The Yas Marina circuit is the backdrop to this weekend’s championship finale in both series. James Wharton and Tuukka Taponen are in the fight for the Formula 4 titles, while Rafael Camara is looking for a top three finish in Formula Regional.
A tense and exciting weekend is in prospect at the Yas Marina circuit with the fifth and final rounds of the Formula 4 UAE and Formula Regional Middle East championships. James Wharton and Tuukka Taponen are first and second respectively in the F4 standings, so they are both aiming for the title. In his 12 races so far, the 16 year old Australian has performed very well in this his second year in the category and has two wins, five second places and two thirds to his name.
Rapid progress. This is Taponen’s first single-seater championship and he has adapted well, making progress with each passing race, taking three wins at the last round in Dubai, to be in the hunt for the title. Wharton currently leads on 182 points, followed by Taponen on 176, with Ugo Ugochukwu and Valerio Rinicella next up on 145. There are two qualifying sessions on Friday, with Race 1 on Saturday at 6.45 CET and Race 2 at 10.35. The last race of the series gets underway on Sunday at 8.
Rafael. The final round of the Formula Regional Middle East championship looks like being an equally closely contested affair. Although Rafael Camara has had some bad luck, he is still in the fight for a top three championship finish. The 17 year old Brazilian is in first season in this category and so far, he has three second places and a third, showing that he is making steady progress against far more experienced rivals.
Standings. Camara lies third on 101 points, one more than team-mate Lorenzo Fluxa. Rafael is aiming for a top three finish in the series but would also like to clinch his first win. The Formula Regional action started with two qualifying sessions on Saturday from 8.50, with first race running under floodlights with a 16.45 start time. The second and third races take place on Sunday, starting at 7 and 11 respectively.