Now onto his first full season of Formula car racing, we’ve come to know that Zachary ‘Zach’ David has committed to a full season in the upcoming 2023 Formula 4 UAE Championship. The 15-year-old will be driving for R-ace GP’s entry in collaboration with Campos Racing and is expected to hit the track this week.
Zach made the big switch from karting to single-seaters in late 2022 after spending 2.5 years racing his way around Europe in Juniors and Seniors. He debuted back in August and became the very first Filipino driver to compete in the ADAC Formula 4 Championship. The one-off outing at Lausitzring yielded a strong 5th place finish, which got his talent noticed by top teams. Still competing with US Racing (owned by Gerhard Ungar and Ralf Schumacher), he then made two appearances Italian F4 Championship at Red Bull Ring and Monza with a best result of 7th place.
With the new year also comes a new team. R-ace GP from France has over a decade of experience in single-seaters, producing successful graduates that include names such as Robert Schwartzman, Oscar Piastri, Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, and Nyck De Vries.
R-ace GP will enter a total of four cars in Formula 4 UAE. Zach’s teammates include Alexander Abkhazava from Georgia, Jesse Carrasquedo Jr. from Mexico, and Raphaël Narac from France. If you’re wondering why Zach is not racing the Philippine flag, it just so happens that his racing license is issued by Malta, but he is 100% Filipino by heart.
The 2023 calendar of Formula 4 UAE will see the series visit three circuits over five events in just a span of six weeks. It kicks off at the Dubai Autodrome on the 13th/14th of January before the back-to-back rounds at Kuwait Motor Town, then back again to Dubai. The finale is scheduled on the 18th/19th of February at the famed Yas Marina Circuit, home of the Abu Dhabi GP.
Formula 4 UAE Championship 2023 Calendar
Pre-Season Test | January 9 & 11 (Dubai Autodrome, UAE)
Round 1 | January 13-14 (Dubai Autodrome, UAE)
Round 2 | January 27-28 (Kuwait Motor Town, Kuwait)
Round 3 | February 1-2 (Kuwait Motor Town, Kuwait)
Round 4 | February 11-12 (Dubai Autodrome, UAE)
Round 5 | February 18-19 (Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi)
Of the 39 drivers confirmed for the curtain raiser at the Dubai Autodrome, it so happens that Zach isn’t the only Filipino on the grid. Lady driver Bianca Bustamante will likewise run the full 2023 calendar with Prema Racing.
Zach David: “I don’t like to go into a race with expectations, but what I always want from myself is the best I can do. Battling with other drivers should be tough but fun and it’s a great way to learn racing. This will be my first time racing with R-ace GP and I look forward to learning a lot from the experience I will gain throughout the season.”
For more info and the latest updates, follow ZachdavidRacing on Facebook and @zachdavidracing on Instagram.
[Photos courtesy of Dutch Photo Agency]
