Ethan Jeff-Hall made it four different winners from the first four races of the 2026 Wera Tools F4 British Championship, certified by FIA season at Brands Hatch today (May 9) after charging to victory in a frenetic opening encounter.
After kicking off his season with a brace of podiums at Donington Park last month, the Argenti Motorsport driver continued his fine start to the new campaign as he got the better of pole sitter Adam Al Azhari (Hitech) before maintaining his advantage to the chequered flag.
Al Azhari remained a constant presence in the mirrors of the Mercedes-AMG Junior driver to ultimately clinch second, while Tommy Harfield (Chris Dittmann Racing) finished hot on their heels, completing the podium by taking a season-best result of third after demon-start off the line.
Having hit the track for two practice sessions around the 1.207-mile Indy layout on Friday, the UK’s premier single-seater series upped the ante on Saturday morning with the 30-car field embarking on what was an ultra-competitive qualifying session, albeit under a new format for the very first time.
In a bid to manage the large entry list and allow for suitable track space, drivers were split into two groups for qualifying, with each receiving a 15-minute session to battle for the CADOLA Pole Position Award.
The fastest driver overall would claim top spot while the remaining competitors in the same group as the pole sitter would occupy the odd-numbered grid slots; those in the other group filling the even-numbered positions.
After enduring a frustrating outing at Donington Park, Al Azhari made a welcome return to front-running form as he outpaced the opposition to clinch a double pole position for race one and two; bagging both the fastest and second fastest times of the session and the CADOLA Watches Pole Position Award.
The Emirati driver – who ran with the first qualifying group – dialled in the car later in the session to grab top spot, with round two winner Ethan Lennon (Rodin Motorsport) joining him on the front row after setting the pace in Group Two.
Behind, Lewis Wherrell (JHR Developments) and Jeff-Hall filled out the second row of the grid in third and fourth, whilst Harfield and Theo Palmer (Hitech) finished hot on their heels to complete the top six.
Second fastest lap times were the deciding factor for the Race One starting grid, although the contest saw the red flag make an early appearance after Joseph Smith (Virtuosi Racing) and Fortec Motorsports team-mates Cash Felber and Kit Belofsky were involved in an incident.
On the restart, Jeff-Hall made a lightening start from the front row and produced a sublime overtake around the outside of pole man Al Azhari at Paddock Hill Bend, completing the move before jumping on the brakes at Druids.
Once out front, the second-year driver was wheel-perfect as he controlled the pace to claim a deserving win, with Al Azhari keeping a watching brief close behind all the way to the finish.
Harfield – who had started fifth – proved to be the driver to watch during each of the two starts, with the multiple race winner leaping up into the top-three on both occasions. Showing plenty of pace, the sophomore racer enjoyed a stellar drive to finish third.
The battle for fourth place went down to the wire with Palmer making a sensational last-gasp dive down the inside of Wherrell at Paddock Hill Bend on the penultimate lap, having hounded the eventual Rookie Cup winner for a number of laps.
Palmer, who also scooped the Lotus Fastest Lap Award, and Wherrell would go on to finish fourth and fifth respectively, with Jarrett Clark (Virtuosi Racing) fending off the attentions of Dries Van Langendonck (Rodin Motorsport) who finished seventh.
Completing the top ten was Timo Jungling (JHR Developments), Scott Kin Lindblom (Hitech) and Lennon.
Races Two and Three of the Wera Tools F4 British Championship, certified by FIA at Brands Hatch are scheduled to take place at 12:10 and 16:35 respectively on Sunday, with both races forming part of ITV4’s free to air coverage that commences at 10:45 UK time.
For those wishing to watch outside of the UK, live stream coverage will be available via the official British F4 YouTube channel.