MotorSportsTalk spoke with both Robert Clarke, president of SCCA Pro Racing and Stefano Domenicali, president of the FIA Single Seater Commission, in further detail about the newly launched F4 championship in the U.S.
Domenicali’s answers are below, with Clarke’s from Monday linked here in a separate post. Domenicali has adopted this new role after his previous role at Team Principal of Scuderia Ferrari.
The full transcript from last weekend’s press conference at Circuit of The Americas is linked here.
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MST: You have entered this new role of course having had an open-wheel background, but from a team standpoint. Now from a governing body standpoint, how different is your role now, in terms of seeing this series come to light?
SD: Of course my experience before was on the other side of the table, but that’s part of the game.
From the governing body, as a member of the FIA, trying to do the best I can for the Single Seater Commission, we need to make sure to create a solid basis… that’s there’s a pyramid of growth for young talented drivers that is current, and that we need to make sure that in terms of regulations, sporting and tech regulations, in terms of costs, all the championships around the world are on a same basis. Of course each championship has a different platform, but the FIA needs to make sure they are run at the maximum professional level. On the technical side, and on the partnership side, this is my view the role we should play.
The other thing for sure is knowing how vital is the cost for anyone coming into the sport. We want to make sure the level of cost is affordable. This is the objective we need to make sure that happens.
MST: Why do you feel F4 in the U.S. is right for right now?
SD: I have to say, why I’m very very pleased and proud to be here today, it’s because there was something missing. I had a little bit of… how can I say this… with the right words… not the right flavor (here). This platform all around the world without the United States, was not complete.
I’m really proud to see the passion through the ASN and ACCUS, and Nick Craw, (ACCUS) president, and that without him to be honest and his passion and push, it was very difficult. Without the passion and the professionality of SCCA, and the partners involved, now I would say the F4 step is almost complete. We have steps all around the world.
I want to think even further ahead, that this championship will be a success, but see what’s happening in F3 here… I want to see if we are doing a good job here. These steps will be… we’re required the second answer. At the FIA level, we need to think how to close that as soon as possible. This is the reason why it was important to us to come here, have the right feeling. It’s incredible to see the attention around this project.
MST: How important is it for the FIA to have a similar ladder on a U.S. front as international?
SD: It’s fundamental. The dangers of motorsport in the United States is huge. It’s incredible. I have to say so far, it has been too disconnected from what we have in motorsport in Europe for example. With this platform, it’s the right hook, or right connection.
We will see for sure in the future, respecting what is the pinnacle of motorsport in United States, we don’t want to discuss about it. We need to make sure the basis is solid. This is the right approach, also Formula Indy, Formula NASCAR, so they can see this as where they have the talent for the future in their championships.
Another crash while leading at Seattle dropped Chase Sexton from the top of the NBC SuperMotocross Power Rankings while solid performances by Cooper Webb and Eli Tomac allow them to climb the chart and threaten to make this a two-rider battle with six rounds remaining in the 2023 Monster Energy Supercross season.Cooper Webb wags his finger at Chase Sexton after winning his heat in Seattle. – Feld Motor Sports
During the race, Webb knew he had ground to make up. Riding behind both Tomac and Sexton early in the Main, he was as far back as fifth on Lap 7 at Seattle. That position would cost him the red plate and give away the advantage he began to build with his first win of the season in Tampa. Sexton is often at his best as he battles from the back and he methodically worked his way through the field. At the end of the feature, he was nearly five seconds off Tomac’s pace, but during the past 45 days, he holds the advantage. A resurgent Tomac that could erase that advantage quickly though.
Tomac struggled in Indianapolis with a neck strain. That contributed to his worst performance of 2023 and his second result outside the top five. He finished third in Detroit two weeks ago, but it was a distant third after finishing off the podium in his heat during that round. In Seattle, it appeared the same thing might happen when Tomac finished third in the prelim behind his two principal competitors Webb and Sexton. The Main was a different story.
Tomac dropped to fourth in the opening laps behind both of his rivals early in the race, but he got around Webb on Lap 2 and kept charging. When Sexton fell to the ground on Lap 11 and dropped to fourth, Tomac was in position to strike. He scored his sixth win of the season to tie James Stewart for second on the all-time wins list. He now shares the red plate with Webb as the rounds wind down.
