After a hard-fought qualifying session for the ROKiT F4 British Championship certified by FIA at Brands Hatch this morning (14 May), we caught up with the top three to get their reaction.
Hitech GP’s Alex Dunne is in prime position to extend his early 37-point lead in the standings, the Irishman taking a brace of Omologato Pole Positions to put himself in top spot for races one and three.
He will face stern opposition around the 1.2-mile Kent circuit, however, not least in the form of second-placed Aiden Neate and Georgi Dimitrov, the only other driver aside from Dunne to win a race at the Donington Park season opener.
Here’s what they had to say after an action-packed start to the weekend:
Alex Dunne (Hitech), starting on Omologato Pole Position said: “I think it was a very, very good lap, probably one of the best laps I’ve ever done. The car felt really good, and I managed to hook up a good lap and put it all together and I’m really happy.
“We saw at Donington as well, I’ve always been pretty good on cold tyres, so I managed to get the car in quickly and get to grips with it and get my head down and we did a good lap.
“I think this is probably the track where it’s most important to be on pole, with how tough it is to overtake, so few overtaking opportunities, it’s really important to be on the front row.
“Pole for race one and pole for race three. It’s looking really good. Hopefully we can do the same as what we did in Donington.
“I think the team are doing a perfect job. I couldn’t be happier. The car feels really good and I’m doing a good job as well. So, I’m really happy.”
Aiden Neate (Argenti), starting second said: “To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone complain starting P2 here actually.
“Alex got another lap on the tyre before the red flag, he’s obviously done a very good job to do that anyway, but he was fortunate to get the extra lap.
“I’m not sure what the timings were before that, but yeah, I think there’s definitely a bit of pace left. As I said, I think Alex probably got the best fortune out of the red flag, but a lot of others had a lot worse fortune than me.
“So I think the orders are probably not quite how they actually should be, but we can have a good race and see how it goes.”
Georgi Dimitrov (JHR), starting third said: “I think it’s a nice way to bounce back. We had a little bit more in the car today with the strategy, but unfortunately, with the red flag, we couldn’t maximize it. But it’s still a good result, nevertheless. And we can work from here and we can get some good results.
“It’s such a tight track and so hard to overtake. I’m thankful that we’re in the fight at the front and we can get some serious results going.
“I think it’s all about consistency. It’s a long championship, so anything can happen and we’re there to fight for it until the end. So, consistency is key, and we’ll be aiming to bank as many points as possible every round.”
The opening race of the weekend gets underway at 13:25 (BST) later today, with the reverse grid contest, in which Michael Shin (Virtuosi) starts up front, to follow at 17:10.
