Frank Porte Ruiz entered the FIA FrenchF4 Championship in 2023 with no experience of karting or motor sport in general, but he can be proud of the progress he has made in the middle of a tough field of 26 cars. Now 17, the driver from Andorra has managed to score several top 10 finishes and his first points. The seventh and final race on the Paul Ricard circuit was another satisfying one for him, even though a minor incident had heavier consequences than expected.
The FFSA Academy, which is used to training young drivers whose aim is to make a career in motor sport, has enabled Frank Porte Ruiz to develop in a professional environment in a championship where fairness is paramount, as all the competitors have the same car. Over the year, he has managed to match the performances of drivers with several years’ experience in karting, some of whom were even competing in their second F4 season.
On Friday at Le Castellet, the Qualifying session confirmed his ability to get into the top half of the ranking. “My aim was to get into the top 10, but I ended up with a number of cancelled times due to going beyond the limits of the track,” lamented Frank. “And on my best lap, I think I could have been quicker in sector 1. But if I look back at my positions from the start of the season, my progress is indicative of my rise to prominence.”
Starting 13th out of 26 in Race 1, he got off to an excellent start, before contact with another car during a duel pushed him back beyond 15th place. “I was determined to move back up the field, but I soon realised that my car wasn’t as effective as it had been. One of the wheels suffered in the impact, which changed the geometry of the front end. In those conditions, I couldn’t do better than P15.”
As the technical team was unable to carry out all the necessary work before Race 2, the Andorran hopeful had to contend with a car that was having trouble going into the right-hand corners perfectly. Despite this, he once again got off to a perfect start and gained several positions. “I felt I was capable of going for 7th or 8th place, but the car’s balance wasn’t optimal, causing the tyres to overheat abnormally. I fought right to the end to get up to 9th place, a gain of four places on my grid position.”
These handling problems also affected his tyres, which were quite degraded by the time he started Race 3. “In these conditions, I tried to make the most of the car’s potential and I was able to drive at a good pace. I was only 16th on the first lap and crossed the finish line in 12th position, which was pretty good considering the events of the meeting. In the end, the contact in Race 1 had a serious impact on my performance.”
“Looking back, I’m pleased with the progress made in 2023. It was a learning year and I was quickly able to set myself higher targets than I had expected. From mid-season onwards, I really started to gain confidence at the wheel of this Mygale F4, which enabled me to put in some much better performances, even though I still need to improve my use of new tyres in Qualifying. It’s a shame that some incidents deprived me of better places, but I’m really happy with my overall performance on my motorsport debut. I’ve gained a lot of experience and no doubt it will stand me in good stead for my second F4 season in 2024.”
Info Kartcom / Photo © KSP – Guillaume Veuve