Photo: NACAM F4

Ram Racing’s Zaky Ibrahim became NACAM Formula 4 champion in the Formula 1-supporting season finale in Mexico City on October 24-26.

His points lead had been reduced in round five at Autodromo Miguel E. Abed on September 19/20, where the Alessandros Racing team had a notable pace advantage.

Its drivers locked out qualifying’s top three places, with Alejandro Bobadilla claiming race one pole by 0.326 seconds over Fernando Luque. Jose Martinez was 0.451s behind in third, and Ibrahim was 0.451s off pole in fourth.

Drivers’ second-best laptimes set race three’s grid, and Bobadilla pipped Luque to pole by 0.022s. Martinez was third, 0.204s off pole, and Ibrahim was fourth.

Bobadilla had his mirrors filled by his team-mates through race one, but held them off to win. Luque attacked him a lot mid-race, then later on Bobadilla built a one-second gap.

Ivanna Richards made it an Alessandros 1-2-3-4, and Ram’s Alan Zezatti and Ibrahim were distanced in fifth and sixth. Zezatti therefore had pole for the reversed-grid race two, and he kept the lead at the start. Martinez squeezed into second, and Ibrahim gained ground while Bobadilla had a mechanical that required pitting.

Martinez overtook Zezatti at the end of lap two, profiting from a mistake that sent Zezatti behind Richards too. The leader then stretched his legs, as Zezatti fell down further and Richards initially came under attack before creating her own gap. Luque completed the podium after a lengthy defence against Ibrahim.

Bobadilla had race three under control at first, with Luque initially preoccupied by keeping Martinez behind before being able to prioritise chasing winner Bobadilla later on.

Ibrahim, Zezatti and Elias Vignola were fighting behind Martinez, and at one point Zezatti and Vignola went off while squabbling. Richards sought to take advantage, but was sent off after the Ram Racing drivers rejoined and her exit from the asphalt was permanent.

At Mexico City, NACAM F4’s drivers were given the responsibility of being first out on track on Friday morning and sweeping dust off its surface during their 25-minute practice session.

It was still dusty a day later when the longer qualifying session took place, and 2024 championship runner-up Helio Meza marked his return with pole. He set a 1m46.336s to beat United States F4 runner-up Alex Popow by 0.172 seconds.

Bobadilla was 0.511s off pole in third, and just 0.004s ahead of Luque, and points leader Ibrahim was a further 0.14s back in fifth.

Race one was on Saturday, and it did not immediately go to plan for Meza as he lost the lead to Bobadilla. However he was back ahead by lap two, then pulled away to win the 14-lap encounter by 6.452s.

Bobadilla lost place after place once he had conceded the lead and eventually finished a distant seventh, the last finisher as team-mates Popow and Martinez failed to make the start and RRK Motorsports’ Emil Abed was disqualified.

Luque finished second, and Ibrahim was several seconds further behind his title rival in third.

The season-ending race two was the next morning, and Alessandros’s Luque, Meza and Bobadilla locked out the podium. Martinez and Popow also finished ahead of Ibrahim, but his sixth place was enough to be crowned having won six races this year.

Results round-up
Puebla race 1 (15 laps)
1 Alejandro Bobadilla Alessandros Racing 21m29.716s
2 Fernando Luque Alessandros Racing +1.141s
3 Jose Martinez Alessandros Racing +1.489s
4 Ivanna Richards Alessandros Racing +2.940s
5 Alan Zezatti Ram Racing +8.202s
6 Zaky Ibrahim Ram Racing +9.978s
7 Fernando Rivera Ram Racing +22.083s
8 Oliver Trejo Ram Racing +28.786s
9 Elias Vignola Ram Racing +31.969s
10 Max Mora Ram Racing +49.923s
Pole: Bobadilla, 1m24.482s
Fastest lap: Bobadilla, 1m24.635s

Puebla race 2 (15 laps)
1 Martinez 21m25.749s
2 Richards +3.150s
3 Luque +3.610s
4 Ibrahim +8.626s
5 Vignola +10.978s
6 Rivera +21.657s
6 Trejo +21.952s
8 Mora +55.335s
9 Zezatti +1m14.023s
10 Bobadilla +1m17.613s
FL: Luque, 1m24.506s

Puebla race 3 (15 laps)
1 Bobadilla 21m16.379s
2 Luque +0.228s
3 Martinez +1.146s
4 Ibrahim +6.754s
5 Zezatti +19.181s
6 Vignola +20.331s
7 Rivera +26.752s
8 Trejo +59.529s
9 Mora +1m17.237s
Ret Richards
P: Bobadilla, 1m24.805s
FL: Bobadilla, 1m24.355s

