Home Formula 4Italian F4 Zhou beats Shwartzman in Monza race one photo finish

Zhou beats Shwartzman in Monza race one photo finish

by Peter Allen
Guan Yu Zhou

Photo: ACI Sport

Chinese Ferrari protege Guan Yu Zhou celebrated his 16th birthday by claiming his maiden single-seater victory in the first Italian F4 race at Monza, defeating Robert Shwartzman by just 0.023 seconds.

Shwartzman had led at the start from pole position, while his debuting Mucke Motorsport team-mate and fellow front row starter Lando Norris was eliminated on the second lap after a crash, together with fifth-place starter Joao Vieira.

After a subsequent safety car period, Zhou was able to take the lead away from Shwartzman, and at the end of the 13-lap race, just held on at the line ahead of the Russian by the narrowest of margins.

From seventh on the grid, double Vallelunga winner?Ralf Aron climbed onto the podium in third, finishing only half a second back from Prema team-mate Zhou.

David Beckmann started and finished fourth for Mucke ahead of Vincenzo Sospiri-run Israeli Bar Baruch, who charged from 15th on the grid.

Matteo Desideri was close behind in sixth followed by Mike Ortmann and Kevin Kanayet (from 19th on the grid), while the top 10 was rounded out by the remaining Prema entries of Giuliano Raucci and Tim Zimmermann.

Race results
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1 Guan Yu Zhou Prema Powerteam 13 laps in 31:08.824
2 Robert Shwartzman Mucke Motorsport +0.023
3 Ralf Aron Prema Powerteam +0.579
4 David Beckmann Mucke Motorsport +1.031
5 Bar Baruch Israel F4 +2.404
6 Matteo Desideri Antonelli Motorsport +2.428
7 Mike Ortmann Mucke Motorsport +4.989
8 Giuliano Raucci Prema Powerteam +8.009
9 Tim Zimmermann Prema Powerteam +9.322
10 Marcos Siebert Jenzer Motorsport +10.230
11 Lucas Mauron Jenzer Motorsport +11.929
12 Arlind Hoti Jenzer Motorsport +12.524
13 Sato Marino Vincenzo Sospiri Racing +14.932
14 Diego Bertonelli RB Racing +15.681
15 Mattia Ferrari Antonelli Motorsport +24.486
16 Riccardo Ponzio Teramo Racing Team +27.479
17 Kevin Kanayet Malta Formula Racing +32.235
18 Ali Al Khalifa Jenzer Motorsport +32.904
19 Alex Peroni Torino Squadra Corse +41.967
20 Fernando Madera Team Costa Rica +42.975
21 Wiktoria Pankiewicz RB Racing +50.296
22 Julia Pankiewicz RB Racing +54.954
23 Kikko Galbiati Antonelli Motorsport +2 laps
24 Mauricio Baiz Vincenzo Sospiri Racing +3 laps
Not classified
Yan Leon Shlom Malta Formula Racing +7 laps
Nico Rindlisbacher Jenzer Motorsport +12 laps
Raul Guzman Malta Formula Racing +12 laps
Lando Norris M?cke Motorsport +12 laps
Joao Vieira Antonelli Motorsport +13 laps