On the famous circuit of Magny-Cours Shihab Al Habsi continued his apprenticeship in cars during the 5th round of the 2018 French F4 Championship. From Friday, he took advantage of the Free Practice session to discover the specificities of the Nièvre track. “Due to lack of budget, I was not able to participate in the group test session at Magny-Cours before the race and my opponents started their meeting with a small advantage,” said Shihab.
Despite this, he demonstrated his adaptability, which data acquisition records quickly confirmed. Unfortunately, mechanical problems disrupted his weekend, forcing him to retire in the second of the three races. “It’s frustrating to have been unable to fight in good circumstances,” said the young hopeful from the Sultanate of Oman. “However, we tested different set-up configurations, but the car lacked performance on this fast track. The end result was not up to my expectations.“
“It’s a shame, because Shihab is working hard on his physical and mental preparation to achieve the goals he has set for himself, such as getting on the overall podium of the Junior Championship,” said coach Stéphane Daoudi. “However, I notice that he has made big step forward in his driving and understanding of his car. He is the youngest driver in this season’s high-flying F4 field, but his potential and his technical analysis are confirmed at every race. For all of these reasons, I cannot wait to see him in action in October during the last two meetings, at Jerez in Spain and on the Paul Ricard circuit at Le Castellet.“
info Kartcom © Photo KSP – Guillaume Veuve