Trident scores points in the Italian F4 at Vallelunga

Trident Motorsport continues its experience in the Italian Formula 4, in which it is competing in for the first time. After the first round in Misano, the Vallelunga circuit, not far from Rome, hosted the second round of the Italian championship. Given the high number of entrants, with 43 drivers present, three groups (A, B, and C) of drivers were formed, competing in three races with the top 36 advancing to the final. Unfortunately, Augustus Toniolo was decidedly unlucky and was unable to make the final race. Florentin Hattemer scored points by finishing seventh in the first race and eighth in the second, while he finished 13th in the final. Dominik Simek, Bernardo Bernoldi, and Lyuboslav Ruykov also performed well, with the latter just missing out on the top 10 in race 2. The next round is the weekend of June 21st at the Monza circuit.

Florentin Hattemer: “The first race was very positive, and we had excellent pace. We managed to secure a podium finish with third place among the rookies. Starting thirteenth and still managing to recover was encouraging. Race 2 also went quite well: we managed to make another comeback, and the pace was good. There was a bit more chaos on the track, but the overall result is still positive. In the final race, however, I was a bit closed off in the early stages and lost a few positions. After that, the race became quite complicated, but I still tried to do my best. I think the team has made a big step forward overall, and we can be satisfied with the work done.”

Augustus Toniolo: “It was a very difficult weekend. In qualifying, we weren't able to harness our full potential, even though we knew we had the pace. In race 1, I stalled at the start and also had an accident that was entirely my fault: I attempted an overtake on the limit and made a mistake. For race 2, I had a six-place grid penalty and started from twenty-fourth. Despite this, my pace was very good, and after the Safety Car, I had already climbed up to seventeenth place. But then, another accident occurred on the final corner. There were three of us side by side, and there was no way to avoid contact. So it was an unlucky weekend, but we need to look ahead and focus immediately on Monza.”

Dominik Simek: “We started the weekend with a positive free practice session, immediately finding a good balance in the car, especially for the flying lap. In qualifying, we struggled a bit with track position and weren't able to put together a perfect lap. Overall, however, it didn't go badly. In race 1, I managed to make up positions and get into the points. Furthermore, the car in race trim was really competitive. In race 2, however, I was involved in an accident while I was in tenth place. It was a shame because my pace was good and the car was working well. That contact compromised my starting position for the final race, but I still managed to make up several positions. Overall, it was a much better weekend than Misano.”

Bernando Bernoldi: “The weekend started with some doubts because in last week's tests at Vallelunga I struggled with the car. Coming into the event, we didn't think we'd be particularly competitive, but instead I found a good pace right away. The surprising thing is that we didn't make any major changes to the car, but suddenly the speed arrived. We were competitive, even if still a bit inconsistent in various sectors. In qualifying, I managed to do a good job. In race 1, however, I had problems braking. Then I was also hit by another driver and later we discovered that the brakes had crystallized. The problems remained in race 2 too. The brakes weren't working at their best and I struggled a lot with my pace, even though we still managed to finish fifteenth. In the last race, I started further back and also the clutch had been damaged, causing me to stall at the start. So I restarted from the back, but I made up a lot of positions. My pace was definitely better because I had changed something in the brake management.”

Lyuboslav Ruykov: “In Race 1 and Race 2, we managed to score some points, and that was a positive feeling. In the final race, however, I struggled a bit more with my pace, but I still think the team has made a big step forward compared to the last round in Misano. Now we need to keep working and try to improve even further.”