ROKiT British F4 Certified by FIA 2023 Champion driver, Louis Sharp, capitalised on another one of his prizes during the week as he paid a visit to BWT Alpine F1 Team’s Human Performance Centre.
The Alpine year-long Human Performance Programme provides more than coaching to the champion. It gives them the opportunity to receive expert guidance from the personnel at the centre, a privilege usually reserved for the team’s drivers and Alpine Academy members, with the purpose to unlock their full potential at an early stage in their career.
The trip out to Enstone saw Louis complete a series of performance-based training exercises with the goal to put together a programme to work alongside his racing commitments.
Louis Sharp: “The cool prizes for winning the ROKiT British F4 Championship have really helped to fast track my progress towards my future Formula 1 ambitions. I have already spent an incredible day on the Mercedes-AMG F1 simulator and am really excited to be spending a Grand Prix weekend with McLaren later in the summer.
The year-long coaching programme with Alpine, though, is probably even more valuable to my career progression and so it was a fantastic experience to spend an evaluation day with the team at Enstone. I’m sure the human performance plan we put together for the rest of this year will not only help me this season but well beyond, too. A massive thank you to all involved.”
Julian Rouse, BWT Alpine F1 Team Sporting Director & Academy Director: “We are very happy to continue to support young drivers in Motorsport in many different ways and working with the ROKiT British F4 Championship to help the development in Human Performance of the championship winner at BWT Alpine F1 Team’s factory is a great way to showcase that. It was a pleasure to welcome Louis to our base in Enstone and play a part in his continuous development as a driver.”
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Another action-packed, 30-race season spread across ten events will offer blockbuster entertainment to capacity spectator crowds and live television audiences – including a first-ever visit to Silverstone’s Grand Prix circuit.
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The 2023 ROKiT British F4 Champion will receive a year-long coaching programme and expert guidance from BWT Alpine Formula 1 ® Team.
Based at the team’s state-of-the-art Alpine Racing Human Performance Centre at Enstone, the programme will last twelve months and will provide the next champion in Britain’s FIA Formula 4 series with the resource and experience of a leading Formula 1 team to support their next steps.
An initial assessment conducted at the start of the year will be used by Alpine to produce a structured and tailored development plan, with a focus on improving core physical condition and identifying areas of improvement.
The 2023 champion will have regular access to the facilities and expert personnel at the Alpine Racing Human Performance Centre, a privilege usually reserved for the team’s drivers and Alpine Academy stars, to help them unlock their full potential at a crucial stage in their careers.
Alpine already supports nine talents through their dual Alpine Academy and Alpine Affiliate programmes, including three ROKiT British F4 alumni in Jack Doohan, Olli Caldwell and, Abbi Pulling.
The stakes have never been higher in the battle for championship honours, with a direct opportunity to work with a Formula 1 ® team now on the line, as well as 12 valuable FIA Super Licence points, a paid-for Formula Regional test, and a host of other career-enhancing prizes.
Julian Rouse, Academy Director at BWT Alpine F1 Team, said, “We are pleased to collaborate with ROKiT British F4 for 2023 and offer the champion a variety of opportunities we have as a Formula 1 team. The facilities and knowledge we have here at BWT Alpine F1 Team is invaluable to an upcoming driver and their next step in their career, and we are eager to be onboard with this journey to promote young talent in grass-root series like British F4.”
“This is a fantastic opportunity for the 2023 champion to receive regular human performance coaching and instruction from a leading Formula 1 team as they take their next steps on the single-seater pathway,” commented Hugh Chambers, Motorsport UK Chief Executive Officer.
“The facilities at the Alpine Human Performance Centre are well-equipped to support drivers in their development. We’re thankful to Alpine for supporting ROKiT British F4 and this is another excellent opportunity for our next champion.”
The news further strengthens the existing ties between Britain’s FIA Formula 4 series and Formula 1, as Motorsport UK continues to forge meaningful pathways for drivers to progress through the sport.
Three graduates from the championship will line up on the 2023 F1 grid, with Williams’ Logan Sargeant joining the McLaren pairing of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The same number of F1-affiliated juniors competed in the series in 2022.
Another 10-event, 30-race season including a visit to the full Silverstone GP circuit, plus nine events in support of the high-profile British Touring Car Championship, kicks off at Donington Park on 22-23 April 2023.
