Lindblom and Al Sulaiti shine amid wet conditions at Yas Marina
Round 2 - Yas Marina Circuit - Report
Round 2 of the UAE4 Series saw Hitech return to Yas Marina on the challenging corkscrew layout, a fresh test compared to Round 1. Rainfall was heavier than forecast, creating tricky wet conditions that tested the young drivers’ skills.
The momentum was clear for Hitech heading into the weekend, with Scott Kin Lindblom leading the way in qualifying. Scott topped Q1 and followed it up with P2 in Q2, underlining his strong form. For the QMMF by Hitech drivers, Bader Al Sulaiti arrived off the back of a points finish in Round 1 and led the charge, while Nasser Al Thani continued his development.
Race 1 began with Scott starting from pole but bogging down slightly off the line, dropping three places in the opening phase. Teammate Theo Palmer slipped from P20 to P21, while Bader moved to P15 and Nasser to P34. A Safety Car was deployed on lap 2, neutralising the field before racing resumed on lap 5. Scott mounted a strong recovery and made a decisive move past Craigie to take P3, placing himself firmly in podium contention. The race finished under Safety Car conditions, with Scott securing his first podium of the campaign. Bader finished P12, a result that put him on pole position for Race 2, while Theo and Nasser completed the race further down the order.
Sunday morning’s Race 2 produced highly unusual conditions for Yas Marina. The grid featured many 15, 16 and 17-year-olds in their first car racing campaign, most with little to no prior wet-weather experience. Despite only a 10% chance of rain in the forecast, a torrential downpour caught the field on slick tyres, sparking chaotic opening laps filled with three-wide drag races into braking zones. Bader moved into the lead early on, while Scott sustained damage in the opening-lap melee and was forced into the pit lane. Theo dropped to P20 and Nasser to P34 as conditions rapidly worsened.
An incident brought out the Safety Car on lap 2, before the race was red-flagged after five laps due to standing water. During the stoppage, teams faced difficult tyre decisions, with Hitech opting to remain on slicks. Scott was able to resume after repairs but rejoined at the back of the grid, prompting the team to take a chance by fitting him with wet tyres.
The race resumed behind the Safety Car amid what was an unprecedented amount of rain for racing at the desert circuit. With further rainfall and safety concerns, the race was ultimately red-flagged and declared, with Bader Al Sulaiti classified as the winner, becoming the 71st driver to win an F4 race in the Middle East. Theo finished P19, Nasser P26, and Scott P31.
Race 3 later in the day took place on a damp track and was immediately interrupted. A spin during the formation lap brought out the Safety Car while the circuit was cleared. Another spin behind the Safety Car delayed the start further.
Racing finally began on lap 5, with Scott running P2, Theo up to P11, Bader P16, and Nasser P32. The conditions produced fantastic racing, with multiple three-wide battles through the braking zones and close action across the field. By lap 9, Scott was engaged in a sustained battle with Consani and eventually dropped to P3, remaining firmly in podium contention. Theo continued to progress, moving up to P10 and then P9 to score his first points of the season. Bader and Nasser completed the race in P31 and P32 respectively.
After the race, the drivers and team reflected on a challenging but successful weekend.
Bader Al Sulaiti:
“I’m really happy with my first UAE4 victory. Honestly, it was a chaotic race from the beginning and I got the lead and managed to keep it until the end of the Safety Cars. It started pouring with rain and I just needed to manage the situation until the end of the race.”
Scott Kin Lindblom:
“We got off the line quite well in Race 3 and I did my best to defend against Consani, but he managed to get past. Otherwise, we had good, consistent pace, and I’m quite happy to finish third after my second place yesterday. I think we did a great job this weekend – taking pole in qualifying set us up well for the races. There are plenty of positives to take away, and I’m excited for the next round in Dubai.”
Commenting on his first points in the series, Theo Palmer said:
“It was an eventful weekend of racing, with multiple safety car periods and unexpected wet conditions. This made it difficult to gain positions and left me at a disadvantage after a disappointing qualifying session.
“We managed to turn things around in Race 3 though where I put my head down, stayed focused, and worked my way through the field to finish P9 – scoring my first points of the season. This result is a welcome confidence boost and I’m now looking ahead to Round 3 at my home circuit, Dubai Autodrome.
“Thank you to the team for their hard work throughout a challenging weekend of racing.”
Dominic Stott, Hitech F4 Programmes Team Manager:
“It was a strong weekend for the team. Bader took his first UAE4 victory, while Scott secured two podiums, including a solid third today. Theo scored his first points, which is an important milestone. There were ups and down, but all four drivers made good progress, faring well in the tricky Race 2 conditions, and we collected valuable points for both the drivers and the team. Now we look ahead to Round 3 at Dubai Autodrome next weekend.”
