A great battle between championship contenders Oscar Wurz, Kirill Kutskov, and Max Karhan was the highlight of the opening race at the final event of the F4 CEZ 2024 season at Salzburgring. The race was eventually won by Kutskov, and the battle for the title continues.
Kirill Kutskov from Maffi Racing started from pole position alongside Oscar Wurz from Jenzer Motorsport. Behind them was his teammate Max Karhan and Simon Schranz from Renauer Motorsport. The third row belonged to Michalina Sabaj from AS Motorsport and Kutskov’s teammate Nathanael Berreby. Lining up behind them was František Němec from F4 CEZ Academy.
The race started behind the safety car because of low visibility in sunset, and Wurz immediately attacked Kutskov for the lead, overtaking him on the outside at the fast right-hander at the end of the first lap. Max Karhan held third place ahead of Simon Schranz, Berreby, Sabaja, and Němec.
Although Wurz had taken the lead, Kutskov used the slipstream and stayed just behind, looking for a way to retake first place. However, he outbraked himself and lost precious time to Wurz. This didn’t deter him from trying again, as he was clearly the fastest driver on the track, soon closing back up to the rear wing of Wurz. Kutskov was successful on lap five, retaking the lead.
Their battle allowed Karhan to catch up, turning the fight for victory into a three-way contest. Wurz made another attempt to pass on the outside, but the manoeuvre wasn’t successful this time.
In the closing stages, the battle intensified further, with Kutskov and Wurz swapping positions multiple times. However, Kutskov held on and won the race, keeping his title hopes alive for Sunday. Wurz finished second and has 42 points lead to Kutskov. Karhan came third, which means he is now out of title contention. Schranz finished fourth, Berreby fifth, Sabaj sixth, and Němec seventh.
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