James Wharton fourth as Arvin Lindblad wins F4 UAE race three in Dubai

James Wharton has settled for fourth as the final race of the Formula 4 United Arab Emirates opening round in Dubai came to an end behind the safety car.

Arvin Lindlad won a lights-to-flag victory in race three in Dubai. (Formula 4 UAE)

Red Bull junior Arvin Lindblad took a lights-to-flag victory for Hitech Grand Prix, holding off challengers Tuukka Taponen and Ugo Ugochukwu, who completed the podium after dominating the previous two races of the weekend.

The drive of the race had to belong to Australian James Wharton, who moved from seventh to fourth on the opening lap and held firm to the chequered flag.

The interrupted race dampened what looked certain to be a determined drive to the podium from the Ferrari Academy driver.

The first safety car period came when PREMA driver Bianca Bustamante stopped on track in the opening stages, with the restart offering opportunities throughout the field.

The first was Aussie Jimmy Piszcyk, locked in a tense battle for eighth.

Kirill Smal was holding the position ahead of Théophile Nael, with Piszcyk in tenth.

Smal was able to evade the pursuit of his rivals and came upon the tail of teammate Valerio Rinicella and Brando Badoer in the fight for sixth.

The two teammates collided and spun out, sending Rinicella to the rear of the grid while Smal dropped to ninth.

Nael was promoted to seventh, with Piszcyk in eighth.

With just over two minutes remaining, Xcel Motorsport drivers Aleksandr Bolduev and Federico Rifai both stopped on track, bringing out the safety car once more and finishing the race.

Lindlad took the chequered flag behind the safety car, with Taponen and Ugo Ugochukwu behind him.

Wharton was fourth, with fellow Aussie Piszyck in eighth.

Noah Lisle was seventeenth for Xcel Motorsport, making up ten positions, with Jack Beeton thirty-first for Pinnacle VAR, making up five positions.

Ugochukwu leads the standings after round one, 21 points clear of Arvin Lindblad in second.

James Wharton is fifth with his podium in race one.

The 2023 Formula 4 United Arab Emirates championship takes a short break for transit to Kuwait for round two, 27-28 January.