Nazim targets podium finish in Sepang
SEPANG: The stage is set for Malaysian drivers to shine in the grand final of the Formula 4 South East Asia Championship (F4 SEA), which will take place over three days at the Sepang International Circuit from today.
Leading Malaysian contender Nazim Azman, currently fourth in the overall standings with 160 points, is determined to be on the podium as he set his sights to end the season on a high note.
The 17-year-old will be among the favourites along with Daniel Cao of China, Thailand’s Kane Shepherd and Ugo de Wilde of Belgium.
Other local drivers include up-and-coming Malaysians Isyraf Danish, Arsh Johanny and Armand Johanny.
Nazim made his mark following his F4 SEA Championship opening round victory earlier in the season to become the first Malaysian to win an F1 support race at last year’s Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang.
“I am excited and looking forward to this weekend’s action in Sepang. It’s definitely going to be intense but I am aiming for as many wins as I can.
“It’s going to be really hard for me in the overall challenge as I missed two events prior to this,” said the Kuala Lumpur teenager, who carved his best achievement in Event 3 in Buriram, Thailand in January, notching four podium victories.
After four events, China’s Daniel leads the overall chart with 438 points ahead of Shepherd (319) fol- lowed by de Wilde (195).
The F4 SEA is a five-event championship held in Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, with a six-race weekend format.
The 2017- 2018 F4 SEA Championship calendar kicked off last year in Sepang (Sept 29), followed by Event 2 in Philippines’ Clark International in October. Thailand’s Buriram International Circuit hosted Event 3 in January before heading for Sepang for the fourth event from Feb 2-4.
The final starts off today with a morning free practice session followed by a 30-minute qualifying. Race 1 will be held later in the afternoon while Race 2 and Race 3 are slated for tomorrow.
The remaining three races will be held on Sunday.