The Silverstone Grand Prix track is a favourite track for a good proportion of the ROKiT F4 British Championship certified by FIA – without them ever having raced here…until this weekend.
What’s more – the racing will be available for viewers in the UK and worldwide, courtesy of BARC Live broadcasting from the event and available on British F4’s YouTube channel.
Typically, F4 Drivers have had to wait until they progress to Formula 3 to experience the full Grand Prix configuration of the legendary Silverstone track, however this year sees the opportunity for their first racing laps at the British home of Formula One.
Silverstone Circuit’s Grand Prix circuit layout is iconic. The 3.66 mile (5.89 km) track includes high-speed straights, sweeping corners and technical sections that will be a true challenge for the young drivers of British F4 who are following in the footsteps of the many racing icons who have battled there.
Bidding to follow in the footsteps of the great racers are British F4’s class of 2023. The championship hasn’t failed in delivering exciting, wheel to wheel racing all season. To date, nine different drivers have secured wins from the 14 races this season. Of the 23 drivers in the 2023 championship, an impressive 18 have claimed overall podium finishes in the first half of the season.
Racing doesn’t get much closer than this. At Thruxton, all 23 drivers qualified within 0.840 seconds and at Oulton Park last weekend the top five were separated by just 0.112 seconds. Be prepared for some gripping battles this weekend!
The close racing has provided an intriguing championship battle, with Rodin Carlin’s Louis Sharp holding a slender lead since the first race at Donington Park in April where he claimed two wins. Since then he has finished on the podium three times and it is this consistency that keeps him ahead in the standings. Round 15 winner Hitech Pulse-Eight’s Will Macintyre continues to hold second place with a third place at Oulton Park, while double-race winners Dion Gowda (Rodin Carlin) and Kanato Le (Hitech Pulse-Eight) are third and fourth respectively. Fortec Motorsport’s James Higgins claimed his second win in the last race to jump from eighth to fifth in the points table, with JHR Development’s esports ROKiT Racing Star scholarship driver Deagen Fairclough in sixth.
ROKiT British F4’s rookie drivers are snapping at the heels of their more experienced counterparts, with Virtuosi’s Douwe Dedecker and Rodin Carlin’s Josh Irfan both making their overall podium debuts last time out at the Oulton Park round. CDR’s Gustav Jonsson took second place overall at Thruxton and now leads the table having traded places with Hitech Pulse-Eight’s Gabriel Stilp who is just 14 points behind.
With so many contenders in the mix and a 2023 championship that has, so far, been nip and tuck all the way, the Silverstone GP track encounter will be a fascinating contest to see who will triumph on the field of their F1 heroes to which they all aspire to emulate.
Qualifying starts at 09:35 on Saturday with race one taking place at 13:45.
On Sunday, races two and three take place at 10:10 and 13:15 respectively.
