View source for 2018 Grand Finale at the Valley

{{GFV Event
| year       = 2018
| date       = 8-9 December
| a_event    = Race of Champions
| a_pole     = 
| a_fl       =
| a_winner   =
| b_event    = FIA Formula 4 World Final
| b_pole     = {{USA}} [[Ed Howitzer]]
| b_fl       = {{ITA}} [[Massimo Torelli]]
| b_winner   = {{ITA}} [[Luca Bandini]]
|}}

The '''2018 Grand Finale at the Valley''' was a motorsport event featuring two non-championship finale events. The first saw a return to the circuit racing format for the well known '''Race of Champions''' event, whilst the weekend also saw the debut of the '''FIA Formula 4 World Final''' format. Practise and qualifying for both events were held on Saturday, while the feature races were on Sunday.

== XXIX Race of Champions ==

25 participants were selected to compete in an event that would crown 2018's '''Champion of Champions'''. 20 of these were assigned by invites for placing as series champions, or championship podium finishers amongst the top series in the world. The remaining five slots, referred to as '''All Star Invites''', are high-profile wildcards who did not earn an invitation based on the required criteria, but were voted in by fans for their popularity and ability.

=== Qualified participants ===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%;"
! Category
! Series
! Pos
! No.
! Driver
|-
! rowspan=8| FIA
! rowspan=4| <span style="padding:4px 4px; color:white; background-color:#2c0042;">F1</span>
! 1st
|bgcolor=silver align=center| '''5'''
| {{GER}} Sebastian Vettel
|-
! 2nd
|bgcolor=#49aaff align=center| <font color="white">'''17'''</font>
| {{FRA}} Jules Bianchi
|-
! 3rd
|bgcolor=#004225 align=center| <font color="white">'''44'''</font>
| {{GBR}} Lewis Hamilton
|-
! 5th
|bgcolor=#D40000 align=center| <font color="white">'''13'''</font>
| {{ITA}} [[Salvatore Miccoli]]
|-
! rowspan=3| <span style="padding:4px 4px; color:black; background-color:white;">PC</span>
! 2nd
|bgcolor=#DC143C align=center| <font color="white">'''6'''</font>
| {{NEP}} [[Asim Adhikari]]
|-
! 3rd
|bgcolor=white align=center| <font color="red">'''23'''</font>
| {{JPN}} [[Hagane Shizuka]]
|-
! 5th
|bgcolor=#00205d align=center| <font color="white">'''8'''</font>
| {{USA}} [[Jordan McKenna]]
|-
! <span style="padding:4px 4px; color:white; background-color:#000347;">F2</span>
! 1st
|bgcolor=silver align=center| '''12'''
| {{GER}} Marvin Kirchhöfer
|-
! rowspan=5| AutoReject
! rowspan=4| <span style="padding:4px 4px; color:white; background-color:#b58d39;">ARWS</span>
! 1st
|bgcolor=#004225 align=center| <font color="white">'''26'''</font>
| {{GBR}} [[Terry Hawkin]]
|-
! 3rd
|bgcolor=#49aaff align=center| <font color="white">'''90'''</font>
| {{FRA}} [[Phillippe Nicolas]]
|-
! 4th
|bgcolor=orange align=center| <font color="white">'''33'''</font>
| {{NED}} [[Bastiaan van Nieuwenhuijzen]]
|-
! 5th
|bgcolor=#004225 align=center| <font color="white">'''98'''</font>
| {{GBR}} [[Mark Dagnall]]
|-
! <span style="padding:4px 4px; color:white; background-color:#db1b21;">AR 3.5</span>
! 1st
|bgcolor=#004225 align=center| <font color="white">'''60'''</font>
| {{GBR}} [[Nathanael Cameron]]
|-
! rowspan=4| TC
! rowspan=3| <span style="padding:4px 4px; color:white; background-color:#3fc870;">IPC</span>
! 1st
|bgcolor=#49aaff align=center| <font color="white">'''89'''</font>
| {{FRA}} [[Sylvain Fabron]]
|-
! 2nd
|bgcolor=#00205d align=center| <font color="white">'''18'''</font>
| {{USA}} [[Sandra Cessler]]
|-
! 4th
|bgcolor=#D40000 align=center| <font color="white">'''99'''</font>
| {{SMR}} [[Adolfo Moretti]]
|-
! <span style="padding:4px 4px; color:black; background-color:#ecdf00;">SEAT</span>
! 1st
|bgcolor=#49aaff align=center| <font color="red">'''27'''</font>
| {{TAH}} [[Manuarii Vahirua]]
|-
! colspan=2| <span style="padding:4px 4px; color:red; background-color:white;">FNippon</span>
! 2nd
|bgcolor=#49aaff align=center| <font color="white">'''10'''</font>
| {{FRA}} [[Aimée Gauthier]]
|-
! colspan=2| <span style="padding:4px 4px; color:white; background-color:#003068;">F5000</span>
! 1st
|bgcolor=#FCD116 align=center| <font color="#008751">'''50'''</font>
| {{AUS}} [[Matt Grove]] 
|-
! colspan=2| <span style="padding:4px 4px; color:white; background-color:#7b19b5;">GBRC</span>
! 1st
|bgcolor=white align=center| <font color="#002f6c">'''7'''</font>
| {{FIN}} [[Markus-Petteri Pykälistö]]
|}

