The 2024 Italian F.4 Championship concludes with Gianmarco Pradel's first victory
The Italian F.4 Championship officially concluded with the third race at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. Putting the final seal on the season was Australian driver Gianmarco Pradel, representing US Racing, who achieved his first victory by overtaking poleman Freddie Slater in a highly challenging race. Pradel was rewarded with the win after a weekend that presented him with some difficulties in the previous two races, but he skillfully seized the opportunity with a spectacular pass, closing out the year in the best possible way.
British driver Freddie Slater from Prema Racing, already crowned Champion before the final round, didn’t hold back at Monza. After winning Race 1 and Race 2, bringing his total wins to 15 and setting a new record to beat, Slater gave it his all again in Race 3. Right at the start, he was immediately challenged by Pradel, who took the lead. Slater later regained the position with a daring overtake at the first chicane and surprised his rival with an inside move following a restart after a safety car. However, he ultimately had to yield to the Australian's first triumph, as Pradel passed him with a high-speed maneuver and skillfully defended his lines against Slater's counterattack.
Mercedes junior Alex Powell from Prema Racing finished third on the Race 3 podium. With this result, Powell closed out the last standings still open in the final round, the one dedicated to first-year drivers in the category. The thrilling head-to-head duel with his teammate Kean Nakamura-Berta lasted until the final meters of Race 3, when the American-Jamaican driver ultimately sealed the Rookie Trophy victory, celebrating on Monza's third podium step. Nakamura-Berta, his direct rival, finished fourth, displaying impressive talent on the track throughout the season, often excelling in challenging conditions. In the final race, the Japanese Alpine Academy driver, already on the podium twice this weekend, shone once again, first with an exceptionally precise pass on Powell and then in his battle for P4 with Akshay Bohra from US Racing.
Indian driver Akshay Bohra, who had recently clinched the Euro 4 Championship title at Monza, finished fifth in the final race of the year, following his fourth-place finishes in the weekend’s previous two races.
In sixth position was Dutch driver Francot from Jenzer Motorsport. After having to give up a potential strong result in Saturday's second race due to a mechanical issue with his gearbox, Francot returned to fight in the top 10 today, securing his place. Seventh went to Australian driver Jack Beeton from US Racing, who, along with Slater and Nakamura-Berta, dominated Saturday’s podium. After the final round, Beeton moved ahead of Japanese driver Hiyu Yamakoshi (Van Amersfoort Racing) in the standings, taking second place.
Prema Racing’s Indian driver Dion Gowda finished eighth, crossing the line ahead of Swedish driver Gustav Jonsson from Van Amersfoort Racing. Latvian driver Tomass Stolcermanis from Prema Racing completed the top 10, closing the season in third place in the Rookie standings.
Gianmarco Pradel: "There’s no better way to end it. After Race 1 and Race 2, we had a few roadblocks, especially in Race 2, which was all on me, so it was hard to bounce back. In Race 3, everything just fell into place, and it felt so, so good. The car felt like it was on rails. I can’t thank the team, US Racing, enough. They’ve been incredible, not just for this race but for the entire two years I’ve been with them so far. It’s been fantastic. I’m really happy to end on such a high note; let’s see what the future brings.”
Freddie Slater: "To be in the history books of Italian F.4 is something really special. Looking at the perfect score, at the end of the season, I’m only 7 points off that, considering the dropped results. I’ll never forget it; hopefully, it’ll be a record that lasts for quite a while, and it won’t be easy for future drivers to beat! Honestly, it’s been super special, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. I couldn’t have done it without Prema; they’ve been a massive part of this success. Also, the Championship, WSK, and ACI Sport have done an incredible job organizing such a great championship. That’s why it’s the best Formula 4 category and championship to go to for the best chance to grow as a driver. It’s been incredible, and I’ll miss it, but now full focus for 2025. [Next year in Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine], I’ll still go at it with an open mind. I don’t know what’s going to happen, and we don’t know how fast we’ll be, but we’ll go in with an open mind and see how we get on. Honestly, I want to be fighting for the championship right away and try to break more records, as I try to do every year. It doesn’t always work out that way, but I’ll just go with an open mind and see how it goes.”
Alex Powell: "It wasn’t a smooth weekend; we had a few issues, especially yesterday. Going into this last race was pretty intense, as it was really close between Kean and me for the Rookie Championship. In the end, I just went in wanting to do our best to finish on a high. Overall, it’s been a season full of highs and lows; we had some tough periods this year, but we managed to bounce back well. I’m really happy and proud of the work we did as a team, and of course, I’m thrilled to bring home the Rookie Championship.”