Aaron Debattista Dominates Again in a Tense Round at Tsukuba
The Malta National F4 Championship 2025 delivered another superb spectacle in its fourth round, held at the tight and technical Tsukuba Circuit, the same venue that hosted the GT3 action earlier. With intense wheel-to-wheel racing, strategic battles, and emotional highs and lows, the championship continues to reach new heights, marking this season as the most exciting yet.
Fresh off his GT3 victory, Aaron Debattista rolled into F4 with clear momentum and a renewed hunger to recover ground in the championship. His intent was evident from the first practice sessions, where he set the fastest time ahead of series leader Jake Sammut and the consistent Steve Axisa Farrell, but with Tsukuba offering little room for error, nothing was guaranteed. Qualifying quickly proved that point.
In the short 10-minute session, Debattista wasted no time, immediately posting a strong lap to set the benchmark. Sammut and Farrell followed closely, but the surprise came from Ilan Dimech Ghirxi, who joined the fight and began trading fastest laps with the front runners. With less than a tenth separating the top four, the final minutes were a nail-biter. On his final flying lap, it was Ghirxi who delivered the knockout punch, snatching pole position ahead of Debattista, with Sammut third. The message was clear that an intense battle was brewing.
The sprint race produced drama immediately. A clean launch from Ghirxi, Debattista and Sammut pushed up front, but an incident before Turn 1 shook the midfield and reshuffled the order. Once settled, the top three engaged in a set of battles. Sammut stayed glued to the rear wing of Ghirxi, looking for every opportunity to retake track position. But Ghirxi, showing his strongest defensive driving to date, refused to crack under pressure.
Meanwhile, Debattista was in a class of his own. Lap by lap, he extended the gap, demonstrating both masterful pace and controlled aggression. Behind them, Tiashan Moodley recovered brilliantly from the opening-lap chaos to climb into fourth, followed by Nicholas Morton while Sammut’s relentless attempts to unsettle Ghirxi, the positions remained unchanged.
Debattista took a commanding victory, crossing the line with nearly a three-second margin. Ghirxi finished an excellent second, while Sammut settled for third, unable to find a way past.
The feature race, with its reversed grid format, always promises unpredictability, and this round delivered in full. Farrell launched perfectly from pole, followed closely by Jayden Ellul, who has shown significant improvement after earlier rookie mistakes in previous rounds. Behind them, Morton suffered a spin in the scramble, adding more tension to an already volatile start.
While Farrell used his experience to build an early gap, Ellul held firm in second. But both knew danger was lurking as Debattista was pushing through the pack, and Sammut, despite a costly five-second penalty, was also carving his way forward.
Mid-race drama struck when Farrell lost the car and spun out of the lead. Ellul inherited first place, and behind him, Sammut and Ghirxi reignited their rivalry. In a decisive and unfortunate moment, the pair collided, ending their podium hopes and reshuffling the entire race picture. This handed the advantage to Debattista, who now had a clear path toward Ellul as the final minutes loomed. Moodley, continuing his impressive form, climbed into third, putting him within reach of his first ever National Championship podium.
With 10 minutes left, the pressure was immense. Debattista closed the gap, attacking Ellul with focus and experience. Ellul defended admirably, showcasing how far he has progressed, but Debattista’s race craft proved decisive. With five minutes to go, Debattista executed a clean and clinical move into Turn 1, taking the lead and securing control of the race.
Debattista crossed the line first once again, raising his arms in celebration which was a moment of redemption after mistakes in previous rounds and a statement of intent ahead of the final. Ellul claimed an outstanding second place, his best performance so far, while
Tiashan Moodley earned his first ever podium, a breakthrough moment for him.
This intense and action-packed round proved once again that the Malta National F4 Championship is developing rapidly, with Maltese drivers showcasing increasingly sharper race craft and maturity. The championship now heads toward its grand finale on Saturday, 29th November, broadcast live on TVM at 14:30, where the 2025 National F4 Champion will be crowned.
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