=== All Star Wildcards ===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%;"
! Rank
! No.
! Driver
! Notability
|-
! 1
|bgcolor=#FCD116 align=center| <font color="#008751">'''3'''</font>
| {{AUS}} Daniel Ricciardo
| [[2015 Alternate Formula One season|2015]] Formula 1 World Drivers' Champion
|-
! 2
|bgcolor=#FAE042 align=center| <font color="black">'''26'''</font>
| {{BEL}} [[Thomas De Bock]]
| [[2017 Formula 1 Rejects World Race Series season|2017]] AutoReject World Series Drivers' Champion
|-
! 3
|bgcolor=#FCD116 align=center| <font color="#008751">'''73'''</font>
| {{AUS}} [[Daniel Melrose]]
| 2005, [[2007 Alternate Formula One Season|2007]], [[2009 Alternate Formula One Season|2009]] and [[2010 Alternate Formula One Season|2010]] Formula 1 World Drivers' Champion
|-
! 4
|bgcolor=#49aaff align=center| <font color="white">'''4'''</font>
| {{FRA}} [[Jérémy-Étienne Voeckler]]
| [[1988 Alternate Formula One season|1988]] Formula 1 World Drivers' Champion
|-
! 5
|bgcolor=silver align=center| '''36'''
| {{GER}} André Lotterer
| 2011, 2012 and 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours winner
|}

=== Qualifying ===

=== Race ===


== FIA Formula 4 World Final ==
{{F4 World Final
| year         = 2018
| icon         = F4WorldFinal.png
| date         = 8 December
| venue        = Grand Valley Speedway
| length       = 20 laps (98.8km)
| prize        = ''FIA Rising Star Award''
| participants = 18
| pole_driver  = {{USA}} [[Ed Howitzer]]
| pole_time    = 2:09.869
| fl_driver    = {{ITA}} [[Massimo Torelli]]
| fl_time      = 2:09.426
| first        = {{ITA}} [[Luca Bandini]]
| second       = {{GIB}} [[John-Paul Casciaro]]
| third        = {{USA}} [[Ed Howitzer]]
|}}
Six drivers from each of the three national F4 series from around the globe were invited to partake in an end-of-year battle royale, in which the winner would be handed the '''FIA Rising Star Award''', as recognition of being the best driver in the lowest rung of single-seaters worldwide. The race was somewhat longer than a standard Formula 4 race at 100 kilometres, to reflect the finality of the event on the season's proceedings.

