The second round of the FIA Formula 4 Italian Championship in Imola, held last weekend, was an emotional experience for Malta Formula Racing (MFR) and all five of their drivers, the highlight being Mattia Drudi’s commanding victory in Sunday’s Race 2.

Drudi’s pace in qualifying immediately showed he had all cards in place to challenge for the top positions with Keith Camilleri and Zack Dante also showing progress on the previous series in Adria.

While the opening race was disappointing for Drudi, who was involved in a collision at the start, he more than made up for it in Race 2 which saw him move up to second place at the start and seize the lead on lap five before the win.

Sadly, Drudi’s misfortune struck again in Race 3 after his car stalled on the grid, resulting in him having to start from the pits.

Camilleri and Dante fared better in Race 1, with the former holding on to fifth position at the chequered flag.

Camilleri’s Race 2 chances were compromised by an incident at the start while Dante’s stay on track came to an end following a collision at the Variante Alta.

Race 3 was even more dramatic with Camilleri stuck behind Andrea Russo, of Diegi Motorsport team, who was driving with a detached front wing.

As a result, the Maltese driver was forced to take evasive action and run across the gravel trap to avoid a collision. His race was hastily terminated with a black flag.

Dante was unlucky as he was involved in collisions that caused significant damage to his front wing.

Giovanni Altoe and Maheveer Raghunathan also drove for the Malta Formula Racing Team in Imola.

Altoe was involved in a crash but walked away unhurt while Formula 4 newcomer Raghunathan, of India, showed promise throughout the weekend, finishing Race 3 in a respectable eighth position.

The next racing series from the FIA Formula 4 Italian Cham-pionship will be staged at the Mugello circuit between July 11 and 13.