Liam Lawson from New Zealand has finished second and third in the first two races of the final ADAC Formula 4 weekend at Hockenheim. The two podiums have moved him into second place overall behind US Racing,s Lirim Zendeli, who won the second race.
In race 1, Charles Weerts (17, Belgium) secured his first victory of the season aided by Van Amersfoort Racing team-mates Lawson and Frederik Vesti (16, Denmark). David Schumacher (16, Germany, US Racing CHRS) also had reason to celebrate – the 16-year-old was again best rookie in sixth place, thus increasing his lead on Niklas Krütten (15, Germany, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg eV) in the classification for newcomers to formula racing to 30 points.
As the lights turned green, 18-year-old Zendeli immediately put pressure on pole-sitter Lawson. He squeezed past on the approach to the first turn, but the New Zealander counter-attacked. Leon Köhler (19, Germany, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.) then retired following a spin, and Lucas Alecco Roy (21, Monaco, Van Amersfoort Racing) also spun off but was able to continue.
Zendeli finally overtook Lawson and grabbed the lead, but the new champion had to serve a drive-through penalty on Lap 7. The race director decreed that Zendeli had broken the rules at the start, and the young German fell way down to the rear of the field as a result. Up front, meanwhile, the three Van Amersfoort team-mates were scrapping for the lead. Weerts won through with a brilliant move on Lawson.
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