Coming off a successful campaign in F4 UAE, Zachary ‘Zach’ David was back fighting at the front as soon as the 2023 Italian F4 Championship got underway over the weekend. The 15-year-old was up against a massive 38-car entry list, yet consistently finished on the podium at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, or better known as Imola.
Now reunited with US Racing, the Filipino driver underwent a rigorous physical and mental training regimen leading up to the season opener. He also joined several pre-season tests and made a one-off outing in the Formula Winter Series at Catalunya where he won both races outright, all done in preparation for the full 7-round championship. As intended, their efforts paid off early on with Zach landing in the Top 3 spots during Free Practice.
But nothing is ever easy with such a big grid. Zach was able to set a 1:44.228 lap around the historic 4.909 km circuit during Qualifying and was only 0.104 secs off pole. However, it was only good enough for P4 showing just how tight the competition is.
Zach managed to get a clean start in Race 1 and immediately defended his position. He came under intense attack over the course of several laps and dropped down to P8. Then an opportunity opened up during the closing stages of the race. On the sprint towards the chequered flag, the cars in front of Zach collided allowing him to slip through and take 6th place across the line and rank 3rd in the Rookie class.
His best result of the weekend came during Race 2. A quick getaway gained him a spot and was up to P4 by the end of the first lap. He then hounded the cars in front to look for a way past into a podium position. After a brief Safety Car period, Zach finally got his chance to make a pass to claim 3rd place overall and 2nd amongst the Rookies.
The final race proved to be the most action-packed of all. With 31 cars sharing the track, the chaotic opening stages saw Zach start from P5, drop down to P8, then up again to P6, while successfully avoiding all the carnage around him. The 2 very long Safety Car periods would then condense all the excitement into a 1-lap sprint to the finish line. Zach was just at the right place at the right time as the cars ahead of him made contact, allowing him to shoot up to 5th place when the chequered flag dropped and secure another 3rd in class.
A strong start to the season puts Zach 5th in the overall Drivers’ Standings and 3rd in the Rookies’ Championship. He hopes to improve on this further as the Italian F4 Championship moves to the Misano Circuit on the 6th/7th of May.
Zach David: “Finishing on the podium in all the races was good, especially to make it to the overall podium as a rookie. But the grid this year is quite tough. Some are already on their second season with plenty of experienced and strong drivers, which means no room for error. The goal for the next round at Misano is still the same, to score consistently for the championship.”
Zach David is sponsored by Ceramic Pro, Ceramic Pro Express, Kavaca PPF, Stilo Helmets, Eeetwell, Attard Baldacchino, and Exoshield, with support from Petron Corporation, Ravenol, JG Summit Olefins Corporation, AlbertSmith Signs, Time Attack Manila, Everpower, FB Hout, Pet One Petfood, 3CX, and Malta Motorsports Federation.
For more info and the latest updates, follow ZachdavidRacing on Facebook and @zachdavidracing on Instagram.