Mexico City race 1 (14 laps)
1 Helio Meza Alessandros Racing 25m01.971s
2 Luque +6.452s
3 Ibrahim +11.177s
4 Zezatti +18.026s
5 Vignola +26.391s
6 Rivera +35.637s
7 Bobadilla +41.634s
DSQ Emil Abed RRK Motorsports
DNS Alex Popow Jr Alessandros Racing
DNS Martinez
P: Meza, 1m46.636s
FL: Meza, 1m46.253s

Mexico City race 2 (14 laps)
1 Luque 25m09.235s
2 Meza +0.364s
3 Bobadilla +1.273s
4 Martinez +1.903s
5 Popow +2.776s
6 Ibrahim +3.298s
7 Zezatti +12.837s
8 Vignola +13.954s
9 Rivera +18.309s
10 Abed +1m01.450s
FL: Luque, 1m46.615s

Championship standings
1 Ibrahim 256   2 Luque 250   3 Bobadilla 218   4 Martinez 210   5 Vignola 123   6 Zezatti 123   7 Marco Alquicira 115   8 Mora 73   9 Rivera 52   10 Popow 50

The post Ibrahim crowned NACAM F4 champion in F1-supporting finale appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Aston Martin F1

Jak Crawford will drive in a Formula 1 practice session for the first time at this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix with Aston Martin.

The American is one of the team’s junior drivers, and has already accumulated F1 test mileage exceeding 1240 miles in Aston Martin’s chassis from the previous three seasons. He will take over Lance Stroll’s car for FP1 in Mexico.

This year Crawford is fighting for the Formula 2 title, and is currently second in the standings with two rounds to go. There has been eight points-free races and a non-start, but the 20-year-old has won an unmatched three feature races and a sprint race.

“I’m thrilled to drive the AMR25 in Mexico for my first official F1 [practice] session,” said Crawford.

“I’ve worked closely with the team all year, so to now take the next step and get track time on a grand prix weekend is really exciting. Announcing this in Texas [at last weekend’s United States Grand Prix], where I’m from, makes it even more special after a busy week with the team and Aramco in Houston.”

Aston Martin is required to run a ‘young driver’ in practice at one more event this season, with its reserve driver Felipe Drugovich having made two FP1 outings earlier this year.

“It’s fantastic to give Jak the opportunity to take part in FP1 in Mexico,” Andy Cowell, Aston Martin’s F1 team principal, said.

“He’s shown real maturity and provided strong technical feedback throughout the year, and these sessions are an important part of how we develop young talent. Jak has had a strong season in F2 and has been a key contributor to the development of both the AMR25 and AMR26. This is a great chance for him to continue progressing while helping us gather valuable data.”

There is still no clarification on how the ‘Aston Martin F1 Team Driver Academy‘ launched this June differs from the existing driver development programme which Drugovich and Crawford have been supported by.

The new academy did however announce in July a partnership with karting team DPK Racing, which since then has been entering Kart Republic chassis in competitions under FA branding and with Aston Martin-inspired liveries. FA Racing is the multi-discipline junior motorsport brand belonging to Aston Martin F1 driver Fernando Alonso.

So far DPK’s drivers have not gained academy membership despite the alliance, with FIA Formula 3 race-winner the only confirmed driver in its ranks presently.

The post Jak Crawford gets maiden F1 practice call-up with Aston Martin appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Alpine

The Alpine Formula 1 team will use its reserve driver Paul Aron in a practice session for a second time this year at this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix.

Aron will replace Pierre Gasly in FP1, and is contending to become the Frenchman’s team-mate in 2026.

His Mexico outing is the second of four scheduled practice appearances with Alpine, having already made two with Sauber.

“I’m looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of the A525 for my latest free practice one session with the team,” said Aron, whose first call-up with Alpine was at the Italian Grand Prix where he replaced Franco Colapinto.

“I enjoyed the experience in Monza a lot and found it incredibly useful for my own personal development as a driver and my understanding of the car. I’m ready to build on that this weekend in Mexico City in Pierre’s car.

“The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is a very different track to any I have driven. It is high altitude which will make the handling of the car and the setup we choose very different to most other circuits and I’m looking forward to that challenge. I’m very grateful to the team for granting me this further opportunity and will do whatever is needed to help them set up a competitive weekend.”

When Aron drove at Monza, having already done six says of private testing in Alpine’s 2023 car during the first half of the year, it was yet to be confirmed that Colapinto would see out the season.

He had started 2025 in the four-strong reserve driver roster, before swapping places with the team’s rookie Jack Doohan after six rounds. That was a five-round arrangement, then Colapinto stayed in the seat on a race-by-race basis until after Monza when Alpine handed it to him through to the end of the season.

Colapinto already has an Alpine contract for 2026, but with no role specified, and he is up against Aron and Doohan to race for the team again. Doohan had a best finish of 13th during his time racing for Alpine, and Aron has experience competing in top-tier single-seaters after contesting Formula E’s Berlin E-Prix double-header with Envision Racing last year.

