The sixth round of the British F4 Esports Championship saw Ferrari Esports’ Graham Carroll narrow the gap to Guild Academy’s Henry Moore after two podiums.
The 2024 British F4 Esports Championship’s two main protagonists, Henry Moore and Graham Carroll, had an eventful round at Silverstone.
Finishing first and fourth in Race 1 was as good as it got for the pair, however, as they came to blows in Race 2. Both failed to score.
Race 1
Moore missed out on his fourth pole position in a row, having copped a non-qualifying penalty, and lined up 20th on the grid. Aston Martin Aramco Esports Team’s real-world Formula 3 driver Joseph Loake took up the mantle and secured pole position by two-tenths-of-a-second on a damp track.
Guild Esports’ Remy Gilbert lined up second, with Williams Esports’ Moreno Sirica third just ahead of Graham Carroll in fourth.
Starting on the wet side of the track, Loake lost out to Gilbert heading into Duffus Dip and on lap six launched an ill-advised lunge down the the inside of the Guild driver at Turn 1. Being on the damp line meant Loake had little chance of completing a safe move, and he duly lost track position to both Sirica and Carroll.
Race 2
The reversed grid draw saw Moore start from third position, instantly making him the favourite for victory. Aston Martin’s Connor Muir would start first alongside Prismatic Motorsports’ Olivia Hayward, with Graham Carroll starting way down in 12th.
Moore signalled his intentions early by making a quick getaway, scything inside Muir to lead by Turn 1. It got much worse for Muir soon after, as he tried to go side-by-side with Samuele Villa through the Chicane. The resulting contact left him floundering at the back of the pack.
Those thinking Moore would disappear into the distance didn’t count on the abilities of Mensah Racing Driven By Us’ Ronnie Smith, who had already taken his first win at Oulton Park in what was his debut season.
The pair traded places throughout the race but were able to extend the gap to the chasing pack until the latter stages. Guild’s Leo Brown, who won the opening event of the season before suffering a drop in form, closed the gap on the leaders, dragging the imperious Carroll along with him.
With a handful of laps left, any one of the leading quartet was in the frame for victory, with Carroll and Brown showcasing incredible skill to settle their battle for third without incident. Carroll was now on the rostrum and launched a last-lap, around-the-outside move on Smith at Taylor’s hairpin.
Last Lap Drama
Smith appeared to leave enough room for Carroll on the corner’s exit, but the front right of the Ferrari car tangled with the left rear of Smith’s, sending the latter into the barrier and out of the race. It was a contentious ending, especially given Smith’s excellent race-long duel with Moore.
Moore claimed the win, with Carroll taking second on the road ahead of Brown, allowing Guild Esports to close in on Ferrari in the Teams’ Championship. Carroll closed the gap on Moore to 22 points with five races remaining, with the pair once again displaying their championship credentials.
Tune in to the next round from Donington’s Grand Prix layout on the 20th of November, broadcast live on iRacing’s YouTube channel.
Written by Ross McGregor for Traxion.gg
Photos provided by – Rhys Caryl
