The third round of the Italian Formula 4 Championship, held in Monza during the ACI Racing Weekend, was a very positive weekend for me.
From Thursday, during the first day of testing, I immediately found a good feeling with the car. The pace was good, the lap times were competitive and I quickly felt comfortable on a special track like Monza. Also in Friday morning’s free practice, we were fast and close to the front, confirming that the work with the team was going in the right direction.
In qualifying, the rhythm was positive. A few minutes before the end, I had the sixth fastest time of my group, then in the final part I was not able to improve as much as I had hoped and lost a few positions. It was still a good qualifying session, with interesting lap times and a pace that gave me confidence ahead of the races.
Race 1 was very intense. I recovered positions at the start and fought in the front group. During the race, there were two Safety Cars and I managed both restarts well. After the second neutralization, I thought the race could finish under Safety Car, but instead we still had one final lap of green-flag racing.
At the restart, I moved up to sixth position overall and I was third among the rookies, close to my first rookie podium of the season. Unfortunately, on the final lap, a small mistake at the exit of the second Lesmo allowed the cars behind me to get close on the straight towards Variante Ascari. While trying to defend the position, I lost the rear of the car at the exit of Ascari and went off track, losing several positions. I finished in P13 overall and fourth among the rookies.
It was a pity, because until that moment the race had been very positive, with strong pace and a real chance of a rookie podium. At the same time, I take away important indications and the awareness that I had driven a solid race until the final lap.
In Race 2, the pace was again very good. The car was fast, the setup gave me confidence and I was able to stay close to the front group throughout the race. The Safety Car also came out and I managed the restart well, which is always a fundamental aspect in such competitive races. I finished in P9 overall and fourth among the rookies, a positive result especially for the rhythm and consistency we showed.
In Sunday’s Final, I had a little more difficulty finding the right rhythm compared to the first two races, but it was still a hard-fought race. The Safety Car came out twice and the final laps were completed under neutralization. In such a competitive championship, these situations are now part of the races and it is fundamental to manage them well. I finished in P16 overall, once again fourth among the rookies.
Overall, I leave Monza very satisfied. We came very close to the rookie podium several times, the pace has improved and the direction we are taking is the right one. I want to thank the whole Trident team for the work done: the car was fast throughout the weekend and the setup gave me the confidence I needed to push.
It was also a very demanding weekend physically, with temperatures around 36-37 degrees. In such difficult conditions, you realize how important physical preparation, nutrition and hydration are. For this reason, I also want to thank Davide, my trainer, for the work done over the past months and for helping me arrive ready for such an intense weekend.
I leave Monza with confidence and motivation. There is still a lot of work to do, but the progress is clear and we will keep pushing to grow race after race.
See you in two weeks at Vallelunga, for the first round valid for the E4 European Championship.
Beco Bernoldi