Formula 2 race-winner and Alpine junior Kush Maini left his role as FE team Mahindra’s reserve driver to take up the same position with Alpine for 2025, but having failed to secure an FIA superlicence in his third F2 campaign he is not in contention for an F1 promotion and will instead return to his former role at Mahindra next year.

The post Alpine picks Mexico for Aron’s next outing in audition for 2026 F1 seat appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Red Bull

Red Bull Racing has announced it will hand Arvid Lindblad a second Formula 1 free practice outing at this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix.

The team handed Lindblad his F1 practice debut at the British Grand Prix in July, when he took over Yuki Tsunoda’s car. This time he will be in the Red Bull RB21 usually driven by Max Verstappen in FP1 on Friday afternoon.

Lindblad became a Red Bull Junior Team-supported driver at the start of 2021, a status he held through the last one-and-a-half years of his karting career before becoming a proper Red Bull junior when he switched to single-seaters in mid-2022.

The following year he came third in the Italian Formula 4 championship and won the Macau Grand Prix’s F4 support races, was in 2024 was 13th in Formula Regional Middle East then made another step up the ladder to FIA Formula 3 where he came fourth in the championship with four victories. Red Bull then immediately began preparing Lindblad for F1.

His first mileage in older machinery came in a 2024 demo on a stretch of an old IndyCar circuit, and he revealed to Formula Scout he drove in the testing of previous car (TPC) programme for an unnamed F1 team (believed to be be the Red Bull-owned Racing Bulls) in early 2025.

Lindblad made another TPC outing in June, driving at Imola with Red Bull Racing to prepare for his F1 practice debut.

Another key part of Red Bull’s plan was to provide further opportunies for Lindblad to secure FIA superlicence points, which led to him racing in FRegional Oceania at the start of 2025. He romped to the title with six victories.

• Read more: The trait more valuable than superlicence points that Lindblad now has

That put Lindblad above the 40-point tally he needed before even making his step up to Formula 2. But as Red Bull wanted the freedom to call him up to race in F1 mid-season, it lobbied the FIA to make an exemption for his superlicence to be granted before he reached the minimum age of 18 years old in August.

During a meeting of its World Motor Sport Council in June, that request was approved and special dispensation was made for the Anglo-Swede.

Lindblad has continued to impress in junior single-seaters, and currently sits seventh in the standings with two rounds left of his rookie F2 season. He won from pole in the Barcelona feature race, won the Jeddah sprint race and has two other podiums so far.

The post Red Bull Racing to run Arvid Lindblad in Mexico City GP practice appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd

Luke Browning will make his third appearance in a Formula 1 practice session with Williams at the Mexico City Grand Prix next weekend.

The 23-year-old has been a member of its Williams Racing Driver Academy since 2023, and that has already resulted in F1 practice call-ups at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix.

He also drove for the team in post-season testing last year, and this April got further mileage in its 2023 F1 car in a private test at Monza.

“I’m hugely grateful to be given another chance to drive in a free practice session with Williams and to experience the FW47 for a second time,” said Browning.

“I’ve been working hard to prepare for the session so I can make the most of this amazing opportunity and help the team plan for the race weekend ahead. I can’t wait to get back into an F1 car and I’m incredibly grateful to everyone in the driver academy and at Williams for their trust and support.”

Browning is currently fighting for the Formula 2 title in his first full season. He contested the last three rounds of 2024 with ART Grand Prix, with a best finish of sixth, then joined Hitech GP for 2025 and so far has taken one win, eight other podiums, one pole and two fastest laps. There are two rounds left of the season, both taking place after the Mexico City GP.

“Luke has had a strong season in F2 so far, consistently showing his pace across a range of circuits and racing conditions,” said Williams’ sporting director Sven Smeets.

“He has continued to support the team through his simulator work and the Testing of Previous Cars programme, preparing him well for his next free practice session. We look forward to seeing him take to the track in Mexico as build his experience as a WRDA Driver.”

The post Luke Browning gets third F1 practice call-up with Williams in Mexico appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Copa Notiauto

Vivek Kanthan broke his Formula 4 victory duck on his debut in a NACAM championship outing in Mexico City.

The American rookie’s primary programme this year is Spanish F4 with Campos Racing, and he brought the NACAM grid up to 10 cars this weekend by joining the Alessandros Racing team is has an alliance with.

Only seven drivers contested in-season testing at the track on July 19. Fernando Luque was fastest, setting a 1m34.106s to lead Jose Martinez by 0.345 seconds.