McLaren Racing will continue to provide a unique opportunity for the 2023 ROKiT F4 British Championship winner to embed themselves within their Formula 1 team at the 2024 British Grand Prix.
Alex Dunne claimed the 2022 Championship and will be the first recipient of the experience, designed to give drivers an immersive and thorough understanding of Formula 1, at the 2023 British Grand Prix.
The experience includes access to the Woking-based team and industry-leading engineering staff.
With the Champion also given a fully funded Formula Regional test courtesy of tyre suppliers Pirelli, plus ROKiT British F4’s position as the only UK single seater category to offer FIA Super Licence points, the championship continues to cement its position as a must-do for drivers with serious aspirations to progress within the sport.
Visibility to Formula 1 teams has never been higher in the series. Last year, Motorsport UK’s first as the organiser and promoter of the category, the grid featured three F1 junior drivers, with Ugo Ugochukwu, Daniel Guinchard and Ollie Gray representing McLaren Racing, Mercedes-AMG, and Williams respectively.
“McLaren Racing’s support of the ROKiT British F4 is greatly valued and offers a unique opportunity for a driver to embed themselves in a team at the top end of the sport,” commented Hugh Chambers, Chief Executive Officer of Motorsport UK.
“Motorsport UK is committed to creating meaningful pathways through the sport for drivers competing in the series. This unique opportunity to gain an insight into what it takes to compete in Formula 1 will be invaluable to the 2023 Champion as they consider their next steps.
“Silverstone is always one of the highlights of the Formula 1 calendar, so it should make for a very enjoyable, as well as instructive, experience. We’ll be watching on with great interest next year as 2022 champion Alex Dunne is the first to receive the prize.
“Our thanks go to Zak Brown and to McLaren Racing for their continued support of the championship.”
“McLaren Racing is delighted to continue supporting the British F4 Championship by inviting the 2023 champion to join our Formula 1 race team at the British Grand Prix in 2024,” said Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing.
“The series is an excellent platform for young drivers to continue their development as proven by our current Formula 1 line-up of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who both excelled in the single-seater championship.
“We look forward to welcoming 2022 champion Alex Dunne to Silverstone with the team next year.”
The UK has a long and rich heritage for producing the sport’s rising stars, with a world-renowned set of circuits, several of the world’s leading junior single seater teams and strong ties to every corner of the sport, often producing a grid with exceptional talents from around the world.
Both McLaren Racing drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri embarked on their single seater journeys in the category, as the 2015 Champion and 2017 runner-up respectively.
Kiwi rising star Louis Sharp will remain in the ROKiT F4 British Championship certified by FIA after confirming his plans to race with Carlin for the 2023 season.
Despite flying over 11,000 miles to the UK late in the winter and missing the first event of the 2022 season due to his age, the 15-year-old from Christchurch widely impressed last season.
By the end of his debut weekend at Brands Hatch, Sharp was already a podium finisher in Britain’s FIA Formula 4 series. After repeating the feat again at the following event, Thruxton, Sharp then took a maiden win at Oulton Park, in only his third race meeting.
He would go on to record a further win at Silverstone amongst 12 podium finishes in total, placing him fourth overall in the championship standings.
Back on the grid, and with the support of Rodin Cars, Sharp’s ambition now is to take full advantage of a proper testing programme and, coupled with his race experience, mount a fully fledged assault on the championship in 2023.
“First and foremost, I must thank David Dicker and his amazing Rodin Cars company for making all this possible,” said a delighted Sharp.
“I’m thrilled to be staying with Carlin after what was an amazing debut season. Coming from New Zealand, it’s been a big learning curve but, already, I’ve learned so much which will help me in the future. I’ve had a bit of success, too, which is a good progression towards my goal of Formula 1.”
Carlin are among the most decorated teams in ROKiT British F4’s nine-year history. The Farnham team delivered Lando Norris, Max Fewtrell, Jamie Caroline and Zane Maloney to their respective Drivers’ titles, and added a fifth Teams’ crown to their total in 2022.
They also took the title down to the final weekend with Williams F1 junior Ollie Gray, and will be among the teams to beat once more in 2023.
Sharp joins the previously-announced Dion Gowda in the team’s line-up, with the remainder to be confirmed at a later date.
“Louis only arrived here a few weeks before the start of last season but we could see straight away just how good he was and how quick he was going to be,” enthused team director, Trevor Carlin.