=== Eligible participants ===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%;"
! colspan=3| {{GBR IRL}} Anglo-Irish F4
! colspan=3| {{ITA}} Italian F4
! colspan=3| {{USA}} North American F4
|-
! Pos
! No.
! Driver
! Pos
! No.
! Driver
! Pos
! No.
! Driver
|-
! 1st
|align=center| 2
| {{GBR}} [[Sabrina Mann]]
! 1st
|align=center| 3
| {{ITA}} [[Paolo Leonetti]]
! 2nd
|align=center| 4
| {{USA}} [[Ed Howitzer]]
|-
! 2nd
|align=center| 5
| {{GIB}} [[John-Paul Casciaro]]
! 2nd
|align=center| 6
| {{ITA}} [[Massimo Torelli]]
! 3rd
|align=center| 7
| {{MEX}} [[Alejandro de la Vega]]
|-
! 3rd
|align=center| 8
| {{BER}} [[Imani Burrell]]
! 3rd
|align=center| 9
| {{ITA}} [[Luca Bandini]]
! 4th
|align=center| 10
| {{CAN}} [[Arienne Sorel]]
|-
! 4th
|align=center| 11
| {{GBR}} [[Alex Smith]]
! 4th
|align=center| 12
| {{RUS}} Ivan Shvetsov
! 5th
|align=center| 14
| {{USA}} [[Joey Bennett]]
|-
! 5th
|align=center| 15
| {{JAM}} Collin Daley, Jr
! 5th
|align=center| 16
| {{SUI}} Lucas Légeret
! 6th
|align=center| 17
| {{USA}} [[Mike Jones]]
|-
! 6th
|align=center| 18
| {{GBR}} Will Tregurtha
! 6th
|align=center| 19
| {{HUN}} [[Magda Szervánszky]]
! 8th
|align=center| 20
| {{CAN}} [[Bill Jones]]
|}

=== Qualifying ===

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%;"
|-
! Pos !! No !! Driver !! Region !! Time
|-
! 1
| align=center| 4 
|| {{USA}} [[Ed Howitzer]] || {{USA}} North American F4 ||  2:09.869
|-
! 2
| align=center| 3
|| {{ITA}} [[Paolo Leonetti]] || {{ITA}} Italian F4 ||  +0.010
|-
! 3
| align=center| 9
|| {{ITA}} [[Luca Bandini]] || {{ITA}} Italian F4 ||  +0.019
|-
! 4
| align=center| 12 
|| {{RUS}} Ivan Shvetsov || {{ITA}} Italian F4 ||  +0.048
|-
! 5
| align=center| 7
|| {{MEX}} [[Alejandro de la Vega]] || {{USA}} North American F4 ||  +0.097
|-
! 6
| align=center| 2
|| {{GBR}} [[Sabrina Mann]] || {{GBR IRL}} Anglo-Irish F4 ||  +0.145
|-
! 7
| align=center| 8
|| {{BER}} [[Imani Burrell]] || {{GBR IRL}} Anglo-Irish F4 ||  +0.154
|-
! 8
| align=center| 18 
|| {{GBR}} Will Tregurtha || {{GBR IRL}} Anglo-Irish F4 ||  +0.317
|-
! 9
| align=center| 6
|| {{ITA}} [[Massimo Torelli]] || {{ITA}} Italian F4 ||  +0.339
|-
! 10
| align=center| 5
|| {{GIB}} [[John-Paul Casciaro]] || {{GBR IRL}} Anglo-Irish F4 ||  +0.410
|-
! 11
| align=center| 15
|| {{JAM}} Collin Daley, Jr || {{GBR IRL}} Anglo-Irish F4 ||  +0.593
|-
! 12
| align=center| 10
|| {{CAN}} [[Arienne Sorel]] || {{USA}} North American F4 ||  +0.631
|-
! 13
| align=center| 14
|| {{USA}} [[Joey Bennett]] || {{USA}} North American F4 ||  +0.671
|-
! 14
| align=center| 11
|| {{GBR}} [[Alex Smith]] || {{GBR IRL}} Anglo-Irish F4 ||  +0.757
|-
! 15
| align=center| 16
|| {{SUI}} Lucas Légeret || {{ITA}} Italian F4 ||  +0.834
|-
! 16
| align=center| 19
|| {{HUN}} [[Magda Szervánszky]] || {{ITA}} Italian F4 ||  +1.083
|-
! 17
| align=center| 17
|| {{USA}} [[Mike Jones]] || {{USA}} North American F4 ||  +1.174
|-
! 18
| align=center| 20
|| {{CAN}} [[Bill Jones]] || {{USA}} North American F4 ||  +2.329
|}