In free practice one on Friday, on a different track layourt it was Kanthan who set the pace. His 1m49.553s best put him 0.882s clear of Marco Alquicira. Luque moved ahead with a 1m48.344s in FP2, leading Alquicira by 0.221s and Kanthan by 0.479s. He went even faster in qualifying, setting a 1m47.72s to clinch pole by 0.159s over debutant Fernando Rivera.

Points leader Zaky Ibrahim and Kanthan trailed by 0.395s and 0.428s respectively, with Martinez also within 0.5s of pole.

Race one ended the day, and the top two qualifiers battled at the front early on. Luque was the faster of the two, but could not make anything of it and the pair collided on lap seven. Both tried continuing, but soon the safety car was out and both had retired.

Kanthan profited to take the lead, with Alan Zezatti and Alquicira rising to second and third. In the remaining green flag laps, Kanthan pulled away to win and Alquicira overtook Zezatti for second. Ibrahim was demoted to fifth on the final lap by Alejandro Bobadilla, who finished 0.047s ahead.

The top four were flipped to form the front of race two’s grid the next day, and it was a thriller. Ibrahim jumped up to third straight away, and the top two went side-by-side through the first corners. Zezatti was alongside Bobadilla again briefly into turn four, before he began pulling away.

Kanthan ended the lap in third, and despite a huge lock-up somehow took second place into turn four on lap two. But he then slid off at turn six, seemingly with damage, and had to pit.

Elias Vignola now held third, but Luque went down the inside of him at turn one on lap four. Luque tried the same on Zezatti a lap later but did not leave him enough room on the outside. He went off, rejoined by bouncing over turn two’s kerbs and sent both of them onto the grass and down the order.

Vignola was promoted to second, ahead of Rivera, Zezatti, Martinez and Luque. Alquicira overtook Luque on lap six, then both cleared Martinez on lap seven.

Luque got back past Alquicira into turn one on lap eight, and Rivera did not look back after getting ahead of Vignola. Zezatti fought his way past him in sector one on lap nine, and Vignola looked to have slipstreamed back ahead on lap 10 but braked early for turn one and as Zezatti turned in on the outside there was contact and he got spun around.

It was Luque’s turn next, and he avoided a similar clash on lap 12. That allowed Alquicira to get alongside, but he got squeezed at turn six and Martinez went past.

Luque left it to the last moment on lap 13 to tuck out of Vignola’s slipstream and go around the outside of him into turn four. He locked up, but got the move done with Alquicira doing the same to Martinez.

The next lap, Martinez slipstreamed back past as Ibrahim joined in and Luque pulled away. Alquicira and Ibrahim twice traded places, and on the final lap a mistake dropped Vignola down from fourth to seventh. Unaware of the thrills behind, Bobadilla won by 7.333s.

Luque started on pole for race three, but it was Alquicira who led into turn one where Bobadilla and Zezatti had a race-ending collision. The top two were side-by-side into turn four, then Kanthan and Martinez were disputing third entering the stadium section before the safety car appeared.

Racing resumed on lap four, and Luque lost second by going deep at turn four. Martinez was alongside Luque too but got squeezed off, and dropped behind Ibrahim and Vignola to sixth.

The top four broke away, and Luque reclaimed second down the inside of turn one on lap seven.

Vignola spun in the stadium section on lap nine, and Rivera briefly stopped trackside on lap 11, then Alquicira built a gap at the end to win as battles ensued behind.

Results round-up
Race 1 (15 laps)
1 Vivek Kanthan Alessandros Racing 30m25.751s
2 Marco Alquicira Santinel Racing +1.820s
3 Alan Zezatti Ram Racing +4.401s
4 Alejandro Bobadilla Alessandros Racing +4.715s
5 Zaky Ibrahim Ram Racing +4.762s
6 Elias Vignola Ram Racing +6.052s
7 Max Mora Ram Racing +12.332s
Ret Fernando Luque Alessandros Racing
Ret Fernando Rivera Ram Racing
Ret Jose Martinez Alessandros Racing
Pole: Luque, 1m47.720s
Fastest lap: Ibrahim, 1m47.949s

Race 2 (17 laps)
1 Bobadilla 30m45.014s
2 Rivera +7.333s
3 Luque +12.408s
4 Martinez +19.865s
5 Alquicira +21.343s
6 Ibrahim +21.526s
7 Vignola +27.237s
8 Mora +28.058s
9 Zezatti +41.213s
NC Kanthan
FL: Rivera, 1m47.369s

Race 3 (15 laps)
1 Alquicira 30m20.528s
2 Luque +3.290s
3 Kanthan +4.464s
4 Ibrahim +4.590s
5 Martinez +4.711s
6 Mora +19.967s
7 Vignola +20.760s
8 Rivera +1m02.566s
Ret Bobadilla
Ret Zezatti
FL: Alquicira, 1m47.351s

Championship standings
1 Ibrahim 194   2 Luque 184   3 Bobadilla 150   4 Martinez 138   5 Alquicira 119   6 Vignola 80   7 Zezatti 78   8 Mora 68   9 Kanthan 40   10 Alex Popow Jr 40

The post Vivek Kanthan breaks victory duck on NACAM F4 outing in Mexico City appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: NACAM F4

Alessandros Racing’s Fernando Luque was the star of NACAM Formula 4’s third round of 2025 in Mexico City.

