First race and first F4 podium for Sofia Zanfari
Two months after the official announcement of her debut in the FIA-certified French Formula 4 Championship, Sofia Zanfari has just celebrated her very first podium finish. The 18-year-old Moroccan champion has proved her ability to adapt and her budding talent, already spotted during her rise through the karting ranks. After an extremely promising first meeting organised during the Easter Cup at the Nogaro circuit in the south of France, Sofia is already ready to take on new challenges within the prestigious FFSA Academy.
Significant progress
Sofia Zanfari made the most of the five test sessions on Friday to significantly improve her lap times between the beginning and end of the day. "I wasn't able to test as much as I would have liked before this first event. Nevertheless, I'm feeling more and more comfortable with my F4. Working with the FFSA Academy engineers and my coach Hadrien David was really productive. I learnt a lot at Nogaro," commented Sofia.
After the rain... The podium!
Sofia Zanfari had a difficult Qualifying session in the terrible weather conditions on Saturday, as she was still getting to grips with her single-seater on rain tyres.
"The red flag came out several times, and I was only able to complete two timed laps in the thirty-minute session,"
The Moroccan complained. But this misadventure didn't stop her from making up several places in Race 1 and finishing on the third step of the podium in the women's category, which has seen a large number of female drivers enter F4 this season.
F1 Academy in sight
Hadrien David, a former French champion in the discipline and now Sofia's coach, could testify to her rise to prominence at Nogaro.
"The rain came back for Race 2, and I was able to measure her progress in these conditions. Sofia even came very close to scoring a second consecutive podium. Her karting experience also enabled her to show her fighting spirit in the field. It's a shame that a puncture forced her to retire in Race 3. But I remain confident for the next few races, given her potential and determination.”
Today, Sofia Zanfari makes no secret of her ambitions: to showcase herself in F4 and join the F1 Academy in the future.