Sexton has the speed, but he lacks the seasoning of Webb and Tomac. He’s pressing hard on every lap and that has bitten him several times this year. Sexton’s mistakes are costing him with a 10th-place finish at Indy, the loss of seven points at Detroit and a fifth in Seattle as the riders he’s battling stood on the podium. No one seriously questions Sexton’s talent or speed, but ultimately the results are what counts.
Justin Barcia is hitting his stride. He advances two positions this week after scoring his fourth consecutive top-five and second podium in that span of races. Barcia finished between sixth and eighth in five consecutive rounds from Anaheim 2 through Arlington, but he’s mostly avoided controversy and that puts him fourth in this week’s SuperMotocross Power Rankings after Seattle.
Jason Anderson had a solid performance in Seattle, but with a fifth-place finish in his heat and fourth in the Main he just keeps losing a little ground to the leaders. The biggest impact to his standing in the NBC Power Rankings is a 10th-place finish in Indianapolis that will take a while to age out of the 45-day formula. He’s tied for fourth in the championship points with Ken Roczen, who sits sixth in the rankings below. It’s important to be the rider “best in class” with Webb, Tomac and Sexton stealing the show.
The 250 West riders were back in action in Seattle and that gave Jett Lawrence the opportunity to break out of a tie with his brother Hunter Lawrence on the all-time wins list. It also provided Jett the opportunity to take back the top spot in the NBC SuperMotocross Power Rankings after Seattle.
Jett Lawrence regained the top spot overall in the NBC SuperMotocross Power Rankings with a near-perfect race in Seattle. – Feld Motor Sports
Jett has stood on the podium in every race this year with the exception of the second Triple Crown race at Anaheim 2 and that level of perfection gives him bragging rights. Rest assured that while the two brothers have a bond that is unapparelled in motorsports, there is no one they would rather beat. Neither has been particularly successful in Triple Crown rounds this year, however, and Jett could lose his advantage in two weeks in Glendale, Arizona under that format.
A rivalry is developing between Lawrence and Cameron McAdoo. Tired of losing to the affable Australian, McAdoo pushed the envelope last week in Seattle. He crowded Lawrence in the whoops during their heat race and sent both to the ground. That frustration could bubble over with four rounds remaining. One thing is certain, when these two riders are in proximity on the track, the cameras will be aimed in their direction.
A little means a lot this season. Finishing second to Lawrence in four of five rounds, RJ Hampshire would be losing ground to the leader no matter what, but an 11th-place finish in the overall at Anaheim 2 places him eighth on the chart below behind two of the 250 West riders and five 250 East competitors.
In the mains, Levi Kitchen has been all over the board with a win, one more top-five, two results on the high side of the single digits and a crash-induced 21st at San Diego. He’s really shown his speed in the heats, however, with a perfect record of top-fives and a win.
Mitchell Oldenburg makes the top five list among West riders with a perfect record of top-10 finishes. He’s heading in the wrong direction, however, falling from ninth overall to 11th after finishing outside the top five in both his heat and the Main last week.
250 Rankings
This
Week
Rider
Power
Avg.
Last
Week
Diff,
1.
Jett Lawrence – W
90.75
2
1
2.
Hunter Lawrence – E
90.43
1
-1
3.
Nate Thrasher – E
84.00
3
0
4.
Cameron McAdoo – W
80.50
4
0
5.
Haiden Deegan – E
78.21
5
0
6.
Jeremy Martin – E
78.00
6
0
7.
Jordon Smith – E
76.77
7
0
8.
RJ Hampshire – W
76.75
10
2
9.
Levi Kitchen – W
76.67
8
-1
10.
Max Anstie – E
74.43
11
1
11.
Mitchell Oldenburg – W
73.67
9
-2
12.
Max Vohland – W
72.55
13
1
13.
Tom Vialle – E
72.07
12
-1
14.
Pierce Brown – W
68.64
19
5
15.
Enzo Lopes – W
67.83
17
2
16.
Chris Blose – E
67.43
15
-1
17.
Chance Hymas – E
67.10
16
-1
18.
Michael Mosiman – E
65.80
18
0
19.
Stilez Robertson – W
64.45
14
-5
20.
Phil Nicoletti – W
59.25
20
0
* The NBC Power Rankings assign 100 points to a Main event winner and 90 points for each Heat and Triple Crown win, (Triple Crown wins are included with heat wins below the rider’s name). The points decrement by a percentage equal to the number of riders in the field until the last place rider in each event receives five points. The Power Ranking is the average of these percentage points over the past 45 days for the 450 class and last 90 days for 250s (because of the split nature of their season).