He set a 1m46.706s to top the first damp practice session by 1.302 seconds Jose Martinez, with Alejandro Bobadilla 2.192s off the pace in third.

Zaky Ibrahim lowered the pace to 1m35.001s in FP2, pipping Marco Alquicira by 0.036s and Luque by 0.293s.

Luque returned to the top in qualifying, setting a 1m33.921s to go fastest by 0.182s over Ibrahim. Alquicira was a further 0.313s behind in third, and Bobadilla completed a top four covered by 0.672s.

Pole was converted into victory in race one, building a gap of 3.228s over Ibrahim over 20 laps. Martinez gained two places to make the podium, but was 17.4s behind Ibrahim. Alquicira sealed fourth by just 0.137s.

Bobadilla started from reversed-grid pole in race two, but it was Alquicira who led into the opening chicane. Elias Vignola attempted a diving pass on Bobadilla for second into the stadium section, but Bobadilla then got alongside the leader exiting it and down the pit straight.

Vignola went down the inside of both at turn one, with Alquicira relegated to third. Bobadilla slipstreamed past the leader down the next straight, and on lap three Vignola dived down his inside at turn one again. Bobadilla kept his foot on the throttle on the outside, which became the inside for turn two and put him ahead.

A lock-up at the hairpin then allowed Alquicira back through to second, which then became first as Bobadilla went off in the esses. He pitted at the end of the lap, while Vignola continued with a broken front wing.

Alquicira began lap four with a gap, and at turn one Luque and Ibrahim dived down the inside of Vignola. At the hairpin, Martinez overtook Vignola too.

It was soon a pack race, and Luque took the lead at turn two on lap six. Three laps later, Alan Zezatti overtook Martinez for fourth but after a lap of going side-by-side Martinez got back ahead.

Alquicira began attacking Luque on lap 12, and he slipstreamed past him as lap 13 began. Luque tried keeping the outside line at turn two and make a move, but instead rode the turn three kerb, hit Alquicira and sent both off.

Ibrahim inherited the lead, with Alquicira in second despite another off. Luque took second on lap 14, then overtook Ibrahim after he had a wobble in the esses. Their battle was interrupted by the safety car, as Max Mora had parked up at the last corner.

Racing resumed on lap 17, and Alquicira tried a switchback move on Luque at the hairpin but was fended off. Martinez and Vingola had offs, Ibrahim spun entering the stadium section and Alquicira almost slid into Luque exiting it which helped Bobadilla jump to third and be just 0.786s off the lead with one laps to go.

At the hairpin, Bobadilla and Martinez went down the inside of Alquicira and the podium positions were finally decided as Luque made a 1.5s gap.

Luque also had pole for race three, which took place on a track wet in places. Martinez was an early mover from fifth on the grid, and tried overtaking Ibrahim for second as lap two began. Bobadilla passed Alquicira for fourth, who came back at him with a great move in the stadium section. Mora was last as he spun at the final corner.

There was already 3.6s between the top two as lap three began, but then Luque slid off at turn one and it trimmed his gap. Bobadilla reclaimed fourth there, only to lose it a lap later, and Martinez took second in the esses.

Alquicira locked up at turn one on lap six and broke his front wing going through the grass, but was able to continue in fourth and three laps later went down the inside of Ibrahim there for third. Ibrahim demoted Alquicira back to fourth in the stadium section.

Martinez was reducing Luque’s advantage while also being pressured by Ibrahim, who almost got through in the stadium section on lap 11 if not for Martinez going off to stay ahead.

It was a three-wide for second into turn one on lap 12, and Ibrahim had the position on the inside but got boxed in behind leader Luque at turn two so Alquicira went around the outside – which then became the inside – to pull off a double move. Third place swapped hands twice in the stadium section, and Bobadilla overtook Martinez there too.

Alquicira slipstramed past Luque as lap 13 began, and Ibrahim looked to the inside of the long-time leader on the run to the hairpin but ended up clouting his rear-right tyre and going airborne. Both retired, and Alquicira was left with a big lead than then shrank to nothing as the safety car came out.

The final-lap restart was fluffed by Alquicira, who was behind Bobadilla and Zezatti almost as soon as the lap began. Vignola went past too, then overtook Zezatti around the outside at turn one and looked to pass Bobadilla too. That proved too ambitious, and he finished 0.49s behind the winner and top scorer of the weekend.

