Oliver Bearman produces the fastest lap of FP1 in ADAC Formula 4 in Zandvoort

Championship leader Oliver Bearman was the fastest man in free practice at the start of the ADAC Formula 4 weekend in Zandvoort. The 16-year-old Brit set the fastest time of 1:36.056 minutes in good conditions on the North Sea coast in the Netherlands. Fellow Van Amersfoort driver Joshua Dufek (16) set the third-fastest time towards the end of the session, with the Swiss driver just 0.623 seconds slower than his team-mate. This rounded off a successful start to Van Amersfoort Racing’s home event in Zandvoort. Only ADAC Stiftung Sport driver Tim Tramnitz (16, US Racing) was able to split the two Van Amersfoort drivers in second place. The young man from Hamburg was roughly half a second slower than Bearman.

Sebastian Montoya (16, Columbia) from Prema Powerteam was fourth behind Bearman, Tramnitz and Dufek. Fifth place went to Russia’s Vlad Lomko (16, US Racing), ahead of another Van Amersfoort driver, Luke Browning (19, Great Britain) in sixth. Places seven to nine were occupied by Victor Bernier (16, France, R-ace GP), Smal Kirill (16, Russia, Prema Powerteam) and Valint Bence (16, Hungary, Van Amersfoort Racing). Rounding off the top ten was guest driver Francesco Braschi (16, Italy, Jenzer Motorsport). The fastest rookie was Nikita Bedrin (15, Russia). The Van Amersfoort driver ended the session in 15th place.

The drivers in the ADAC’s high-speed school are back in action this afternoon. Free practice two starts at 13:35, before the two qualifying sessions for the races on Saturday and Sunday take place this evening (at 18:15 and 18:35).