Capping off the inaugural Euro 4 Championship season on a high note, Zachary David delivered a solid performance during the final round at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. He went on to score a pair of Rookie podiums to conclude the series 7th overall and 4th amongst the Rookie standings.
The full 4.657 km GP circuit, with its long flowing high speed corners and abrasive asphalt, makes overtaking and tire management particularly difficult. But it was a challenge Zach was more than happy to face head-on.
The Malta-based Filipino driver kicked off proceedings by setting the 2nd quickest lap during FP1. Although he was able to improve in FP2, so did everyone else and dropped to 11th in the time sheets, showing just how tight the competition is. His struggles continued into Qualifying where he could only manage P10 and P12 over the 2 sessions.
Wanting to leave his mark in the series, Zach soldiered on and pushed towards the front in Race 1. A quick getaway off the line allowed the 16-year-old to stay within striking distance of the lead pack and picked off 2 places in the opening laps. Now in 8th place, he hounded the back of McLaren Racing junior Brando Baoder. But following behind Badoer’s dirty air proved to be harmful to tire degradation, forcing Zach to maintain position until the chequered flag dropped.
He continued his hunt for position in Race 2, now making up 4 spots on only the opening lap to slot into P8 before the Safety Car came out. Zach then took advantage of the restart to make a brave dive into Turn 1 and claim P7, before closing down the gap to the leaders and secure 5th overall at the finish and 3rd place in the Rookie category.
Driving the #20 US Racing entry, Zasch went for a repeat in Race 3. He timed each overtake perfectly and was up to P8 after only a handful of laps. With his strong momentum, Zach persuaded his way through a procession of Prema Racing drivers in the closing stages to cross the line in 5th and 2nd amongst the Rookies.
His brave performance at Barcelona allowed Zach David to conclude the inaugural Euro 4 Championship 7th overall in the Driver’s Standings and 4th in the Rookie Class, wrapping up an impressive full debut season in single-seaters.
Zach David: “Overall a bittersweet weekend. Qualifying down the grid wasn’t ideal, but making the comeback in each race especially around a track like Barcelona where overtaking is one of the most difficult things to do, I can be pretty happy to end the season like this. Thank you to US Racing and everyone in my corner.”
Zach David is sponsored by Ceramic Pro, KAVACA / ION PPF, Stilo Helmets, Attard Baldacchino, Eeetwell, Exoshield and Ceramic Pro Express, with support from Pet One Petfood, FB Hout, Everpower, Green Amenities, JG Summit Olefins Corporation, Ravenol Phillippines, AutoPlus Sports, Time Attack Manila, ISR, Keys School Manila, 3CX, AlbertSmith Signs, Petron Corporation, and Malta Motorsports Federation.
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[Photos courtesy of ACI Sport]
