Natasha Seatter leads on the run down to turn one

Joe Ghanem wins Round 4 of the Formula Gulf 1000 – Zaamin Jaffer sets fastest lap.

The anticipation was excruciating this morning as this small but high quality grid of young drivers all waited for their second chance of glory. 18 year old Natasha Seatter had caused quit a stir the previous day as she led the race to the delight of the spectators who were clearly crestfallen as she was caught and passed by Zaamin Jaffer on the very last lap of the race. Joe Ghanem had an uncharacteristically bad day being nearly a second of the pace, although he did get onto the podium.

So it was a rolling start with Jaffer and Seatter on the front row both clearly determined to get into Turn One first. The pack roared off down the front straight almost as one but it was Seatter who was in front as they braked hard at the 100 meter board. Unfortunately, she carried perhaps a little bit too much speed into the corner and the car ran wide onto the dirty part of the circuit and spun letting everyone else past. But being the fighter she is, she then set about catching the pack setting the fastest time of any driver on laps 2 and 3.

Joe Ghanem powers his way to the top step of the podium with an impressive victory

At the end of the first lap it was Joe Ghanem in the lead followed very closely by the Yas Marina Circuit supported Mohamed Al Mutawaa in second place with poleman Jaffer some three seconds back having been caught out by the chaos in Turn one. The focus was now on Seatter some eighteen seconds behind the leader but catching fast. She managed to get past Emirati driver Haytham Sultan Al Ali on lap 3 and Syrian driver Yazan Hamadeh on lap 5. But with Al Mutawaa another 10 seconds up the road this was as far as she would get in this 10 lap race setting her fastest time on the last lap. Meanwhile Jaffer, who had ended up in fourth place after the Turn 1 incident was having another brilliant drive getting past Al Muttawa on lap 3, setting fastest lap of the race on lap 9  and closing the gap to Ghanem down to less than half a second at the chequered flag.

Rounds 5 & 6 take place on the challenging National Circuit at the Dubai Autodrome on 25th November.