The countdown to the opening rounds of the 2022 ROKiT F4 British Championship certified by FIA continued at Silverstone, Northants today (5 April) with the official Season Launch.
A host of Europe’s leading single seater teams – and drivers – descended on the 1.6-mile National circuit to meet the media, showcase the liveries on their new-for-2022 Tatuus T-421 challengers and complete over almost six hours of running as part of the latest official test day.
That followed a Marketing Day held at Motorsport UK’s Bicester Heritage headquarters in the heart of ‘Motorsport Valley’ the day prior (4 April) to capture content for the season ahead, as the series continues to push to even greater heights on and off track.
Rising stars and their cars meet the world’s media
Early morning at Silverstone provided the perfect opportunity for the 15 drivers already confirmed to be taking part in Britain’s FIA Formula 4 series this season to lift the wraps on their newly-liveried Tatuus T-421 challengers for the press.
Cover also broke on the brand-new Wera Tools Technical Centre, a new facility designed to support the championship’s technical infrastructure and, alongside engine partners Neil Brown Engineering, continue to help provide an equal, reliable, and race-proven package on which the next generation of motorsport stars can test their mettle.
That – plus the annual event of capturing striking tracking imagery – rounded out the marketing activities for the day, building on a busy afternoon of capturing content with the drivers at Motorsport UK’s headquarters the day prior.
Joseph Loake sets the benchmark time during official testing
JHR Developments’ Joseph Loake set the benchmark after almost six hours of testing, the sophomore racer clocking a lap time of 54.032 seconds to beat team-mate Georgi Dimitrov to the early bragging rights by a tenth of a second.
Carlin’s Ugo Ugochukwu and Oliver Gray sandwiched the Phinsys by Argenti pairing of Aiden Neate and Daniel Guinchard in third, fourth, fifth and sixth respectively, that group blanketed by a mere two tenths, underlining the strength in depth of the competition this season.
Eduardo Coseteng led Hitech GP’s charge in seventh, with Louis Sharp (Carlin) an impressive eighth on his first run out in the new-for-2022 Tatuus T-421.
Virtuosi Racing’s Michael Shin was ninth fastest, with JHR’s Noah Lisle rounding out the top ten, the pair just six thousandths of a second apart on the timesheets at the day’s conclusion.
A further tenth separated Oliver Stewart (Hitech GP), Adam Fitzgerald (Argenti), Edward Pearson (Virtuosi) and racing returnee Joel Pearson (Chris Dittmann Racing) after he was announced earlier in the day, the field completed by Daniel Mavlyutov in the final Hitech entry.
The countdown to Donington Park continues…
Less than three weeks remain until the 2022 ROKiT British F4 season begins in front of a capacity trackside audience and ITV4’s television cameras at Donington Park.
2022 is a year of change for Britain’s FIA Formula 4 series, with new organisers in Motorsport UK, a new chassis, engine, and tyre provider in Tatuus, Abarth and Pirelli, and a whole host of prizes designed to help forge meaningful pathways for drivers within the sport.
The series will still consist of 30 action-packed races across ten events, with further race meetings at Silverstone, Snetterton, Oulton Park, Knockhill, Croft and two visits respectively to Thruxton and Brands Hatch.
The next stop for the ‘Class of 2022’ will be the high-speed Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire, with official pre-weekend testing rescheduled a month prior to accommodate the circuit’s local restrictions.
