It was definitely a tough weekend for Zachary ‘Zach’ David, but his efforts didn’t go unrewarded. After encountering missteps in qualifying and a DNF, the Malta-licensed Filipino driver put on a strong recovery drive to deliver a pair of point-scoring finishes during Round 2 of the Formula Regional Middle East Championship certified by FIA (FRMEC).
Now running the full 5.281 km layout of the Yas Marina Circuit, Zach had high hopes coming into the weekend after his stellar performance during the season opener. However, things didn’t go as planned early on as he struggled for pace in Qualifying and ended the two sessions in P18 and P11, respectively.
With more than half the grid starting ahead of him in Race 1, the 16-year-old took every single opportunity to claw his way up the standings. He managed to avoid the opening lap chaos and made clean passes whenever possible to make it to P11 before the Safety Car came out. Zach would overtake 2 more cars at the restart and another on the very last lap to cross the finish line in an impressive 7th. A post-race penalty for another driver later promoted him to 6th place overall and 3rd in the Rookie Cup.
Zach started from the third row thanks to a reverse-grid in Race 2. Now racing under the lights at Yas Marina, he immediately went on attack mode in search for a potential podium finish. It was just unfortunate that his efforts came to nil when he made contact with another driver as he attempted a pass on lap 2. Damage to his #20 R-ace GP entry saw him crawl back to the pits and into retirement.
Despite the earlier setback that also earned him a 5-place grid penalty, Zach saved his best performance for Race 3 on Sunday. He lost several places avoiding the first lap melee and dropped to P21. But the young driver from the Philippines kept his head down and resumed his charge to the front. Zach was up to P18 when the Safety Car first came out, then climbed to P13 during the second full course yellow. His last ditch effort on the final lap would earn him a point-scoring finish in 10th when the chequered flag dropped, capping off an eventful weekend.
There’s a two-week break before the Formula Regional Middle East Championship resumes action as the it heads to its second venue in 2024 at the Dubai Autodrome from the 2nd to 4th of February. Zach David is now tied at 8th in the Overall Driver’s Standings and 4th in the Rookie Cup.
Zach David: “Definitely not the smoothest weekend qualifying low and having to fight back up in the races, but we recovered well to bring home some good points. We take the positives from Yas Marina and build on it for Round 3 in a week’s time at the Dubai Autodrome.”
Zach David is sponsored by Ceramic Pro, KAVACA / ION PPF, Stilo Helmets, Attard Baldacchino, 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, Petron Corporation, and Malta Motorsports Federation.
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[Photos courtesy of Dutch Photo Agency]
