Hugh Barter produces overtaking masterclass to win F4 race; Alister Yoong triumphs in IRL

The Australian-Japanese driver made a terrific comeback in Race 2 after a heart-breaking first race, where a broken rear wing caused him to halt before the end.

Hugh Barter, winner of Race 2 during the second day of the Formula 4 Indian Championship at the Madras International Circuit. | Photo Credit: VEDHAN M/ The Hindu

Winning a race after starting from plum last is considered quite a difficult task but Hugh Barter did exactly that and in remarkable fashion, as he dominated on track in the second race of the Formula 4 Indian Championship.

The Australian-Japanese driver made a terrific comeback in Race 2 after a heart-breaking first race. But that wasn’t enough for the Godspeed Kochi driver as he did the double on Sunday at the Madras International Circuit, winning Race 3 later on as well.

Barter, who was fastest throughout practice and qualifying, looked like the strongest contender for the race win during the first race. However, a broken rear wing ruined his stint, causing him to halt before he could complete the final lap.

Since the grid for Race 2 was based on the results of the first race, Barter had to start from the back. But that motivated him to waste no time as he passed his competitors with ease.

In a matter of 15 minutes, Barter passed all 14 cars to take the lead and ensured he wouldn’t be challenged, drifting away from the rest of the pack instantly.

When he crossed the finish line, Barter was a scarcely-believable 18 seconds ahead of the second-placed driver, making this the second highest win margin in the history of F4IC.

Following him home were fellow Aussie Isaac Demellweek of Chennai Turbo Riders and India’s Divy Nandan of Ahmedabad Apex Racers. In Race 3, South African Aqil Alibhai of Hyderabad Blackbirds settled into P2 ahead of Ruhaan Alva Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers to finish in that order. 

Yoong Powers Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers to Victory

Malaysian Alister Yoong showcased his racing pedigree with a lights-to-flag win for Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers in Round 1 of the Indian Racing League.

Starting from pole position, Yoong, the 21-year-old son of former Formula 1 driver, Alex, enjoyed an untroubled run after seeing off an early challenge from Hyderabad Blackbirds’ Akhil Rabindra who eventually settled for P2.

Czech Republic’s Gabriela Jilkova, representing Goa Aces JA Racing finished third after an impressive drive in a race that turned out to be processional with track positions at the front remaining unchanged throughout the 25 minutes + 1 lap outing.

- With inputs from IRL Media

The results (Provisional):

Indian Racing League Race-2 (Driver B – 25mins+1 lap): 1. Alister Yoong (Malaysia, Goa Aces JA Racing) 27mins, 15.226secs); 2. Akhil Rabindra (India, Hyderabad Blackbirds) (27:19.810); 3. Gabriela Jilkova (Czech Republic, Goa Aces JA Racing) (27:35.127).

Formula 4 Indian (Race-2, 25mins+1 lap): 1. Hugh Barter (Australia, Godspeed Kochi) (27:06.573); 2. Isaac Demellweek (Australia, Chennai Turbo Riders) (27:25.297); 3. Divy Nandan (India, Ahmedabad Apex Racers) (27:29.102). Race-3 (25mins+1 lap): 1. Hugh Barter (Australia, Godspeed Kochi) (27:06.536); 2. Aqil Alibhai (South Africa, Hyderabad Blackbirds) (27:10.134); 3. Ruhaan Alva (India, Shirachi Rarh Bengal Tigers) (27:11.549).

JK Tyre-FMSCI National Racing Championship

Formula LGB 4 (Race-2, 10 laps): 1. Tijil Rao (Bengaluru, Dark Don Racing) (21:38.184); 2. Raghul Rangasamy (Mamallapuram, MSPORT) (21:38.653); 3. Mehul Agarwal (Kolkata, Dark Don Racing) (21:41.780).

Royal Enfield Continental Cup

Race-2, 6 laps) – Professionals: 1. Navaneeth Kumar S (Puducherry) (11:51.466); 2. Anish Shetty (Bengaluru) (11:51.644); 3. Soorya PM (Chennai) (11:56.614). Amateurs: 1. Yogesh P (Bengaluru) (12:47.013); 2. Johnson Saldanha (Mangaluru) (12:55.118); 3. Nijin A (Pathanamthitta, Kerala) (12:55.327).