Carlin’s Ugo Ugochukwu set the benchmark time as Thruxton hosted the final ROKiT F4 British Championship certified by FIA test sessions of pre-season today (14 April).
Britain’s FIA Formula 4 series descended on the high-speed Hampshire venue for three sessions – one unrestricted, and two held to the championship regulations after lunch in lieu of practice sessions prior to the May race meeting.
McLaren junior Ugochukwu was the man to beat on both occasions, setting two near-identical lap times to head up the timesheets. His effort in first practice, a 1:10.664, stood as the quickest of the day, and the 14-year-old went just three thousandths shy of that effort in FP2.
He was pushed close by Phinsys by Argenti’s Aiden Neate, who ended the day second-quickest, one tenth shy of Ugochukwu’s time around the 2.4-mile circuit. Neate’s Argenti team-mate Daniel Guinchard rounded out the top three, a further 0.029s back.
Two drivers with race-winning records at Thruxton rounded out the top five; Carlin’s Oliver Gray ensuring all three Formula 1 juniors would rank at the sharp end of the field in fourth ahead of JHR Developments’ Joseph Loake, a wet-weather winner here on debut last May.
Alex Dunne led Hitech GP’s charge in sixth ahead of Louis Sharp (Carlin), with Georgi Dimitrov and Noah Lisle making it all three JHR cars in a top ten rounded out by Eduardo Coseteng (Hitech).
Virtuosi Racing’s Edward Pearson and Michael Shin were split by Hitech’s Oliver Stewart in 11th, 12th and 13th respectively, the field completed by Adam Fitzgerald (Argenti), Joel Pearson (Chris Dittmann Racing) and Daniel Mavlyutov (Hitech GP).
The next stop for the stars of tomorrow will be Donington Park, Leicestershire, for the opening three rounds of the 2022 season on 23-24 April, live on ITV4.
For full results, click here.
