Hitech Pulse-Eight driver and provisional 2024 ROKiT British F4 certified by the FIA Champion, Deagen Fairclough claimed his seventh C1RCUIT Watches Pole Position Award today during the final qualifying session of the 2024 British F4 season at Kent’s Brands Hatch GP circuit today.
Fairclough edged out his Hitech Pulse-Eight teammate Reza Seewooruthun by a record narrow margin of just 0.001 of a second. The pair will make up the front row for two of this weekend’s races.
JHR Developments Leo Robinson and Rodin Motorsport’s James Higgins each set identical lap times, placing them in third and fourth, with Alex Ninovic (Rodin Motorsport) rounding out the top five. Bart Harrison (Chris Dittmann Racing) matched his best qualifying performance of the season in sixth place.
The first race of the weekend, played out in bright sunshine, featured Fairclough and Seewooruthun on the front row, with Robinson and Higgins on the second row. Jack Sherwood (Rodin Motorsport) lined up fifth alongside Bart Harrison in sixth.
Fairclough immediately took control with a perfect start from lights out leading the field into turn one and thereafter set about building a lead. Seewooruthun and Robinson slotted into second and third place respectively, with Robinson applying pressure to Seewooruthun in the early stages of the race.
Just behind, the Rodin Motorsport trio of Sherwood, Higgins and Alex Ninovic were each battling for position to cement their places in the overall championship. Ninovic showing strong pace, had gained three places in the opening corners, overtaking both his teammates and setting his sights on Leo Robinson for third overall.
As the top six settled into their positions, Fairclough continued to extend his lead, untroubled by any of his closest rivals, setting fastest laps and then eventually breaking the Brands Hatch GP lap record, previously set by Joseph Loake in 2022.
Ninovic continued to challenge Robinson for the final spot on the podium, however, his race ended abruptly after running wide onto the grass and hitting the wall at Stirlings Bend, bringing out the safety car. With less than seven minutes on the clock remaining, the field circulated behind the Safety Car before the Safety Car came in on the last lap, allowing the drivers allowing the drivers to take the chequered flag under race conditions.
Fairclough crossed the line to record another record victory, his thirteenth of the 2024 campaign with team-mate Reza Seewooruthun returning to the podium in second and Leo Robinson in third. Jack Sherwood and James Higgins rounded out the top five.
Rowan Campbell-Pilling (Phinsys by Argenti) was the biggest mover of the race, gaining five places and claiming another Rookie win. Bart Harrison and Martin Molnar (Virtuosi Racing) joined him on the Rookie Cup podium in second and third.
It was another front-row lockout for Hitech Pulse-Eight in the re-running of the rain-affected Race 26 from Silverstone National. Thomas Bearman lined up in pole position alongside Reza Seewooruthun. Leo Robinson and Jack Sherwood shared row two with Zack Scoular (Xcel Motorsport) starting in fifth place.
In a bold move, Leo Robinson went to the outside of Reza Seewooruthun around Paddock Hill corner on lap one, which saw the JHR Developments driver take the lead. Sherwood, Ninovic and Molnar made up the top five after a lap of racing; Bearman having been swamped by his rivals and dropped down the order.
Robinson settled into the lead and worked to try and build a gap from Seewooruthun,with the pair trading fastest laps, however with five minutes remaining on the clock, it was Alex Ninovic who led the pace, with each of the top four drivers posting almost identical lap times.
At the chequered flag, Leo Robinson crossed the line 1.45s ahead of Reza Seewooruthun in second. Jack Sherwood, who held third to the line, dropped down the order following the application of a time penalty which promoted Alex Ninovic onto the podium in third. Martin Molnar and Deagen Fairclough finished fourth and fifth respectively, with Jack Sherwood in sixth.
Martin Molnar claimed his sixth Rookie Cup win of the season, ahead of Rowan Campbell-Pilling and Thomas Bearman who in just his second ROKiT British F4 event made his first appearance on the rookie podium. Molnar now leads the Rookie Cup standings by 20.5 points ahead of Yuanpu Cui (Phinsys by Argenti) with two races remaining.
Hitech Pulse-Eight continue to lead the Teams’ cup standings with a 56.5 point lead over Rodin Motorsport in second place and JHR Developments following in third.
Alex Ninovic and Deagen Fairclough set the two Motul Fastest Laps of the day, each earning earning an extra championship point.
Races two and three of the ROKiT British F4 Championship season finale at Brands Hatch are scheduled to take place at 1040 hrs and 1525 hrs, with race three forming part of ITV4’s free to air coverage, which commences at 1030 hrs.
