The 2016 French F4 Championship season started very positively for Hugo Chevalier on the Paul Ricard circuit at Le Castellet. In the series that has boosted so many motorsport champions Chevalier impressed observers with his adaptability and speed. The rookie is already in 2nd overall position and the top French driver.
A young karting talent from 2010 to 2015, Chevalier is making his mark in single-seaters with no less than four podiums. "From the beginning of the meeting, I felt comfortable in my car. I was able to fully exploit the grip of the car and the tyres. Immediately, I set the fastest time in free practice," commented Hugo.
The legendary Paul Ricard circuit hosted a qualifying session and four races on a schedule, organised withinin the framework of the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC).
Four compelling resultsAfter setting the third fastest time in qualifying at less than a tenth of pole position, Hugo Chevalier had legitimate hopes of the podium. "I made a good start in Race 1 and I was quickly able to put pressure on the American Benyahia. I passed which ensured 2nd place."
His performance in Race 2 would be even more impressive. "With the principle of the reverse grid for the top 10 in Race 1, I had to start from 9th position. I had a good feeling, despite the few drops of rain that fell during the race, and I movedup to 2nd place."
The next day, Hugo repeated his performance of the day before, again climbing to 2nd place twice with equal gusto. In front of him, Ye Yifei was faultless, but the Chinese driver has already raced F4 throughout the 2015 season and is a benchmark in this group. "Yifei took advantage of his experience during this first event, but I never stopped reducing the gap to him throughout the weekend. I was even close to taking the lead in a race."
A first very positive assessmentThe smile on Hugo Chevalier’s face on the podium and during the Sunday evening press conference spoke volumes about his satisfaction. "I achieved the goals I set for myself before arriving at Le Castellet, i.e. to show that I was one of the contenders for victory. I finished all my races on the podium, gained a lot of experience, made good starts and several overtakes, without making major mistakes. Between races, there was continued physical and mental work with my coach, Didier André, which helped me with focus, confidence and consistency during the race. The feeling was great with the Auto Sport Academy team and with my mechanic. Studying the data acquisition has been successful. I’m really pleased."
Hugo Chevalier will participate in one of the legends of French motorsport in 2nd position in the provisional standings: the Grand Prix de Pau (13th-15th May).
Summary Round 1French F4 Champ. at Le Castelle Summary Round 1French F4 Champ. at Le Castellet(1st-2nd-3rd April 2016)Qualification: 3rdRace 1: 2ndRace 2: 2ndRace 3: 2nd - Race 4: 2ndInterim Interim Championship: 2nd
