Rocco Coronel won the first two races of the Spanish Formula 4 last weekend. In Valencia, he kept the competition behind him twice. The Red Bull Junior converted his front-row starts into victories. He started the third and final race from sixth and finished fourth. “A good start right away,” said Coronel.
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At the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Cheste, near Valencia, Coronel competed against 34 other drivers. By winning the first two races and a fourth position in the third during the opening weekend, the son of racing driver Tom Coronel leads the Spanish Formula 4 championship. “Winning the first race of the season is of course a good start right away,” the 15-year-old driver said in a press release.
‘A really nice feeling’
At the start, the Red Bull Junior was pushed off the track by polesitter Vivek Kanthan. The American crossed the line first but received a five-second time penalty for this action. Because Coronel held his second position and stayed within that margin, he was still declared the winner. “I had to manage a bit, but I was able to keep my second place. Because of that penalty, I eventually won,” said the MP Motorsport driver.
In the second race, Coronel started on used tires, while most drivers were on new tires. Nevertheless, he immediately took the lead at the start and did not give it up. “I was on the inside right at the start, kept a car’s width of space and took the lead. A really nice feeling,” the Dutchman explained.
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‘Missed pole by a hair’
Qualifying in Formula 4 works differently than in Formula 1. In fifteen minutes, the starting grid is determined based on the fastest lap. There are separate sessions for races one and three; for race two, the second fastest time from the first qualifying applies. So it is important to drive a fast lap then as well. “I stayed at the track the night before to analyze everything, so I could get everything out of it in the run-up to qualifying. That paid off. For both races, I was on the front row. It is of course a shame that I missed the pole by a hair,” said Coronel.
In the second qualifying, Coronel set the sixth fastest time, under wet conditions after rain during the night. As a result, the drivers had to take different lines. “In the race, I immediately moved up to fourth place, but lost it again in the opening lap. There was hard racing, with several Safety Cars and restarts. One driver ahead of me dropped out, which moved me up a spot again. I made another attempt to gain a place, but just didn’t succeed.”
‘Still five trophies’
In addition to the overall standings, there is also a rookie championship. “In the end, I’m taking five trophies home – twice first and best rookie, plus once second rookie. I am very satisfied with that. I scored a lot of points and was able to work well on myself. We can build on this,” Coronel concluded. The Dutchman will be back in action in the Spanish Formula 4 from June 5 to 7, at the Portimão circuit in Portugal.
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