“Considering his age and lack of experience, he had a fantastic year and we are so pleased he’s staying in the Carlin fold to build-on what we’ve already achieved. Together, I’m sure, we’ll be doing some more winning in British F4 where I truly believe he will be a title contender next season.”
Sharp’s unveiling makes it 10 confirmed drivers for the 2023 season to-date. The series will again feature 10 weekends, including the full Grand Prix circuit at Silverstone alongside nine events in support of the high-profile British Touring Car Championship.
Donington Park, Leicestershire hosts the season opener on 22-23 April, 2023. Further driver announcements will be made in due course.
2020 ROKiT British F4 Champion Luke Browning was announced as the latest winner of the prestigious Aston Martin BRDC Autosport Award at the annual Autosport Awards at Grosvenor Hotel, London last night (4 December).
The award, which aims to recognise British talent and help unearth the nation’s next Formula 1 star, has a star-studded roster of former winners, including Jenson Button, David Coulthard and more recently George Russell and Lando Norris.
Browning, who was shortlisted alongside FIA Formula 3 star Ollie Bearman, USF2000 champion Louis Foster and W Series champion Jamie Chadwick, impressed the judging panel with his performances across the assessment days, sampling a wide range of machinery including a Formula 2 car, Aston Martin Vantage GT3 and an LMP3 challenger.
The Cheshire-based racer now wins a prize test in an Aston Martin Formula 1 car and £200,000, among other prizes. After winning ROKiT British F4 in a dramatic final day showdown versus fellow award winner Zak O’Sullivan in 2020, Browning went on to enjoy success in German and Italian F4, before returning to domestic shores and taking the GB3 title this year.
“Incredible! It was really special to see all the names in the room, to add my name to the list… Words can’t describe,” said a delighted Browning after being unveiled the winner.
“It’s a testament to the guys of the hard work they put into me, I’m so grateful. Thank you.”
First-time winner Ted Bradbury and Peter Berryman shared the spoils as Silverstone marked a late twist in the ROKiT British F4 Esports Championship title race.
Two action-packed, 30-minute races around the world-famous circuit’s National layout mean it will be a three-way shootout for both the Team and Drivers’ titles at Brands Hatch live on iRacing’s YouTube channel next Friday (2 December).
To set the tone for what would be a typically hard-fought evening of competition, it was Apex Racing Team ace Berryman on pole, a slender 0.035 seconds clear of championship leader, Luke McKeown (Apex Academy).
Race 1: Berryman’s championship hopes boosted with victory
Despite falling to second at the start after an audacious triple pass on the brakes into Brooklands from Bradbury propelled him from fourth to the lead on the opening lap, Berryman kept his composure.
He seized his chance to return the favour at the same corner, two laps later, and from there led a three-car breakaway group at the front, with Bradbury and points leader McKeown for close company.
With slipstream such a vital element of being competitive around Silverstone’s National circuit, the trio opted to put their team divides aside and work together. Until the closing laps, that is.
With five minutes on the clock, Bradbury broke the stalemate with a bold move to the inside at Becketts. That earned him the race lead, but a lock-up at the same corner on the final lap handed the place back to Berryman, leaving no chance for the YRDA Arden racer to recover.
For Berryman, it was a fourth win of the campaign, leading home Bradbury by less than a tenth of a second, with McKeown third. The latter’s chief title rival Josh Lad was fourth, with Stanley Deslandes fifth in the other Apex Academy car.
Race 1: What they said
Berryman: “For us three at the front, it definitely wasn’t so crazy. We knew what was going on, we had a bit of a break away and worked together, and then as you saw, the last three laps we had a bit of a scrap for it. Thanks to Luke, playing the team game there, he could have fought for the win there. I knew it would be tough, but on the last lap there Ted lost his braking point a little bit into T3 and ended up handing it to me.”
Bradbury: “It was a great race. Obviously at the start I got a big slipstream, saw the gap and went for it. Peter Berryman is known to be very fast, as is Luke, so I decided to work with them. A silly mistake at the end cost me the win, but it was a good race. I’m representing my team in YRDA and I’m happy that we’re up there with the big esports teams.”
McKeown: “I think the main objective was to chill. It’s nice to have a break at the start so we didn’t have masses of fighting. There’s so few points between finishing second and third, I don’t want to take massive risks when I can sit there and gain points on Josh Lad still.”
