Tsuchihashi claims P2 podium in Race 1 of the final round
Paul RicardOn Saturday 10 October 2026, Race 1 of Round 6, the final round of the French F4 Championship, was held at Circuit Paul Ricard from 10:55 a.m. Kota Tsuchihashi, who competes in the series as part of the Honda Formula Dream Project (HFDP), finished second to claim his sixth podium of the season.
Race 1: Pole position → P2
As in the previous round, Tsuchihashi set the fastest times with both his best and second-best laps in qualifying and started Race 1 from pole position.
After a generally clean start, with battles developing throughout the field on the opening lap, Tsuchihashi retained the lead. In the early stages, he built a gap of around one second over the second placed car as he completed the opening laps.
However, on Lap 7, as the race approached its halfway point, Tsuchihashi’s pace dropped slightly and he came under pressure from the car behind. After battling for the lead, he was passed and dropped to second. He then chased the leader through the second half of the race, but was unable to increase his pace and the gap gradually widened.
The race continued unchanged to the end of the 14th lap. Tsuchihashi held on to second to the chequered flag and finished the race in second place.
©KSP Reportages