Results round-up
Race 1 (20 laps)
1 Fernando Luque Alessandros Racing 31m32.998s
2 Zaky Ibrahim Ram Racing +3.228s
3 Jose Martinez Alessandros Racing +20.662s
4 Marco Alquicira Santinel Racing +21.767s
5 Alejandro Bobadilla Alessandros Racing +21.904s
6 Alan Zezatti Ram Racing +30.907s
7 Elias Vignola Ram Racing +33.700s
8 Max Mora Ram Racing +41.787s
Pole: Luque, 1m33.921s
Fastest lap: Ibrahim, 1m34.057s

Race 2 (18 laps)
1 Luque
2 Bobadilla +1.593s
3 Martinez +1.989s
4 Alquicira +2..435s
5 Zezatti +4.587s
6 Vignola +4.715s
7 Ibrahim +5.084s
Ret Mora

Race 3 (16 laps)
1 Bobadilla
2 Vignola +0.490s
3 Zezatti +2.032s
4 Alquicira +2.141s
5 Martinez +2.797s
6 Mora +3.275s
Ret Luque
Ret Ibrahim
P: Luque

Championship standings
1 Ibrahim 164   2 Luque 151   3 Martinez 116   4 Bobadilla 113   5 Alquicira 66   6 Zezatti 61   7 Vignola 60   8 Mora 50   9 Alex Popow Jr 40   10 Axel Matus 27

The post NACAM F4 title fight closes up in frantic third round in Mexico City appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Copa Notiauto

Ram Racing’s Zaky Ibrahim was victorious in all three races of round two of NACAM Formula 4’s season in Mexico City.

The delayed return to action after March’s season opener attracted 10 cars. Alessandros Racing’s Fernando Luque was fastest in practice by 0.103 seconds ahead of Ibrahim, then in qualifying a 1m33.805s earned Ibrahim race one pole by 0.334s over Luque.

Santinel Racing’s Marco Alquicira was third, 0.552s off pole and 0.007s ahead of second-generation talent Alex Popow Jr. Ibrahim set three laps good enough for top spot, and the second of those earned him race three pole by 0.353s.

A stronger start meant Luque led off the line in race one on Friday, and Alquicira also passed Ibrahim on the long run to the first braking zone. Ibrahim regained second on the inside at the turn four hairpin, and entering the esses Alessandros’s Alejandro Bobadilla was spun down the order from fourth.

Luque lost first place to Ibrahim at turn one on lap two, then he and Alquicira remained in the leader’s slipstream. Alquicira tried a turn one pass on lap five, which allowed Ibrahim to escape.

Jose Martinez passed team-mate Popow for fourth on lap six. Gaps mostly opened up, and Ram’s Alan Zezatti dramatically spun away seventh on lap 12 after having finally passed team-mate Elias Vignola.

Alquicira was pressuring Luque again two laps later, and attempted to pass around the outside at turn one on lap 15. He was stumped by Luque’s positioning on the run to turn four on lap 17, while Vignola moved into sixth as Ram’s Max Mora spun late in the lap.

Vignola was then promoted to fourth, as Martinez and Popow were disqualified post-race. Bobadilla was fifth, with Mora back in sixth.

The top four were flipped for race two’s grid on Saturday, and Alquicira passed poleman Vignola en route to turn one but went off at turn two and dropped to fourth.

Ibrahim and Luque passed Vignola at turn one on lap two, with Alquicira and Bobadilla following through at turn four. Alquicira had a half-spin on lap three that dropped him to fifth behind Popow. He got back past at turn one on lap four, Popow drove around the outside of him at turn four on lap five, then Alquicira repeated his move on lap six as Luque overtook Ibrahim.

The top three were together, and Ibrahim began lap eight by reclaiming the lead. Luque attacked at turn four on lap 11, and a lap later Bobadilla had an off that left him fighting with Alquicira before being behind both he and Popow by lap 14.

Popow tried passing Alquicira on lap 16 but almost lost fourth, and Luque cleared Ibrahim on lap 17 before messily defending through the penultimate lap. He picked up a five-second penalty, handing victory to Ibrahim.

Luque passed Ibrahim at the opening corner of race three, but the poleman was back past by turn four. Alquicira retired in the pits at the end of lap one.

Popow dived down the inside of Luque at turn one on lap five, Martinez passed Bobadilla for fourth on lap 10, then red flags ended the race on lap 15 due to oil on track.

