Academy Report: Sasha Makes Strides in Abu Dhabi

After waiting what felt like an age for some racing action, two events came along in quick succession for one member of the Williams Racing Driver Academy.

Just a handful of days after Oleksandr Bondarev’s debut round at the F4 Middle East Championship, he was back behind the wheel once again.

Read on to find out how Sasha progressed in Round 2 at Yas Marina.

Oleksandr Bondarev’s 2025 campaign continued in fine form on Wednesday and Thursday as the F4 Middle East Championship returned to Yas Marina, this time racing on the Corkscrew Circuit configuration.

Racing in the No. 27 Prema car, Sasha’s growing confidence in this new machinery was evident, earning strong results and making significant progress in both the Drivers’ and Rookies’ standings.

Qualifying saw Bondi secure P10 and P13 on the grid for Races 1 and 3, respectively, positioning him well for a competitive weekend.

In Race 1, Sasha put in a measured drive to finish P8, claiming his first rookie win of the season. The reverse-grid format for Race 2 provided an excellent opportunity, with Oleksandr starting from P3. He made the most of it, battling to a P7 finish and securing a second consecutive rookie win.

Race 3 saw disrupted running with several Safety Car periods and a Red Flag, but Sasha delivered another points finish in P10, along with third place among the rookies.

After Round 2, Sacha has climbed to P13 in the Drivers’ Championship with 19 points and an impressive P2 in the Rookie Standings on 108 points.

The F4 Middle East Championship action resumes on February 8, as our Ukrainian racer heads to the Dubai Autodrome hoping to carry this momentum forward.