Race 2: Bradbury strikes gold at the second attempt
Fired up after oh-so-nearly taking the honours in the opener, Bradbury was not to be denied in the partially reversed grid race to conclude the evening’s action.
Again, he showed great overtaking prowess after starting fourth, rising to third, and then subsequently to the race lead on the 10-minute mark, passing Lad at Becketts, then early race leader Berryman at Brooklands.
With a sense of déjà vu, the top three again elected to work together and strengthen their grip on the podium positions. This time it would be Williams Esports-backed star Lad on the charge in the closing stages, but he could only overhaul Berryman for second as Bradbury held on for his maiden win in the series.
With both ART and Apex Academy reduced to a car apiece in a dramatic contest, McKeown opted to play it safe, and was sixth, setting up a thrilling championship battle at Brands Hatch next week.
Race 2: What they said
Bradbury: “I had confidence in the setup, a good starting position, I was happy with the people around me too, they drove a great race. This is a big confidence boost for the team and myself, we’ve obviously found something in the setup and we’ve been able to catch Apex.”
Lad: “I could have maybe been a bit more aggressive on the last lap with Ted, but we’re not fighting for a championship with him, at the end of the day. Especially with one of each of the Apex cars being out of the points, it was good for our team’s championship bid.”
Berryman: “It was similar to the first race. At the start I was a bit worried, there were still four or five cars connected, but once it got down to three cars, it settled down a bit. A different ending for me, I’ve only got myself to blame for that. I tried to set up a good run out of the last corner and just touched the rear of Ted’s car, that gave me a big snap of oversteer and after that, my tyres were pretty much the temperature of the sun. Third isn’t too bad, having started fifth.”
All eyes on Brands for the championship decider
Brands Hatch’s iconic Grand Prix circuit hosts the season-concluding double header from 18:00 GMT next Friday (2 December) – and here’s how things stand in both championships:
In the headlining Teams’ Championship, Apex Racing Team now lead, but just 5 points blankets them, second-placed Munster Rugby Gaming and Apex Academy in third spot.
It’s a similar story in the Drivers’ stakes, with McKeown now a mere 9 points ahead of Lad. A strong haul of points for Berryman makes him the third – and last – driver still in contention, with a 19-point deficit to the championship summit.
Next week’s finale will be live on the iRacing, RaceSpot TV and British F4 YouTube channels.
Apex Racing Academy retain the upper hand in the ROKiT British F4 Esports Championship as the series heads to a virtual Silverstone tonight (25 November) for the first of two meetings to decide both titles.
Luke McKeown and Stanley Deslandes’ combined efforts put the Academy squad two points clear of Apex Racing Team at the top of the headlining Teams’ Championship. Munster Gaming Rugby sit third, a further 13 points back, and look to be the only squad in with a chance of denying an Apex-supported team the honours.
With three victories from eight races, McKeown also leads the way in the Drivers’ stakes, with a more comfortable, 16-point buffer back to second-placed Josh Lad, leading the line for Munster.
The Williams Esports star endured an ‘off night’ at Snetterton last time out, and in his absence at the front, victory for McKeown, plus a 1-2 finish for ART’s Jamie Fluke and Peter Berryman, have put Lad in a precarious position.
Seemingly out of the title race just a couple of races ago, a resurgence from the ART pair has moved Fluke into third outright, 14 points back from Lad, with Berryman in close company. Another repeat showing at the ‘Home of British Motorsport’ tonight, and they could yet make a late break for the coveted crown. Deslandes rounds out the top five.
Action from Silverstone will be live on RaceSpot TV‘s YouTube channel from 19:00 (GMT) tonight, with the usual bill of two 30-minute contests around the National circuit.
To view the latest standings, click here.
Content creators and real-world racing stars will come together to contest the All-Star Cup as part of the ROKiT British F4 Esports Championship title decider next week (Friday 2 December).
The event, comprised of two, 15-minute races around the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit, will be live-streamed on iRacing’s and RaceSpot TV’s YouTube channels alongside the final two rounds of the ROKiT British F4 Esports Championship.
The All-Star Cup will use the same IR-04 single seater as the ROKiT British F4 Esports Championship, and includes a reverse grid race to round out the evening’s action.
Real-world drivers already confirmed include Honda BTCC star Daniel Rowbottom, British GT champion Will Tregurtha, Wera Tools British Kart Championships competitor Kit Belofsky and former British Touring Car driver Mike Epps, plus content creators such as Sampsoid and Basic Ollie.
