August Raber and Fionn McLaughlin took centre stage on an action-packed Sunday in the Wera Tools F4 British Championship certified by FIA at Snetterton, as the pair claimed a win apiece in front of a bumper trackside crowd.
The day’s opening contest – which was the reverse grid encounter – took two attempts to run, but when the action did get underway, it was Argenti Motorsport’s Raber who was the driver to beat as he charged to a second victory of the season.
Starting from pole position, the Swedish teenager initially broke clear of the chasing pack, but Tommy Harfield (Chris Dittmann Racing) soon became a looming presence in his mirrors as he dispatched Joel Bergström (JHR Developments) for second and set off after the leader.
Despite showing his nose on a number of occasions during the closing laps, Harfield was unable to find a way past Raber, and crossed the line just a tenth of a second behind the now three-time race winner – with victory having bolstered his own championship aspirations.
After dropping a position early on, Bergström enjoyed a relatively trouble-free drive to the third step of the podium, while Saturday winner Adam Al Azhari (Rodin Motorsport) fended off the race-long advances of Leo Robinson (Hitech TGR) for fourth place.
Further back, Rowan Campbell-Pilling (JHR Developments), Ethan Jeff-Hall (Argenti Motorsport) and McLaughlin ran line astern for a majority of the bout to finish sixth, seventh and eighth respectively.
That trio narrowly pipped the battling Martin Molnár (Virtuosi Racing) and Theo Palmer (Xcel Motorsport) who completed the top ten.
After being cruelly denied a maiden win on Saturday, Red Bull Junior ace McLaughlin was peerless in the weekend’s final race, as he converted pole position into a commanding lights-to-flag victory – and with it, the lead in the championship.
Making an immaculate start as the lights went out, the Irishman underlined his raw speed with a sensational opening lap that saw him break clear of the gaggle behind him. Once out front, he never looked back, and managed his advantage all the way to the chequered flag.
Henry Joslyn (Fortec Motorsport) had held second during the early going, but he could do nothing to stop Molnár from fighting his way past to claim runners-up laurels. While unable to stop Molnár, Joslyn would comfortably run to the finish in third place.
One of the undoubted stars of the show was Rodin Motorsport’s Jimmy Piszcyk, who bounced back from a difficult qualifying to produce an overtaking masterclass and fight his way from 13th to fourth.
Harfield, Bergström and Raber captivated fans with some close-quarter racing behind Piszcyk, while Palmer, Ella Lloyd (Rodin Motorsport) and Thomas Bearman (Hitech TGR) rounded out the remaining points-paying positions.
Leaving Snetterton, McLaughlin sits atop the Drivers’ Championship and continues to lead the way in the Rookie Cup as well. At the summit of the Challenge Cup standings, Harfield holds an 11-point advantage over his Chris Dittmann Racing team-mate Charlie Edge, while Hitech TGR top the Teams’ Championship with an 11-point advantage over Rodin Motorsport.
Next on the Wera Tools F4 British Championship certified by FIA calendar is a visit to the fastest circuit in the UK, Thruxton, for Rounds 10, 11 & 12 on June 7-8.
Sunday’s two races at the high-speed Hampshire venue will be broadcast live on free-to-air television in the UK on ITV4 and ITVX, while the action will be livestreamed outside the UK on the championship’s YouTube channel.
