Maite Cáceres makes return to Formula FARA with runner up finishes at Homestead Miami
- RACERS
- 22 minutes ago
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Maite Cáceres continued her superb form in Formula FARA with another remarkable weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, securing three consecutive runner-up finishes and battling wheel-to-wheel for victory throughout the round.
Maite Cáceres continued her superb form in Formula FARA with another remarkable weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, securing three consecutive runner-up finishes and battling wheel-to-wheel for victory throughout round 5 of the championship.
The Uruguayan star, already a race winner in the series earlier in the season, once again ran among the leading contenders in Formula 4 machinery as she narrowly missed out on a second victory after an extraordinary duel with championship leader Cam Becker in the final race of the weekend.
Cáceres had previously secured a breakthrough victory at Homestead-Miami earlier in the season, where she claimed her maiden victory in the series alongside two second-place finishes and two fastest laps in March.
Her participation in the series was added to her schedule as part of her preparations for a full-time campaign in the Toyota GR Cup North America with RAFA Racing Team, allowing Cáceres to gain additional race mileage - and she was back for the third round, aiming to continue the strong run of results with Olivia Racing team on the Formula FARA package, where Cáceres has clearly established herself among the frontrunners.
Once again at the Florida venue, the series raced at the fast Road Course Modified configuration incorporating the oval banking, where outright speed becomes crucial.
Cáceres thus returned to Homestead-Miami where she became the first Uruguayan woman to win a race in Formula 4 machinery.
Cáceres and Olivia Racing this time opted for a bold strategy over the weekend, sitting out most of practice and going almost directly into qualifying in order to preserve tyres for the races. Despite the limited running, Cáceres immediately demonstrated excellent pace in qualifying.
She led the early stages of the session with a 1:27.2 lap, immediately placing herself at the top of the timesheets. Midway through the session, championship leader Cam Becker closed the gap to within one tenth, but Cáceres’ benchmark continued to hold until Becker improved with a 1:27.1 lap around 14 minutes from the end of the session, edging ahead by just over a tenth of a second.
Cáceres remained the only other driver capable of dipping below the 1:28 barrier and responded with another strong lap in 1:27.3, though Becker further improved to a 1:26.8. The Uruguayan eventually secured second on the grid, comfortably on the front row and clearly in contention for race victories and podium finishes.
For the opening race of the weekend, Cáceres lined up from the front row with an aggressive tyre strategy planned for the races ahead. At lights out, she produced a stellar launch and immediately swept into the lead, while Becker dropped back to third position. Cáceres attempted to break away immediately, but Axel Robards stayed close behind while Becker also remained in leading pack.
Becker reclaimed the lead on lap two after clearing both rivals, but Cáceres held second and stayed glued to the back of the championship leader. The leading duo quickly began pulling away from the rest of the field, with Daniel Rodriguez taking over third place behind them.
Cáceres continued to match Becker’s pace lap after lap, with the pair the only drivers consistently running under the 1:28 mark. The Uruguayan clocked a 1:26.880 before improving further to a 1:26.582, remaining within one second of Becker while the gap behind to Robards grew to nearly ten seconds.
Although Becker gradually managed to gain a few tenths over the following laps, Cáceres maintained relentless consistency in the 1:27 range and remained significantly faster than the chasing pack, eventually building almost a 20-second advantage over third place. She crossed the line in second position to secure another strong podium finish and valuable championship points.
Race two later in the day brought completely different conditions as rain hit the circuit, forcing everyone onto wet-weather tyres and disrupting Cáceres’ tyre strategy plans.
At the green flag, Becker made a stronger start this time and retained the lead, while Cáceres held second despite pressure from Axel Robards during the opening lap. The leading trio immediately broke away from the remainder of the field, though Cáceres soon began pulling clear of Robards as she focused on chasing Becker.
Cáceres posted a 1:36.4 before steadily increasing her pace. Becker however continued to deliver extremely fast laps at the front. Cáceres answered with a 1:34.3, but Becker responded by dipping below the 1:34 barrier. The Uruguayan improved again to a 1:33.8, only for Becker to find pace in the 1:32s.
The battle at the front again became a two-driver contest. Cáceres improved to 1:33.5 and then 1:33.3 as she pushed to close the gap, but Becker continued to respond each time. On lap nine, Cáceres finally dipped below the 1:33 barrier and was quicker than Becker on that lap, though by then the gap ahead had become difficult to fully erase.
Maintaining excellent consistency in the difficult conditions, Cáceres brought the car home in second position once again, completing another highly competitive race in challenging wet weather.
For the third and final race of the weekend, Cáceres lined up third on the grid behind Becker and Axel Robards, aiming to secure a third consecutive podium finish. Both Maite Becker and Robards had fitted new slick tyres for the race, again in dry conditions.
Cáceres immediately produced another superb launch and snatched second place away from Robards at the start. She instantly went on the attack against Becker, remaining tucked directly into the leader’s slipstream within half a second.
Determined to fight for victory, Cáceres began setting fastest laps and recorded a 1:27.1 as the track continued to improve. By lap three, both Becker and Cáceres had dropped below the 1:27 barrier, with the Uruguayan now consistently quicker. Lap after lap she improved again, and by lap four she had reduced the margin to under one tenth of a second while the leading pair had already pulled over five seconds clear of the field.
The battle erupted fully on lap five when Cáceres edged ahead to take the lead, only for Becker to immediately reclaim the position. The two drivers then engaged in an extraordinary duel, trading positions repeatedly and running side-by-side around the circuit while separated by mere thousandths of a second.
Lap after lap, Becker and Cáceres fought wheel-to-wheel in one of the closest battles of the season. On lap eight, they crossed the line separated by just 0.020 seconds as the intensity of their fight allowed Robards to close slightly, though he still remained over four seconds behind.
Becker continuously defended along the banking section where straight-line speed proved crucial, while Cáceres repeatedly searched for a way through. Despite multiple attacks, she could not quite make the decisive move stick.
On lap ten, Cáceres again set the fastest lap of the race with a 1:26.845, though the gap between the two leaders remained measured in thousandths of a second. The Uruguayan launched one final attack in the closing stages, improving again to a 1:26.803 as she attempted a last-lap charge.
The finish proved heartbreakingly close: Becker held on to win by just 0.092 seconds after an unforgettable duel, while Cáceres nevertheless emerged as one of the stars of the weekend with three consecutive runner-up finishes and exceptional race pace throughout the event.
Although she ultimately narrowly missed out on victory, Cáceres once again demonstrated that she had the pace to fight at the very front, only lacking the extra straight-line speed advantage needed along the oval section to finally complete the decisive overtake.