Ugochukwu keeps Italian F4 title hopes alive with Vallelunga victory

Photo: ACI Sport

Ugo Ugochukwu won the first race of the Italian Formula 4 finale at Vallelunga to halt Kacper Sztuka’s victory streak and keep his title hopes alive.

From third on the grid, McLaren junior Ugochukwu got the best getaway of the leading drivers, immediately moving up into second place before passing points leader Sztuka around the outside of the double-apex Cimini right-handers.

His Prema team-mate Tuukka Taponen also got past Sztuka into the Tornantino harpin, while behind, Nikhil Bohra was pushed into the gravel by Brando Badoer as they fought over fifth.

In the second half of the race, Ugochukwu was able to start pulling away while Sztuka remained on the tail of Taponen.

Ugochukwu clinched his third win of the season – and first since round three at Spa-Francorchamps in May – by 1.5 seconds while Taponen held off Sztuka by less than three tenths.

With that, Ugochukwu moves from 18 points behind Sztuka to just eight, but with only the drivers’ best 16 scores counting towards the championship, dropped scores now come into effect. Ugochukwu is therefore actually 11 points behind, while Arvid Lindblad – who finished sixth – is 9.5 away from Sztuka.

Zachary David was a relatively lonely fourth, with James Wharton holding off Lindblad for fifth.

Ariel Elkin came from 12th to finish on Lindblad’s tail in seventh for Jenzer Motorsport, beating Badoer, Nicola Lacorte and James Egozi.

Race result (20 laps)