Eshan Pieris in emphatic win for first ever success
The 2017-18 FIA Formula 4 South East Asia Championship (F4 SEA) – fuelled by Petron, witnessed Eshan Pieris’ first ever win for Sri Lanka at the Sepang International Circuit, as the contingent supported the Asian Le Man Endurance Series.
After an intense battle in Race 2 of the penultimate event, the 20-year-old Colombo-native stood atop the podium, basking humbly in the glory of his maiden victory at the championship, to the strains of the Sri Lanka anthem.
He was poised to be the front runner of the FIA-certified Championship, as he was the fastest in official free practice and snatched pole position in qualifying, which boosted his drive to succeed.
Launched off the grid perfectly behind two-time champion Daniel Cao, in the event’s 2nd race, the Sri Lankan threw down the gauntlet and quickly stole pole position away from Cao, who then piled on the pressure.
Despite this, Pieris consistently pulled away from Cao and widened the gap till the chequered flag waved him the race victor in a very strong grid. Pieris beat tough competition from undefeated rookie event champion Kane Shepherd, Okinawan lightning bolt, Hibiki Taira and event champion Mitchell Cheah of Malaysia.
Eshan Pieris (Car No.30 and left pic) leading all the way to his first F4 win
Apart from securing the podium in Race 2, Pieris also clocked the fastest time of the 8-lap scrimmage. He was the only one to break the 2-min.14-sec mark in the race. His blistering performance ensured him a lead of almost 5 sec.
“After being fastest on track during the free practice, I was really motivated to put it back on top at the end of qualifying. I just focused on hitting all my markers on track while not making any mistakes throughout the qualifying Laps.
In Race 2, I started in P2 and took the lead on the 2nd Lap of the race into Turn 4, and thereafter I just focused on maintaining my rhythm throughout the race. However, my biggest concern was tyre conservation. Just like F1, managing tyre-wear is crucial,” explained Pieris.
“For sure, the win in Race 2 felt really great, as it was only my second event ever in Formula cars, and compared with the other drivers on the grid, I have much less experience. I am really happy to have already bagged my first win,” he concluded.