Reigning GB4 champion Ary Bansal secured his first victory in the Italian F4 championship, as he continues his impressive season in one of the world's toughest championships.
Bansal had started ninth on the grid for the contest at Mugello, but found his way up to third with ease, and was then in the perfect position to benefit when the two drivers in front made contact.
Andy Consani suffered damage while pole sitter Elia Weiss was forced to pit with a puncture, with Bansal quickly closing down the gap to Consani, who continued despite a drooping front wing.
With a minute remaining, Bansal was right with the Frenchman, and made the move for the lead stick up the inside of turn 15. With Consani taking a penalty for his involvement in the lead tussle, Bansal's on the road win by over two seconds was extended to almost six seconds in the final classification.
The Indian driver's first win adds to podiums secured at Misano and Monza, moving him up to fourth in the championsip standings, amongst a grid of almost 50 drivers.
"Obviously it was quite difficult. I was focused on surviving" said Bansal afterwards. "It was quite chaotic, but I was able to make use of it. We managed the tyres really well. We got ourselves into P3 and then the top two collided, which helped me quite a bit. After that it was easier to catch and overtake Consani.
"I've been working not only with the team, but also on myself. I was trying to figure out how to make the best use of what the team gave me. The team has been really strong since the first round, I just had to keep improving and maximize everything."
Image credit ACI Sport.
