Taylor Barnard started the ADAC Formula 4 weekend at the DEKRA Lausitzring with two best times. The 18-year-old set the fastest lap time of 1:24.048 in the opening free practice session. In the second session at midday, the young Brit again put his 180-hp Formula 4 car on top of the timing sheet with a time of 1:23.485 minutes.
Under an overcast sky and in temperatures around 21 degrees Celsius, the young drivers took to the 3.478-kilometre track at 08:15 on the support programme for the ADAC GT Masters at the Family & Friends Festival. Kacper Sztuka (16) was second fastest (+0.249 seconds) behind Barnard. The Pole starts for US Racing, the team run by Ralf Schumacher and Gerhard Ungar, this weekend. Nikita Bedrin (16/ITA/PHM Racing) was over half a second back in third place. The best-placed rookie was Rasmus Joutsimies (19/FIN/Jenzer Motorsport) in fourth (+0.803 seconds). Germany’s Jonas Ried (17/PHM Racing) from Ehingen rounded off the top five (+0.930 seconds).
Barnard was unstoppable again in the day’s second session. The double winner from the most recent race weekend at the Nürburgring improved his time from the morning, stopping the clock at 1:23.485 minutes. Sztuka once again came closest to matching Barnard (+0.393 seconds). Top rookie Joutsimies (+0.653 seconds) and Bedrin (+0.703 seconds) followed in third and fourth place. Valentin Kluss (15/Bad Mergentheim/PHM Racing) in fifth place was the best of the German drivers (+0.792 seconds). Zachary David (US Racing) makes his ADAC Formula 4 debut this weekend, becoming the first Philippine driver in the series. The 15-year-old was sixth fastest in the second session (+1.145 seconds).
The tension will be ramped up again this evening in the ADAC’s high-speed school: from 17:30, the drivers will battle it out for the best grid positions for races one and two. Live timing is available at adac.de/motorsport. Race one in Lower Lusatia begins at 11:35 on Saturday and will be broadcast live at motorsport.tv.