The Belgian driver from Griffin Core by Campos once again delivered a highly valuable weekend in his title quest with a victory and a second place, further extending his lead in the overall standings. Among the rookies, Monteiro drove the Campos Racing car to a win and another podium, while Kanthan also secured two podium finishes
The fifth round of the F4 Spain season confirmed the tremendous strength and consistency Thomas Strauven has been showing race after race. The Belgian driver from Griffin Core by Campos claimed his seventh win of the season and his thirteenth podium at Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto. Adding to that, he also scored points in the other race – something he has only failed to do once in the fifteen races held so far – which explains the huge advantage he now enjoys in the standings. His teammate Jan Przyrowski, on the other hand, endured a weekend to forget. The Polish driver secured all three pole positions – as he had also done in Le Castellet – but luck was never on his side this time. Meanwhile, Noah Monteiro and Vivek Kanthan also delivered strong performances, both stepping onto the rookie podium twice. On this occasion, neither Matúš Ryba (Griffin Core by Campos) nor Miguel Costa (Campos Racing) managed to score points at the Andalusian track.
As something of a warning, Przyrowski and Strauven had already set the tone in free practice, topping the timesheets with laps of 1m43.443s and 1m43.646s respectively. Portuguese driver Monteiro and American Kanthan also broke into the top ten with laps of 1m43.985s and 1m44.099s. In the first qualifying session, which set the grids for Races 1 and 2, Przyrowski clocked the outright fastest lap with a time of 1m43.908s, the only driver to dip below the 1m44s barrier, while Strauven posted the fourth-fastest time with a 1m44.123s. Monteiro also delivered an excellent lap, placing eighth with a 1m44.375s. For the second-fastest laps, which determined the grid for Race 2, Przyrowski once again came out on top with a 1m43.979s, while Monteiro was sixth with a 1m44.519s and Strauven tenth with a 1m44.774s.
In Saturday afternoon’s race, Przyrowski stalled at the start and was left stranded when the lights went out. Strauven narrowly avoided him, as did most of the field, but Costa hit the back of the Polish driver, immediately eliminating them both and triggering a safety car. The race restarted on lap three, but the safety car was back out shortly after following Ryba’s off-track excursion that left his car beached in the gravel. On the next restart, Strauven quickly climbed to third as René Lammers was forced to pit for a jump start penalty. From then on, Strauven relentlessly pressured Reno Trencot for second place. Just when it seemed impossible, Strauven brilliantly out-braked Trencot on the back straight to seize second place, which he held until the checkered flag. Monteiro also shone, finishing fifth overall and second among the rookies. Kanthan, meanwhile, was forced to retire from the race.
Sunday began with the second qualifying session, and once again Przyrowski was the standout name. The Griffin Core by Campos driver posted a sensational 1m43.198s, securing pole position and two bonus points. Alongside him on the front row for Race 3 was his teammate Strauven, thanks to a 1m43.285s. Monteiro was superb once again, the best rookie and fourth overall with a 1m43.356s, while Kanthan set the ninth-best time with a 1m43.573s.
Race 2, where Przyrowski also held pole, brought a similar outcome to Saturday. This time he didn’t stall, but he lost several positions and crossed the line in 11th on lap one, three places behind Strauven. Always fighting hard, the Polish driver worked his way back to sixth at the checkered flag, but a subsequent ten-second penalty for contact with a rival dropped him to 13th. As a result, Kanthan was the best of the Alzira-based squad in eighth, a result that also gave him third place among the rookies. Strauven finished ninth, while Monteiro completed the top ten.
The final race of the weekend, held in the afternoon, had Przyrowski and Strauven as the main protagonists. At the start, the Belgian overtook his Polish teammate and the pair were able to pull away from the rest of the field. Despite the intense pressure from Przyrowski, Strauven held firm and completed seventeen laps to take the win ahead of his Griffin Core by Campos teammate. However, the stewards later handed Przyrowski a five-second penalty that dropped him from the podium to sixth place. Monteiro was outstanding once again, finishing fourth overall and claiming rookie victory, while Kanthan crossed the line eighth overall and third among the rookies
In the championship standings after Jerez, Strauven leads with 278 points, more than one hundred clear of Lammers. Przyrowski lies fourth with 146. Monteiro and Kanthan hold eighth and tenth place with 81 and 53 points respectively, and stand second and fourth among the rookies.
In the teams’ standings, Griffin Core by Campos leads with 365 points, while Campos Racing sits third with 120 points.
The next round will be held at Circuit Ricardo Tormo, the home event for the Valencian team, on October 18–19, marking the penultimate race weekend before the season finale in Barcelona.
Noah Monteiro (Campos Racing Driver in F4 Spain): "The weekend delivered good points for the championship. The focus is on using these results to get closer to the top in future races."
Photos: FotoCar13
