LUKA SAMMALISTO SCORES POINTS IN EVERY RACE AT MUGELLO, CONSISTENTLY RUNNING IN THE LEAD GROUP

17-year-old Formula talent from Ylöjärvi, Finland, Luka Sammalisto, delivered a solid and consistent performance over the weekend in the Italian Formula 4 Championship round at Mugello, scoring points in all three races. His finishes – P5, P7, and P6 – added valuable championship points.

Sammalisto’s preparation for the Mugello weekend followed the usual routine, including simulator training in Finland with Ossi Oikarinen, as well as physical and mental coaching in Italy at Formula Medinice. The race weekend began with free practice sessions.
– “Preparation for Mugello went well, and expectations were high. Once you’ve been on the podium before, your goals can’t really be any lower. However, free practice was challenging both in terms of pace and car setup,” Luka explained.

The team and driver worked intensively before qualifying and managed to improve the car significantly. Unfortunately, a technical issue emerged at the worst possible time.
– “The setup was much better for qualifying, and I secured P5 in the first session. On the outlap of the second qualifying, a technical issue with the rear wing forced me to return to the pits. The repair took time, and I was only able to complete one flying lap, which gave me P7. We avoided the worst-case scenario, but without the issue, I’m confident the result would have been much better,” Sammalisto continued.

In all three races, Sammalisto delivered stable performances and collected points with finishes of P5, P7, and P6. In terms of the overall championship standings, it was a productive weekend.
– “In Race 1, I finished fifth. Overtaking at Mugello isn’t easy, especially when running in dirty air behind another car. Still, strong points for the championship. In Race 2, the safety car came out three times, which made it practically impossible to move up. In Race 3, there was intense battling at the front, and I managed to climb to sixth,” he said.

The Italian Formula 4 Championship continues in early August at Imola – Luka’s favorite track.
– “Now it’s time for a short breather. Before Imola, I’ll be attending a training camp at the Finnish Institute of High Performance Sport (KIHU), doing simulator work with Ossi, and final preparations with Formula Medinice in Italy. Imola is my favorite circuit, and I’ll be going there aiming for the win,” Sammalisto concludes.