Formula 4 Southeast Asia race ends - with no finishers

Saturday, 30 September 2017


By RACER Staff / Image by F4 SEA



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A story that was odd to begin with – a loose drain cover that caused a heavy crash for Haas F1's Romain Grosjean – took an amazing turn a day later when resulting track repairs led to all nine cars in the Formula 4 South East Asia Championship support race failing to cross the finish line.
With the first F4 race canceled due to track repairs, two F4 support races were forced to run in succession on Saturday after the FIA spent time on Friday checking the circuit for drains that needed re-welding; the grate on the apex curb of Turn 13 was dislodged by Valtteri Bottas in Friday's Formula 1 practice before Grosjean made contact with it, ripping off his right-rear tire and pitching him into a spin and heavy contact with the barrier.
The first F4 race ran trouble-free, but in Race 2, several cars, including pole-sitter Danial Frost, stopped on track – out of gas – with two laps to go in the eight-lap race. One lap later, three more cars stopped. On the final lap, with the safety car out and Kane Shepherd the only car still moving, he ran out of fuel exiting Turn 2.

Race officials named Shepherd the winner – having been the most recent to cross the start/finish line – but ultimately decided to declare the race over after five laps, handing the win to Frost.


Asian Autosport chairman Peter Thompson apologized for the miscalculation after the race.
“I apologize unreservedly for the results of Race 3,” he said. “With Races 2 and 3 back-to-back and without the possibility to top up, we filled the cars for both races before the start of Race 2.
“However we miscalculated the requirements. As we are a one-team championship all the drivers were unfortunately affected.”



Nayan Chatterjee