A new Formula 4 Spanish Championship season began this weekend. The Spa-Francorchamps Circuit, in Belgium, hosted the opening round in a weekend where GRS Team, with two drivers on track, shown quick pace and was close to the top positions but did not get to score points.
After Thursday’s Free Practice sessions, it was time for Qualifying on Friday morning. Weather conditions were tricky, but our drivers performed at their best. On the first session, Dani Maciá qualified in P6 on the grid for Race 1, and P7 for Race 2. Carl Bennett would start the races from 12th and 8th, respectively. In Qualifying 2, Carl was 17th while Dani had the pace to get into the Top 5, but all his laps were cancelled due to track limits, dropping him to P28.
Race 1 was held later that day under dry conditions. The car’s setup was not ideal for Maciá in these conditions. The Spaniard finished the race 11th, just missing on the points. Bennett finished in 14th position after being involved in a very active midfield battle.
The second race took place on Saturday morning. Both drivers were again involved in the mid-pack fights and battled for the points. Dani lost his chances to score after being forced to take evasive action for an incident ahead. Like in Race 1, the driver from Santa Pola was just one place away from a point as he finished in P10. Carl crossed the line 15th after losing spots on the final lap.
The meeting came to its end on Sunday. In Race 3, Maciá climbed up to the Top 15. He was part of a numerous group who was fighting for the final points. Bennett was also in that fight. Unfortunately, both GRS drivers made light contact. At the same time, Dani was forced to avoid another incident ahead and ended up stuck on the gravel. Carl had to pit with damage on his car and retired as well.
We wrap-up the first weekend of the year with no points, feeling that we had potential for more. However, we are fully confident that the expected results will come eventually as the entire team is doing a fantastic job. Next round will take place on May 27-28 in MotorLand Aragon.
