Before the usual summer break the ASA trainees arrived in Le Vigeant to take part in the third round of the 2014 French F4 Championship on the Val de Vienne circuit. They had to cope with difficult weather for most of the weekend, and the event was dominated by Lasse Sorensen who gave his rivals no quarter starting with qualifying. The Dane’s two pole positions and a hat trick of victories propelled him up the time sheets and he left the French circuit leading the championship. He will be determined to hang onto first place at the next round on the Magny-Cours circuit on 5-7 September in the context of the GT Tour.
By setting the two fastest times in qualifying Lasse Sorensen clinched pole for races 1 and 3 in front of championship newcomer, Patricio O’Ward from Mexico, and Anglo-Swiss Felix Hirsiger.
In the first race on Saturday Sorensen took advantage of his pole position to make a perfect start and he immediately opened up a gap over his rivals. On lap 1 Valentin Moineault, tagged by another car, fell back to the rear of the field dashing his hopes of a good result, while Hugo Sugnot Darniche didn’t start due to an engine problem. Hirsiger in second place pulled away a little his immediate pursuers. Behind him three drivers were at it hammer and tongs for third: Frenchman Dorian Boccolacci, Swiss Paul Hokfelt Jr and Patricio O’Ward. In the meantime Colombian Juan Manuel Jimenez’s car ran into brake problems leading to his retirement: he suffered the same issues in the other two races. On lap 6 Boccolacci tripped up enabling his pursuers to move up a place. The Frenchman then fought his way up through the field and saw the flag in seventh position. O’Ward, Australian Joseph Mawson and Denis Bulatov from Russia put on a thrilling show as they tried to dislodge Hockfelt Jr from third, but the Swiss driver, who improves in every race, fended off their attacks and clinched the final place on the podium of race 1 at Val de Vienne alongside the winner, Sorensen, and Hirsiger.
Four French drivers Valentin Hasse-Clot, who finished tenth in race 1, Amaury Richard, Bryan Elpitiya and Boccolacci locked out the first two rows for race 2. Hasse-Clot on pole made a good start while behind Richard and Boccolacci banged wheels as they fought for second. Next time round two of the main contenders, Hokfelt Jr and Hirsiger, had already taken each other out. Hasse-Clot held on to the lead for eight laps until he saw Dane Lasse Sorensen, who was unstoppable as he picked off his rivals one by one, looming in his mirrors determined to take his place as leader. The young Frenchman then tripped up and let Sorensen into first where he stayed till the chequered flag. Russian Denis Bulatov drove a great race to snatch second by slipping past Joseph Mawson last time round, although the Australian held on to the third step on the podium.
The organisers took advantage of a break in the poor weather conditions to line up the ASA trainees on the grid for the third and last race of the weekend. Sorensen on pole for the second time on the Le Vigéant circuit had O’Ward beside him on the front row. The Dane quickly pulled away from the Mexican who came under attack from Mawson. The track was extremely tricky with wet patches in several places and Hirsiger was the first to be caught out losing precious points for the championship title. A lap later Mawson made the same mistake in the same place, but managed to rejoin in ninth spot. Next to trip up was Bryan Elpitiya who fell back to fifteenth. Swiss David Droux had to retire a little later on due to technical problems so he was unable to repeat his encouraging performance in the second heat. O’Ward’s error on lap 7 helped French drivers Boccolacci, Moineault and Richard, his closest pursuers, to move up the time sheets putting them in second, third and fourth places respectively. O’Ward, who had a coming-together with Mawson, finished fifth followed by Hokfelt Jr and Bulatov, who started and finished in seventh place. Vladimir Atoev made a fantastic comeback to take eighth place after starting from sixteenth on the grid. A delighted Sorensen crossed the finishing line to score his hat trick of victories followed by the two Frenchmen Boccolacci and Moineault.
Sorensen’s three wins have given him a total of 157 points and the leadership in the French F4 Championship before the summer break. Boccolacci is second with 128 points and Hirsiger third with 97.
Overall general classification of the French F4 Championship after Le Vigeant (3/7)
1. L. SORENSEN, 157 pts / 2. D. BOCCOLACCI, 128 pts / 3. F. HIRSIGER, 97 pts / 4. J. MAWSON, 90 pts / 5. D. BULATOV, 73 pts / 6. A. RICHARD, 64 pts / 7. P. HOKFELT JR, 47 pts / 8. V. MOINEAULT, 44 pts / 9. B. ELPITIYA, 42 pts / 10. E. JULE, 34 pts / etc…
The weekend’s figures
Summary Val de Vienne
– 2 POLE POSITIONS FOR SORENSEN (RACES 1 AND 3) AND 1 FOR HASSE-CLOT (RACE 2)
– 3 VICTORIES FOR SORENSEN
– 3 FASTEST LAPS IN THE RACES FOR SORENSEN
– 34 LAPS IN THE LEAD FOR SORENSEN AND 8 FOR HASSE-CLOT
Info Auto Sport Academy / © Photo KSP