A fresh challenge awaits the Wera Tools F4 British Championship, certified by FIA grid this weekend, as a revised qualifying format makes its debut for the second event of the season. The tight and technical Brands Hatch Indy circuit sits at just over 1.2 miles and, with 30 cars set to descend on the Kent venue, track space will be at a premium—placing emphasis on precision, timing, and clean, clear laps.
To manage the large field, drivers will be split into two groups for qualifying, each receiving a 15-minute session with just a five-minute turnaround between the two groups. In such a short window on one of the shortest circuits on the calendar, drivers will need to balance aggression with strategy to extract the most from their tyres and find clean air.
Pole position for Sunday afternoon’s longer feature race (Race Three) will be awarded to the fastest driver overall in qualifying, regardless of group. However, the grid order will then split along session lines. Drivers from the same group as the outright pole-sitter will occupy the odd-numbered grid slots, while the fastest driver from the opposite session will line up alongside on the front row. The remainder of that group will fill the even-numbered positions.
The other two races—Races One and Two—will also be shaped by qualifying performance. The driver who lands 12th overall in that shuffle will secure reverse-grid pole for Race Two, while the second-fastest times will determine the grid for Race One on Saturday afternoon. Again, the fastest will occupy pole position, with drivers from the same group taking the odd-numbered grid slots, while the fastest driver from the other group lines up alongside on the front row and the remainder of that group fills the even-numbered positions.
With so much at stake, limited time to deliver, and overtaking at a premium, every lap will count. The groups have been split as follows:
Group A Drivers (surname alphabetical order):
Group B Drivers (surname alphabetical order):
Qualifying is scheduled to get underway at 10:00 on Saturday morning, where the fight for crucial track position will begin in earnest.