Luis Leeds celebrates Formula 4 round win after taking race 3 in Sydney
Luis Leed has taken the race 3 victory in the CAMS Payce Australian Formula 4 championship at Sydney Motorsport park, earning the overall round victory ahead of teammate Antonio Astuti.
Leeds told Highway F1, “I've got no breath 'cause it was such a tough race.”
The boys had really fresh tyres, just because they didn't finish race 1 or race 2, the both of them, so they were just attacking me those first few laps, and I was really pushing. Really glad I was able to come away with the round win.
Luis Leeds on the top step of the podium for the overall round victory.
Leeds held firm off the line to keep Lochie Hughes at bay, while Antonio Astuit came under pressure from Ryan Suhle into the opening pair of corners before stealing third into Turn 3.
Tommy Smith had jumped Jackson Walls off the start, but Walls kept close and regained the position on lap 2.
Leeds looked comfortable ahead of Hughes to start lap 3. Behind the leaders, Tommy Smith struggled in a drag race with Emerson Harvey and lost the place as they came down Brabham Straight into the first corner.
Leeds celebrates after the race.
At the front, Hughes was sticking with Leeds, only 0.5s behind on lap 4. They fell into place as the race settled in, with Suhle joining the battle on lap 6. The top three all traded fastest sector times, and were separated by only 1 second in an incredibly tight battle.
Leeds won some breathing room as Hughes and Suhle fought for second-place for a remarkable six laps within half a second of each other in the fight for third on the overall round podium.
A huge lockup for Suhle into Turn 2 released Hughes, and they would finish in that order, with Leeds taking the chequered flag, making it two from two in round victories. He sits on top of the championship standings with 110 points ahead of Antonio Astuti (85) and Lochie Hughes (73).
Parc ferme with the top 3 after the race.
Leeds looked ahead to the next round of the championship, at Phillip Island:
Qualifying for these guys last year, they were in a whole other league, so I'm going there, ready to try replicate what they did, and I look forward to more success.
The CAMS Payce Australian Formula 4 Championship returns June 7-9 @ Phillip Island
Australian Formula 4 - Race 3 @ Sydney
1. Luis Leeds
2. Lochie Hughes +3.0118
3. Ryan Suhle +3.7345
4. Antonio Astuti +9.6897
5. Jackson Walls +15.5159
6. Emerson Harvey +20.8579
7. Tommy Smith +22.4264
Provisional Round Results
1. Luis Leeds 65
2. Antonio Astuti 52
3. Lochie Hughes 36
4. Ryan Suhle 33
5. Jackson Walls 22
6. Tommy Smith 26
7. Emerson Harvey 26
Provisional Championship Points
1. Luis Leeds: 110
2. Antonio Astuti: 85
3. Lochie Hughes: 73
4. Ryan Suhle: 70
5. Tommy Smith: 44
6. Jayden Ojeda: 35
7. Jackson Walls: 31
8. Taylor Cockerton: 31
9. Ryan Yardley: 27
10. Emerson Harvey: 26
11. Jackson Burton: 19
12. Josh Smith: 6
13. Dylan Thomas: 6
