MARGAO
Hong Kong-based Goan driver Brad Dias suffered a blow as he was disqualified in the round 1 at Danish Formula 4, Padborg Park recently.
Brad completed his first weekend (round 1) with the team run by former Formula One driver Jan Magnussen’s F4 team, Magnussen Racing Experience, alongside 14-year-old Danish Frederik Kikkenborg. The series has a total of eight rounds and will go on till October. The series uses a French manufacturer’s Mygale chassis with a 2.0 litre Renault engine, something which Brad is familiar with after competing in the Asian Formula Renault and the MRF F1600 Championship.
Brad Dias, with one day of practice at a new track at Padborg Park, qualified and secured the sixth spot for the first round of the championship and then went on to clinch the 3rd place in the podium finish in the first race. In the second race, he had to be content with 3rd place in the 6th race.
Brad in the final race secured a spot before a driver hit his car from behind, causing damage and thus affected his rhythm and the organisers pulled him out on technical grounds. It meant that he had to be disqualified from the race.
Brad, who is preparing for round 3 of Danish Formula 4, is taking a lot of positives from Denmark. “Every stage was quite challenging, physically and mentally. But I managed to use all the training experience to stay in the race,” Brad told The Goan on Sunday.
His dream to race in Europe was cut short three years ago but he is back where he wanted to race always. “A small hand injury in 2015 cut a nerve, which rendered my left hand useless for two months. I was based in the UK and wanted to start racing in a karting championship. But because of the injury I couldn’t start the championship,” said Dias.