Results round-up
Race 1 (19 laps)
1 Zaky Ibrahim Ram Racing 30m07.354s
2 Fernando Luque Alessandros Racing +6.815s
3 Marco Alquicira Santinel Racing +7.976s
4 Elias Vignola Ram Racing +47.754s
5 Alejandro Bobadilla Alessandros Racing +57.626s
6 Max Mora Ram Racing +1m00.974s
7 Alan Zezatti Ram Racing +1m20.832s
Ret Ivanna Richards RRK Motorsports
DSQ Jose Martinez Alessandros Racing +12.993s
DSQ Alex Popow Jr Alessandros Racing +15.291s
Pole: Ibrahim, 1m33.805s
Fastest lap: Alquicira, 1m34.519s

Race 2 (19 laps)
1 Ibrahim 30m09.310s
2 Luque +4.693s
3 Alquicira +9.312s
4 Popow Jr +10.433s
5 Bobadilla +10.858s
6 Martinez +18.403s
7 Zezatti +25.352s
8 Mora +49.800s
Ret Vignola
Ret Richards
FL: Luque, 1m34.316s

Race 3 (15 laps)
1 Ibrahim 26m08.121s
2 Popow Jr +1.318s
3 Luque +3.044s
4 Martinez +4.788s
5 Bobadilla +6.952s
6 Vignola +8.462s
7 Mora +10.459s
Ret Richards
Ret Zezatti
Ret Alquicira
P: Ibrahim, 1m33.940s
FL: Popow, 1m34.453s

Championship standings
1 Ibrahim 140   2 Luque 101   3 Martinez 64   4 Bobadilla 64   5 Mora 42   6 Vignola 32   7 Zezatti 32   8 Popow 30   9 Alquicira 30   10 Axel Matus 27

The post Ibrahim unbeaten in second NACAM F4 round of 2025 in Mexico City appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd

Former W Series racer Nerea Marti starred in round three of NACAM Formula 4’s 2024-25 season in Mexico City.

Practice took place on Monday, with six drivers in FP1. Ram Racing’s Zaky Ibrahim set a 1m39.868s to go fastest by 0.375 seconds, and Alessandros Racing’s Helio Meza was second. Trailing by 1.323s in third was Marti, who came fourth in F1 Academy with Campos Racing this year.

All drivers participated in FP2, and laptimes improved. Marti posted a 1m37.389s to lead by a tiny 0.035s over points-leading Alessandros team-mate Jose Carlos Hernandez, Ibrahim was 0.352s behind in third and a second split the top six.

The qualifying pace was even faster, and Hernandez – running with Campos branding due to its alliance with Alessandros – was on top.

A 1m35.144s earned him race one pole by 0.624s over Meza, Marti trailed by 1.101s, team-mate Alex Bobadilla was fourth and Ibrahim was 0.053s further back in fifth. The pacesetter did five laps, with his rivals doing twice as many but not preventing him from also getting race three pole. He beat Meza by 0.22s, with Marti third and 0.725s behind.

A disruption-free race ended the day, and Hernandez won by a huge 7.792s thanks to Marti and Meza’s battle for second. It was decided by 0.101s in Marti’s favour, with the photo finish coming at the end of lap 14 when the race had been scheduled to run several laps longer.

Marti had nabbed the position on lap one, then held off all of Meza’s attacks. They did not have to worry about anyone else joining their battle, since Ibrahim could not match their pace in fourth.

A warm-up session preceded two races on Tuesday, and a sign of what was to come was the 0.092s gap at the top between Hernandez and Marti.

There was drama when race two began, with Meza unable to get going off the line. Hernandez led the opening lap, with Marti chasing and pushing thereon to keep within half a second of the leader.

Bobadilla found himself in third but soon lost that position to Meza, who had made it into a podium position by lap three. There was no chance of threatening the top two though, whose battle was decided on the final lap when Marti swept past Hernandez for the lead and ultimately victory.

Bobadilla sank to sixth, being passed by Alessandros’s Jose Martinez and Ibrahim who bad had trouble on lap one.

Ibrahim and Meza again struck early problems in race three, while Hernandez and Marti embarked on another lengthy duel up front.

Marti took the lead a few laps in, and kept ahead for three laps before Hernandez snatched it back. Marti led again mid-race, but only briefly. Once back in clean air, Hernandez looked to have the threat of Marti controlled, but on the final lap she pressured hard to finish just 0.208s behind.

Bobadilla was third throughout, Meza recovered to fourth and pitting for a car issue meant Ibrahim was last.

