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Jimmy Piszcyk and Thomas Bearman triumph at Oulton Park

Jimmy Piszcyk and Thomas Bearman produced a stellar Sunday showing to claim a win apiece in the remaining two races of the Wera Tools F4 British Championship certified by FIA at Oulton Park.

Race two – the weekend’s reverse grid contest – saw Piszcyk make a return to winning ways as he claimed a commanding lights-to-flag victory ahead of Henry Mercier (Argenti Motorsport) and August Raber (Argenti Motorsport).

At the beginning of the contest, it was Rowan Campbell-Pilling (JHR Developments) that made a flying start as he went from sixth to first, though it quickly became apparent that he had launched off the line before the lights had gone out.

Before being hit with a five-second time penalty, the sophomore racer out-braked himself as he led the field down to the Island Hairpin, ultimately dropping towards the rear of the pack.

Campbell-Pilling’s drop down the order allowed Piszcyk to hit the front, and once in the lead he didn’t look back as he continuously extended his advantage over Raber and Mercier while the clock ticked down to zero.

Raber was also deemed to have jumped the start and received a five-second penalty, meaning him and team-mate Mercier swapped positions in the standings post-race.

Nevertheless, another top-three finish provided a welcome boost to the Swede’s challenge for championship glory; for Mercier it was a race to remember as he claimed his first overall podium and a maiden Rookie Cup victory in the series.

Mercedes F1 Junior Ethan Jeff-Hall made it three Argenti Motorsport machines inside the top four, as he punched in a strong showing, whilst Bearman (Hitech TGR) bounced back from a non-finish on Saturday to complete the top five.

Campbell-Pilling’s determination to make amends for earlier errors saw him secure the fastest lap of the race.

Finishing hot on the heels of Bearman was Henry Joslyn (Fortec Motorsport) and Fionn McLaughlin (Hitech TGR) – who moved to the top of the Drivers’ Championship after Virtuosi Racing’s Martin Molnár encountered mechanical issues.

Completing the top ten was Ary Bansal (Fortec Motorsport), Theo Palmer (Xcel Motorsport) and Adam Al Azhari (Rodin Motorsport).

Bearman then brought the curtain down on the weekend in style as he mastered the challenging conditions to claim a maiden win in the UK’s premier single-seater series, ahead of Joslyn and Chase Fernandez (Xcel Motorsport).

The race began in dry conditions and it was McLaughlin that made the better start from the front row as he leapfrogged Molnár. Breaking clear, he quickly built up a lead, but attention soon began to turn towards the skies as dark clouds gathered.

Just a handful of laps into the contest, the heavens opened, with every driver showcasing their talents behind the wheel as they each slithered their slick-shod machines in ever-worsening track conditions.

As the first driver on the scene at every corner, McLaughlin was caught out as he skated into the gravel at Druids, and he was followed by a host of other drivers including Molnár and Raber.

While all three drivers were able to rejoin the circuit – albeit McLaughlin with a broken front wing – more drama was set to unfold, as Bansal hit strife coming under the pit-straight bridge and impacted the pit wall.

Thankfully he was able to walk away unscathed, and with the appearance of the safety car, proceedings were neutralised, giving everyone the opportunity to take stock of who was where in the running order.

Bearman was the main beneficiary as he was propelled to first, while Joslyn and Fernandez followed him into second and third.

Neither driver would ultimately be able to launch a meaningful challenge on Bearman, as the safety car made a second appearance soon after the restart. With conditions continuing to deteriorate, the red flags were waved and the result was declared – albeit with half points awarded.

That meant Bearman became the ninth different winner of the season, while Joslyn and Fernandez chalked up a podium apiece. Piszcyk finished in fourth while Al Azhari, McLaughlin, Mercier, Raber, Molnár and Campbell-Pilling completed the top ten.

McLaughlin scored an all-important additional championship point, having scored the race’s fastest lap.

Leaving Oulton Park, McLaughlin holds a 5.5-point lead over Molnár in the Drivers’ Championship whilst Piszcyk is a further 31 in arrears. McLaughlin also heads the Rookie Cup, while Hitech TGR have extended their advantage in the Teams’ Cup.

Chris Dittmann Racing’s Tommy Harfield continues to top the table in the Challenge Cup.

Next up for the Wera Tools F4 British Championship certified by FIA is a visit to the Home of British Motor Racing, Silverstone, for a historic appearance on the support bill of the 2025 Formula 1 Qatar Airways British Grand Prix.

Both races of the weekend will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK and livestreamed globally on the championship’s YouTube channel.

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