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MANAMA: Preseason testing for the 2025 Aramco F4 ������Ƶn Championship concluded on Friday at the Bahrain International Circuit, marking the final stage of preparations ahead of the opening race of the season this weekend.
Both of the official testing sessions were marked by excitement and intense concentration, accompanied by close technical monitoring by the participating teams. In the first session, Jacob Micallef of Team Zahid recorded the fastest lap time of 2 minutes 8.238 seconds, with an average speed of 151.9 kph, just 0.004 seconds ahead of Scott Kin Lindblom from Team Red Bull, followed by Thibaut Ramaekers, also from Team Zahid.
In the second session, driver Theo Palmer of Team JACO achieved the best time of 2 minutes 7.613 seconds, with an average speed of 152.6 kph, 0.002 seconds ahead of Kit Belofsky from Team PEAX, with Adam Alzahrani from Team Valvoline recording the third-best time.
Testing is a key milestone in preseason preparations that enables teams to evaluate the performance of their second-generation Tatuus F4-T421 cars and refine setup before racing begins. Friday’s sessions also gave drivers an invaluable opportunity to gain confidence and sharpen their racecraft under real race conditions on a technically demanding circuit known for its mix of fast straights and tight corners.
With testing complete, the 2025 Aramco F4 ������Ƶn Championship shifts gear into race mode on Saturday and Sunday at the Bahrain International Circuit, followed by Round 2 at the same track on Oct. 15-16.
The action moves to ������Ƶ’s Jeddah Corniche Circuit, the fastest street circuit in the world, for Rounds 3 and 4 on Nov. 10-11 and Nov. 14-15, before concluding with a final round on Dec. 5-6, also in Jeddah.
The F4 ������Ƶn Championship, part of an FIA-sanctioned, single-seater, entry-level series, aims to provide a key platform for the development of emerging motor sport talent in ������Ƶ and the wider region. The event is promoted by Altawkilat Motorsport under the supervision of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation.

JEDDAH: Indonesia manager Patrick Kluivert is confident his team can put aside the disappointment of their previous result against ������Ƶ and show the ability to achieve victory against Iraq on Saturday in the Asian play-off for the 2026 World Cup.
Kluivert told the press on Friday at the press conference ahead of the Iraq match that his team is fully prepared for their match against Iraq.
He said: “We will take the field again tomorrow, aiming for a positive result after our previous defeat.
“The team has prepared a strategy we believe is best against Iraq, which you’ll see on the pitch tomorrow,” he added.
Indonesia are attempting to reach the World Cup for the first time and Iraq’s match on Saturday will determine their fate after a loss to ������Ƶ.
From his side, Iraq coach Graham Arnold emphasizes the importance of focusing on their upcoming match against Indonesia, avoiding any distractions to their game against ������Ƶ on Tuesday.
“The players need to focus on what they have, and if they think about the refereeing, their focus on the match will be greatly reduced,” he said.
Speaking to the press on Friday, Arnold added: “The players are 100 percent fit. The positive thing is that all of our players are playing regularly. When I compare that to before I took over as national team coach, there was a big difference in fitness, and now this aspect has improved significantly.”
Iraq will play its first match in Group B of the play-offs, which also includes ������Ƶ, who sit on the top of the standings with three points, following their 3-2 victory over Indonesia on Wednesday in the opening round of the playoffs.