Results round-up
Race 1 (14 laps)
1 Jose Carlos Hernandez Alessandros Racing 22m48.717s
2 Nerea Marti Alessandros Racing +7.792s
3 Helio Meza Alessandros Racing +7.893s
4 Zaky Ibrahim Ram Racing +16.261s
5 Alex Bobadilla Alessandros Racing +17.991s
6 Jose Martinez Alessandros Racing +36.316s
7 Maximiliano Mora Ram Racing +41.246s
8 Alan Zezatti Ram Racing +1m07.935s
Pole: Hernandez, 1m35.144s
Fastest lap: Hernandez, 1m35.842s

Race 2 (18 laps)
1 Marti 28m50.828s
2 Hernandez +0.469s
3 Meza +3.132s
4 Martinez +12.200s
5 Ibrahim +13.554s
6 Bobadilla +14.665s
7 Mora +54.602s
8 Zezatti +1m25.838s
FL: Marti, 1m35.175s

Race 3 (19 laps)
1 Hernandez 31m01.575s
2 Marti +0.208s
3 Bobadilla +4.726s
4 Meza +7.895s
5 Martinez +19.026s
6 Mora +26.763s
7 Zezatti +1m24.805s
8 Ibrahim +1m25.075s
P: Hernandez, 1m35.664s
FL: Marti, 1m35.272s

Championship standings
1 Hernandez 179   2 Meza 143   3 Ibrahim 94   4 Bobadilla 81   5 Martinez 70   6 Marti 61   7 Mora 50   8 Zezatti 47   9 Chirigut 26   10 Franco 26

The post Nerea Marti wins on surprise NACAM F4 outing in Mexico City appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Copa Notiauto

The 2024-25 NACAM Formula 4 season finally got underway with two races on the support bill of Formula 1’s Mexico City Grand Prix.

The choatic run up to the opening event began in February, at which point a seven-round 2024 season starting in June was expected. When the season-opening round in Mexico City did not come to pass, a new 2024-25 schedule was announced with Puebla as venue of the first races on October 5/6.

The calendar for NACAM F4’s next season has been released.

2024
1 Puebla (October 5/6)
2 Mexico City (October 25-27) [F1 support slot]
3 Puebla (November 23/24)
4 Mexico City (December 16/17)
2025
5 Mexico City (January 25/26)
6 Queretaro (February 22/23)
7 Monterrey (March 7/8) pic.twitter.com/UraGxNpGde

— Formula Scout (@FormulaScout) July 1, 2024

That also did not go ahead, and the championship did not comment why when approached by Formula Scout. On October 17, the calendar was updated again.

January’s Mexico City round was postponed by a week, and the following two rounds were cancelled. Bringing the schedule back up to seven rounds were replacement events in Mexico City (March 1/2 and May 2/3) and at Autodromo Panama (April 5/6).

The trip to Panama will mark the fourth time NACAM F4 has raced outside of Mexico. The 2016-17 season opener was at Circuit of the Americas, then two non-championship events ran at MSR Houston in 2021.

Despite the appeal of being in the F1 support paddock, only 10 drivers turned up for the championship’s first races using second-generation F4 cars.

Alessandros Racing’s Helio Meza set the pace in practice on Friday, a 1m48.713s lap putting him 0.31 seconds ahead of team-mate Jose Carlos Hernandez. RRK Motorsports’ Cristian Cantu, the 2023 championship runner-up, was 1.804s off the pace in third and his team-mate Alex Franco was 11.371s slower than Meza in last place.

Hernandez moved to the top in qualifying on Saturday, setting a 1m46.333s to take pole by 0.515s from Meza. Ram Racing’s Zaki Ibrahim and Cantu were 0.761s and 0.877s behind in third and fourth, with 5.661s covering the field on pace.

In race one, Hernandez took a dominant win, finishing 10.989s clear of Ibrahim. Meza was close behind to complete the podium in third, with Cantu finishing over seven seconds back in fourth but well clear of the rest.

Pole position for race two on Sunday also belonged to Hernandez, and he took a lights-to-flag win. There was early drama, as the pace car appeared following a crash instigated by Santinel Racing’s Horia-Traian Chirigut and which also eliminated Cantu and Alessandros’s Alex Bobadilla.

Results round-up
Race 1 (14 laps)
1 Jose Carlos Hernandez Alessandros Racing 25m05.880s
2 Zaki Ibrahim Ram Racing +10.989s
3 Helio Meza Alessandros Racing +11.450s
4 Christian Cantu RRK Motorsports +19.120s
5 Alex Bobadilla Alessandros Racing +43.089s
6 Jose Martinez Alessandros Racing +51.983s
7 Horia-Traian Chirigut Santinel Racing +57.788s
8 Maximiliano Mora Ram Racing +58.369s
9 Alex Franco RRK Motorsports +1m05.201s
10 Alan Zezatti Ram Racing +1m10.911s
Pole: Hernandez, 1m46.333s
Fastest lap: Hernandez, 1m46.718s

Race 2 (11 laps)
1 Hernandez 19m53.340s
2 Meza +0.950s
3 Ibrahim +5.994s
4 Martinez +27.375s
5 Mora +29.409s
6 Franco +44.012s
7 Zezatti +1m01.764s
Reti Chirigut
Ret Cantu
Ret Bobadilla
FL: Meza, 1m46.725s

The post NACAM F4’s Gen2 era finally begins with races at F1’s Mexico City GP appeared first on Formula Scout.