A full entry list will be unveiled before the finale, which takes place next Friday (2 Dec) at 18:00 GMT.
“Next week’s title decider at Brands Hatch is already shaping up to be a thrilling end to our inaugural ROKiT British F4 Esports season, and the All-Star Cup just takes that up another notch,” said Paul Crawford, Esports Manager at organisers Motorsport UK.
“It’s twice the action on track for everybody following the live stream on iRacing’s YouTube Channel and RaceSpot TV, and a great opportunity to pit some fantastic drivers from the Esports and real-world arenas against one another.
“Going forward, we really want to expand these events and bring in other elements around the championship races. This is a great first step on that process.”
Eight races have been held to-date in the ROKiT British F4 Esports Championship, which the All-Star Cup will support next week.
Held across the UK circuits visited in the real-world equivalent, the series has so far taken in double headers at Donington Park, Oulton Park, Knockhill and Snetterton, with tonight marking Round 5 – presented by Simucube – at Silverstone from 19:00 on RaceSpot TV’s YouTube channel.
Apex Racing Academy lead Apex Racing Team by just two points in the headlining Teams’ Championship, with Munster Rugby Gaming at close quarters in third, a further 13 points back.
Among the Drivers, Luke McKeown (Apex Racing Academy) has a 16-point buffer over Williams Esports star Josh Lad (Munster). Jamie Fluke and Peter Berryman (ART) arrive at a virtual Silverstone tonight as the in-form pairing, including a 1-2 finish at Snetterton last time out.
Past, present and future stars of the ROKiT F4 British Championship certified by FIA took the headlines in the support races at the Formula 1 ® Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last weekend (19-20 November).
The season-ending trip to the Middle East marked the latest edition of the F4 UAE Trophy event, with Louis Sharp and Alex Dunne, two starring names from the 2022 ROKiT British F4 campaign, heading out to compete alongside confirmed ’23 entries William Macintyre, Kanato Le and James Piszcyk.
Utilising the same Tatuus-Abarth combination as Britain’s FIA Formula 4 series, it was little surprise to see record-breaking champion Alex Dunne at the top of the timesheets from the opening practice sessions, the Irishman having recently announced his move to GB3 for next year.
But, despite converting his practice promise into pole position under the floodlights, Dunne was overhauled in the first of two races by Sharp. Starting third, the Kiwi ace gained second spot with a lightning start, then caught and passed Dunne at half distance before stretching out a six-second winning margin at the chequered flag.
The New Zealand national anthem would ring out with Sharp on the top step of the rostrum again on Sunday, but despite having pole position, it was another hard-fought contest between Sharp and Dunne.
The two ran side-by-side for much of the opening exchanges, until an early skirmish left Dunne bound for the pit lane with a damaged front wing, and the safety car out on circuit to collect the debris. With the eyes of the F1® paddock trained upon him, Sharp kept his cool at the restart and made it ‘two for two’, leading home Le in second.
“Racing in Abu Dhabi has been an incredible experience and I can’t thank David Dicker and Rodin Cars enough – without their wonderful support none of this would be possible,” said an elated Sharp.
“My performances in the British Championship, now topped by these two wins in Abu Dhabi, give me lots of confidence and self-belief going forward. To stand on top of the F1 podium and hear the New Zealand anthem was just so, so cool.”
Also rounding out the 2022 campaign around the 3.2-mile Yas Marina Circuit was FIA Formula 2, the premier feeder series for F1®.
Logan Sargeant – one of five ROKiT British F4 graduates on the 22-car grid – has been widely tipped to join Williams for a race seat in 2023, but the American first needed to secure seventh overall or better in the final championship standings in order to gain the recquisite number of FIA Super Licence points.
Sixth in the opening race kept the 21-year-old firmly in the hunt, and he went one better in the Feature Race to complete the top five, claim fourth in the points and in all likelihood book a berth at the Grove-based Williams team for 2023 alongside Alex Albon.
Dennis Hauger narrowly missed out on a podium, the Norwegian finishing fourth on both occasions. Jack Doohan – the 2018 Rookie Cup winner – was among the points in race one, before dramatically losing his front-left tyre exiting the pits on the alternate strategy in the Feature and retiring early.
2019 champion Zane Maloney impressed on his debut outing, including finishing ahead of fellow F4 graduate Olli Caldwell in both races.
