The 3rd round of the Malta National Virtual F4 Championship at the Red Bull Ring once again delivered everything that makes this series one of the most tense championships ever hosted filled with chaos, breathtaking battles, heartbreak, and moments of pure brilliance.
From the first qualifying laps, it was clear the drivers were pushing to the absolute limit. Team Eversio entered the round prepared to continue their dominant form, but Intercomp VMD Simsport’s Aaron Debattista stole the spotlight early with a stunning pole lap of 1:32.283, six-tenths faster than championship leader Jake Sammut, and seven-tenths clear of Ilan Dimech Ghirxi. With less than three minutes left in the session, the tension was sky-high but no one could touch Debattista’s pace.
As soon as the lights went out in race 1, Debattista, Sammut, and Ghirxi launched perfectly, immediately setting the pace for a tense 15-minute sprint. Sammut wasted no time, making a clean move past Debattista in the opening corners to reclaim his usual place at the front of the pack. Behind them, Steve Axisa Farrell, Ghirxi, and Andrew Ellul formed a fierce top-five train, swapping positions lap after lap in some of the most intense wheel-to-wheel action seen so far this season. At one point, four cars ran side-by-side, just to show both their sim racing level of performance.
Sammut’s consistency shone through as he clocked the fastest laps of the race, keeping Debattista at bay despite relentless pressure. A brief touch between the two sent Debattista wide, but he skillfully recovered, staying in the fight. With five minutes remaining, Ghirxi came alive, setting the fastest lap and showing pace to match the leaders. Then came the heartbreak with a slight mistake from Debattista allowing Ghirxi and Farrell to slip through, dropping Aaron to fourth. Despite pushing hard until the end, he couldn’t regain the lost ground. Sammut took the win, followed by Axisa Farrell and Ilan Dimech Ghirxi in third.
With the grid reversed for Race 2, the pressure was on and it didn’t take long for chaos to erupt. After two laps, a heavy collision involved Debattista and Farrell, ending their hopes early. Meanwhile, Jayden Ellul took the early lead, defending fiercely from Ghirxi and Sammut, who had already climbed from ninth to third in just a few laps.
Ghirxi’s persistence paid off as he passed Jayden for the lead, but Sammut wasn’t far behind. The reigning leader was flying, setting fastest laps and hunting down both drivers ahead. Unfortunately, Debattista’s nightmare weekend continued with multiple incidents and three drive-through penalties in total, a painful sequence for a driver who started the round with so much promise.
Midway through the race, Andrew Ellul seized his moment, climbing steadily after an incident between Debattista and Farrell. With ten minutes remaining, Andrew was fighting for his first-ever podium, maintaining incredible pase under pressure.
In the final laps, Sammut closed the gap to Ghirxi with just half a second separated them heading into the last lap. Ghirxi’s heart rate must have been sky-high, but his defense was flawless, holding off the unstoppable Sammut to take his first victory in the championship followed by Sammut in second and Andrew Ellul’s first podium in third.
After another breathtaking round, Jake Sammut now sits comfortably at the top of the table with 125 points, while Ghirxi, Farrell, and Debattista are tied on 98 points. With just two rounds remaining, the fight for the runner-up spot, and possibly the title, is far from over.
This is what the drivers had to say during the post race interviews:
“I’m very happy with the result. The only thing I was not happy about was qualifying, as I didn’t reach my target. But I can say I’m satisfied with the races as I could show my capabilities and this proves my level. In Race 2, I managed to gain all positions and reach Ghirxi, who’s very close to my pace. I can confidently say this round I was the best in pace and performance. Two rounds are coming up, and I’ll tackle them one by one. Today’s race wasn’t my preference, and next round at Tsukuba will be quite competitive, but we’ll see how it goes.”
Jake Sammut
“I’m very excited and happy with my result. The first race wasn’t the best, but I took the most out of it. In the second race, my dream came true. I’ve been working hard for this, and getting my first win feels amazing. Seeing the difference between Race 1 and Race 2, I’m proud of my pace. It won’t be easy to fight for the title, but I’ll do my best.”
Ilan Dimech Ghirxi
“To be honest, as for pace I knew I wasn’t up to speed. I made a few mistakes, but given my lack of preparation for this round and the fact that this isn’t my favourite track, I accept third position. Ahead of the last two rounds, all I can do is practice more and push harder for better results.”
Steve Axisa Farrell
What a round. What a show. The Malta National Virtual F4 Championship continues to raise the bar for sim racing in Malta. From blistering qualifying laps to last-lap duels, this series once again proves that Maltese virtual motorsport is world-class in talent, determination, and entertainment. This is Malta’s sim racing level!
