11 Yani Stevenheydens (Belgium) at 11.465
12 Karel Schulz (France) at 11.617
13 Enzo Richer (France) at 12.161
14 Yaroslav Veselaho (Ukraine) at 15.553
15 Paul Alberto (France) at 15.712
16 Luca Savu (Romania) at 17.755
17 Joao Paulo Diaz Balesteiro (Colombia) at 18.416
18 Frank Porte Ruiz (Andorra) at 18.619
19 Leonardo Megna (Italy) at 43.486
20 Edgar Pierre (France) at 1 lap
21 Andrei Duna (Romania), retired on lap 6
22 Jason Leung (Canada), retired on lap 3
23 Gabriel Doyle-Parfait (Great Britain), retirement on lap 3
24 Edouard Borgna (France), retired in the 3rd round
25 Pol Lopez (Spain), retired on lap 3
26 Finn Wiebelhaus (Germany), retirement on lap 1
Pole position: Giltaire in 1:40.459
FL: Giltaire in 2:25.620 (avg. 173.2 km)
> Race 2 standings
1 Enzo Peugeot (France) with 10 laps
2 Romain Andriolo (France) at 0.617
3 Garrett Berry (United States) at 4.706
4 Edgar Pierre (France) at 5.505
5 Hiyu Yamakoshi (Japan) at 5.747
6 Yani Stevenheydens (Belgium) at 6.655
7 Evan Giltaire (France) at 6.990
8 Kevin Foster (Canada) at 7.908
9 Jason Leung (Canada) at 8.317
10 Adrien Closmenil (France) at 9.150
11 Max Reis (Germany) at 10.815
12 Andrei Duna (Romania) at 11.346
13 Enzo Richer (France) at 13.233
14 Frank Porte Ruiz (Andorra) at 13.394
15 Tom Kalender (Germany) at 15.078
16 Leonardo Megna (Italy) at 26.098
17 Paul Alberto (France) at 26.609
18 Finn Wiebelhaus (Germany) at 28.308
19 Pol Lopez (Spain) at 30.812
20 Yaroslav Veselaho (Ukraine) at 34.073
21 Luca Savu (Romania) at 37.089
22 Joao Paulo Diaz Balesteiro (Colombia) at 48.051
23 Gabriel Doyle-Parfait (Great Britain) at 2 laps
24 Edouard Borgna (France), retired on lap 8
25 Karel Schulz (France), retired on lap 4
26 Louis Schlesser (France), retired on lap 3
FL: Yamakoshi in 2:26.426 (avg. 172.2 km)
