Jules Roussel made history yesterday by winning the inaugural edition of the FIA F4 World Cup.
After a thrilling battle over the weekend that saw several drivers take the lead in different sessions, it was time for Roussel to emerge as a “dark horse” and claim the honors in the main race.
Only third in his domestic F4 championship this season, he engaged in a tense struggle for victory with Rayan Caretti, who eventually crashed out of contention at the Solitude Esses on the eighth lap of 10.
With just two laps to go, there was not enough time for the clean-up procedures, and the race had to finish under the safety car.
Starting from second on the grid, Roussel quickly overtook pole-sitter Emanuele Olivieri into Reservoir Bend. Caretti then picked up the slipstream from the leading pair, further demoting Olivieri at Mandarin Bend.
A series of incidents followed, starting with Chinese F4 champion Shimo Zhang, who lost control of the rear end of his car at Mandarin Bend and eventually collected Itsuki Sato. A little further ahead at Lisboa Bend, Kyuho Lee also hit the barriers, prompting the deployment of the safety car.
At the restart, Roussel did not lose focus and secured his lead once again, but Caretti remained close and eager to take the lead, which he did a lap later on the brakes into Lisboa.
On the seventh lap, Roussel challenged Caretti on the outside line at Lisboa, and their battle brought Olivieri right back into contention.
Next time around, Roussel made his move at Mandarin Bend to get in front. Caretti’s attempt to retaliate forced him wide at Maternity Bend, and while trying to regain lost time, he made matters worse by striking the barrier at the Solitude Esses.
In the end, Olivieri finished second ahead of Rintaro Sato, who had to race from the back to the front after a 30-second penalty for a procedural infringement. Although he crossed the line third in the Qualification Race on Saturday, he was pushed back to 11th for the main race, making excellent progress through the pack despite several interruptions.
The best among the local drivers was Marcus Cheong in eighth place, with the second local contestant, Tiago Rodrigues, finishing 10th.
Dominant in the early stages of the weekend, Kean Nakamura-Berta struggled with technical issues in his car, losing several laps while pitting to try to resolve the problem.
At the post-race press conference, Roussel credited his victory to “controlled risk-taking.”
“I took the risk, but it was a calculated risk. I waited and took the opportunity to overtake before braking, closed the door, and kept the lead,” he said, adding that the Macau race was vital for improving his skills.
“For me, it’s about improving my driving, maintaining good technical skills even with the wall just ahead, braking later with proper technique, staying focused to avoid mistakes, keeping the pace, taking risks, and maintaining concentration,” he noted.
Generally happy with the weekend, Olivieri said he finished every session in the top three and had aimed to win the race.
“Not where I wanted to be, but anyway, even though the start was not ideal, my pace today wasn’t the best. I struggled with braking and high-speed corners, so I focused on maintaining confidence. Overall, I can be quite happy with the result.” Renato Marques with Nadia Shaw
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