With a heat victory and strong strategy, Julius Dinesen secured an increased lead in the Formula 4 championship ahead of the final weekend.
Before the penultimate round of the Formula 4 championship, the goal was clear: to collect as many points as possible for Julius Dinesen’s championship campaign, while Victor T. Nielsen aimed to get closer to his first heat win. Sometimes, high ambitions require taking risks.
When qualifying took place on Friday morning, it surprised many that the two STEP Motorsport cars clocked in as the fifth and sixth fastest at Padborg Park. However, this was intentional, as both drivers chose to run on used tires to save their fresh ones for the three heats.
And the strategy worked. After a fantastic start, Julius Dinesen quickly moved up to second place and began chasing the leader, who had established a comfortable lead. But it wasn’t enough, as Julius steadily closed the gap and, with just a few laps remaining, overtook to secure a crucial heat victory.
On Saturday at noon, the next heat was held with Victor starting from second place while Julius had to fight his way through the field, this time starting from seventh. Victor had to do his best to maintain his second position and crossed the finish line just half a second behind the leader. Julius finished in fourth place after intense battles throughout the race.
The final heat started with Julius in pole position and Victor in fifth. This time, however, the good starting position did not yield the full benefit, and Julius had to settle for third place, with Victor finishing right behind him in fourth.
Julius Dinesen: It has been a tough weekend, but I’m glad our strategy in qualifying and the first heat worked. I’ve increased my lead in the championship, and I will come to Jyllandsringen better prepared than ever to secure the title with the team.
Victor Nielsen: I’ve been in the thick of it this weekend, and I’ve learned a lot from it. Taking second place in race two was fantastic, but it would be nice to step one rung higher on the ladder. There’s no doubt that the final weekend will be exciting!
Morten Dons, Team Principal: It has been a bit of a special weekend. We took a chance with our strategy in qualifying, and that was what it took for Julius to take the heat victory against some strong competitors. Generally, we could and should have been stronger on the track than we were, so we should be pleased that Julius is in a strong position ahead of the final weekend, and we need to ensure we come to Jyllandsringen even stronger to secure Julius’s championship.
The Danish Championship final at FDM Jyllandsringen will take place on October 8-9.