Motorsport Games - Italy beats Germany and Finland to Formula 4 Cup gold 03.11.2019: FIA MOTORSPORT GAMES Vallelunga, Rome Sunday, November 3rd 2019 Full results Italy lead the medal table at the halfway stage of this year’s FIA Motorsport Games after Andrea Rosso claimed victory in the Formula 4 Cup Main Race earlier t

FIA MOTORSPORT GAMES
Vallelunga, Rome
Sunday, November 3rd  2019



Full results

Italy lead the medal table at the halfway stage of this year’s FIA Motorsport Games after Andrea Rosso claimed victory in the Formula 4 Cup Main Race earlier today.



Germany’s Niklas Kruetten and Finland’s William Alatalo completed the podium courtesy of a late race Safety Car period that scuppered the hopes of long-time leader Ido Cohen.



The Israeli started from pole and controlled the first half of the 27-minute encounter, which began in damp but drying conditions.



But as the track improved it was Rosso who came to the fore thanks to better tyre management. Denied pole by yesterday’s post-race penalty, the Italian was content for Cohen to open a 1.3s lead before reeling him in with 10 minutes remaining. The pair were frequently side-by-side thereafter, albeit with Cohen just about maintaining the lead.



He finally buckled at the end of lap 10 when dipping a wheel in the final corner’s gravel trap helped Rosso shoot past down the start/finish straight.



A similar incident, albeit resulting in Belgium’s Nicolas Baert clouting the wall, triggered a Safety Car period soon after.



Rosso made the perfect restart with three minutes remaining to immediately gap Cohen who, instead, was busy defending from Kruetten. The German started and ran third throughout but couldn’t keep pace with the top-two until the Safety Car’s intervention afforded a second chance.



And he grabbed it with both hands to pass Cohen before setting off in pursuit of Rosso. Just 0.7s separated them at the finish after Kruetten set fastest lap on the final tour, which also earned him the Pirelli Speed Hero Award.



Cohen’s race went from bad to worse when William Alatalo (Finland) also passed the Israeli, who was subsequently shuffled down the order to eighth.



Luis Leeds (Australia) finished a second shy of the medals in fourth after running fifth for much of the race, while Reshad de Gerus (France) fought through from 10th to complete the top-five.



Spain’s Belen Garcia also picked up six places en route to sixth ahead of Laszlo Toth (Hungary) who dropped from fourth to 11th on lap one. Cohen, Lucca Allen (Ireland) and Joao Rosate (Brazil) – up seven places from his starting position – completed the top-10.



Andrea Rosso: “I am super happy right now! I came here with good expectations. I wanted to put the Italian flag on the podium but I didn’t expect to stand on the top step, so I am really honoured. I have to thank my parents, who always support me, my friends at home and of course my engineer Guido and my mechanic Chris.”



 
- SRO also photos