=== Race ===
Third placed qualifier [[Luca Bandini]] won the race, with an overtake on the last lap on [[Sabrina Mann]], who shared the joint most laps led with third placed [[Ed Howitzer]]. [[John-Paul Casciaro]] was the other podium finisher, in 2nd position, whose performance was notable for having the equal most positions gained from their starting position, an honour shared with [[Alex Smith]] in 6th position. Conversely, the worst performer was Will Tregurtha, who dropped 7 places from his starting position.

While the Italian series took the crown thanks to the success of Bandini, it was the [[Anglo-Irish Formula 4|Anglo-Irish series]] with the best success rate overall, with half of the top 10 occupied by drivers from the region. Despite having something of a home advantage with Grand Valley Speedway's US location, only two competitors from the North American series - Ed Howitzer and [[Alejandro de la Vega]] placed in the Top 10.

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%;"
|-
! Pos !! No !! Driver !! Region !! Time
|-
! 1
| align=center| 9
|| {{ITA}} [[Luca Bandini]] || {{ITA}} Italian F4 ||  45:54.7065
|-
! 2
| align=center| 5
|| {{GIB}} [[John-Paul Casciaro]] || {{GBR IRL}} Anglo-Irish F4 ||  +0.195
|-
! 3
| align=center| 4 
|| {{USA}} [[Ed Howitzer]] || {{USA}} North American F4 ||  +0.336
|-
! 4
| align=center| 2
|| {{GBR}} [[Sabrina Mann]] || {{GBR IRL}} Anglo-Irish F4 ||  +1.872
|-
! 5
| align=center| 3
|| {{ITA}} [[Paolo Leonetti]] || {{ITA}} Italian F4 ||  +2.562
|-
! 6
| align=center| 11
|| {{GBR}} [[Alex Smith]] || {{GBR IRL}} Anglo-Irish F4 ||  +2.734
|-
! 7
| align=center| 12 
|| {{RUS}} Ivan Shvetsov || {{ITA}} Italian F4 ||  +4.745
|-
! 8
| align=center| 8
|| {{BER}} [[Imani Burrell]] || {{GBR IRL}} Anglo-Irish F4 ||  +4.888
|-
! 9
| align=center| 7
|| {{MEX}} [[Alejandro de la Vega]] || {{USA}} North American F4 ||  +5.028
|-
! 10
| align=center| 15
|| {{JAM}} Collin Daley, Jr || {{GBR IRL}} Anglo-Irish F4 ||  +5.170
|-
! 11
| align=center| 14
|| {{USA}} [[Joey Bennett]] || {{USA}} North American F4 ||  +5.310
|-
! 12
| align=center| 6
|| {{ITA}} [[Massimo Torelli]] || {{ITA}} Italian F4 ||  +7.591
|-
! 13
| align=center| 10
|| {{CAN}} [[Arienne Sorel]] || {{USA}} North American F4 ||  +8.181
|-
! 14
| align=center| 16
|| {{SUI}} Lucas Légeret || {{ITA}} Italian F4 ||  +8.323

|-
! 15
| align=center| 18 
|| {{GBR}} Will Tregurtha || {{GBR IRL}} Anglo-Irish F4 ||  +8.465
|-
! 16
| align=center| 17
|| {{USA}} [[Mike Jones]] || {{USA}} North American F4 ||  +8.881
|-
! 17
| align=center| 19
|| {{HUN}} [[Magda Szervánszky]] || {{ITA}} Italian F4 ||  +9.024
|-
! 18
| align=center| 20
|| {{CAN}} [[Bill Jones]] || {{USA}} North American F4 ||  +9.166
|}