2014 FIA Formula 4 Championship comes to a close for Keith Camilleri

This has been a particularly memorable year for Maltese motorsport, as this championship has not only seen the involvement of a Maltese registered team, Malta Formula Racing, competing in an FIA sanctioned open wheel single seater competition for the very first time, but also the participation of Malta’s very own 21 year old driver, Keith Camilleri.
The weekend in Imola was not very straightforward for Keith who had some nagging issues with the car for qualifying preventing him from setting the time he wanted. The team seemed to resolve these issues in time for the race, with Keith putting in an encouraging performance right from the start. Keith managed to secure 13th position from 15th within the first few corners of Race 1. He fought hard throughout the race to keep his position determined to grab 10th position by the end. This was important as it would have meant Keith starting from pole in the 2nd race. However an incident with a competitor who was black flagged put Keith out of the race and severely damaged his car. This, in turn, compromised the last two races although he still managed to put in a spectacular effort in each race.
Commenting on the outcome of this year, Keith stated that he was very satisfied that he managed to make the final race against all odds. “It was not a straight forward season and this time last year I would have never imagined I’d get this fantastic opportunity, thanks in particular to MMF president Tonio Cini and the team’s directors: Serena Antonucci Tarolla-Mariani, Danilo Rossi, Robert Venieri, Marco Ubaldi and Nuno Couceiro.
“We had a lot of ups and downs during the season, particularly with the constant off-track battle trying to secure sponsors so that we could participate in each round of the Championship. At times, while I am very disappointed that we couldn’t make it for all the races, I think it was only thanks to the sheer determination of the team around me, particularly my family that I managed to only miss 2 rounds.
“Nevertheless, I have to thank my main sponsors, in particular Britannia Tours, Twistees, TVM2, Parliamentary Secretary for Research, Innovation, Youth and Sport, Chevron Auto Dealer, UPS and Visit Malta as well as all those brands and companies who advertised on TVM2 Formula 4 programme. A big thank you also goes to all those who supported me during this season in particular the foreign businessman who sponsored two of my races. This has been an immense moral boost to me and my team!”
The team behind Keith Camilleri are already in discussions to make it again for 2015, trying to secure a number of sponsors, as Keith was approached with other opportunities which are being analysed and hopefully decide on shortly.