Frank Porte Ruiz has done it! The Andorran is now one of the winners in the coveted FFSA Academy French F4 Championship. Frank learnt a lot in 2023, his first year in the discipline, and is now reaping the rewards. The 17-year-old driver has plenty of motivation and talent, and he had the opportunity to prove it at the second round of the 2024 season on the Nîmes-Lédenon circuit.
Known for his attacking qualities, Frank tried to get the best out of his single-seater during the qualifying session after effective work during Free Practice. “I’m now lucky enough to benefit from the advice of Patrick Lemarié, a former F1 test driver and now head of the Feed Racing driving school,” said Frank. “In particular, I was able to improve my passing speed in the fast corners of the Lédenon track, which was causing me a few problems at the start of the event. I think I was capable of aiming for a place on one of the first three rows of the grid, but I fell into traffic.”
Frank Porte Ruiz nevertheless managed an encouraging 10th place out of 25 in Race 1, which he converted into 8th place at the finish. “I didn’t take any unnecessary risks because overtaking is difficult at Lédenon and I also tried to manage my tyres for Race 2, in which I started from pole position on the principle of the reverse grid for the top 10 finishers in Qualifying. The aim was not to let this opportunity to aim for victory slip through my fingers and it was very satisfying to cross the finish line as the winner and then to take the top step of the podium. Of course, my thoughts were with all my partners, family and friends who have given me so much support.”
Frank was the fastest driver for most of the race, and was faultless from the first to the last lap. This enabled him to consistently extend his lead over his rivals. Race 3 should have enabled him to increase his points tally in the Championship. Unfortunately, his gearbox jammed in fifth gear and the Andorran driver had to retire to the pits. Now in 8th place in the Championship, Frank Porte Ruiz is aiming to challenge for the podium at the next round…
Info Kartcom / Photo © KSP – Guillaume Veuve