The fight for the Wera Tools F4 British Championship certified by FIA title is set to further intensify this Saturday and Sunday (August 30-31), as the UK’s premier single-seater series makes its return to Donington Park.
It was back in April that the East Midlands circuit kicked off the season, and while that event provided the launchpad to what has been an ultra-competitive campaign, this weekend – on the Grand Prix layout – promises to be pivotal in deciding who eventually walks away as champion.
Such has been the high standard set this year, almost half the grid has stood on the top step of the podium so far, but it is Hitech TGR’s Fionn McLaughlin that everyone is chasing; the Red Bull Junior having extended his advantage to 40.5 points in recent rounds.
McLaughlin rocketed to the summit of the standings back at Oulton Park and has hardly moved since then, with four flawless victories and a further five podium finishes providing the backbone to his championship charge.
While the Irishman will be fully focused on maintaining his status as the series’ pace-setter in the overall Drivers’ Championship, he could well wrap up one title this weekend as he bids to secure an unassailable lead in the Rookie Cup.
Coincidently, it is last year’s Rookie Cup victor Martin Molnár (Virtuosi Racing) that remains McLaughlin’s closest challenger as it stands, and the Hungarian is expected to be all-guns-blazing as he bids to swing the title pendulum back in his favour.
Rodin Motorsport’s Jimmy Piszcyk can’t be discounted either at this stage, with the multiple race-winner having been a front-runner throughout the season. He enters the weekend sitting third, just 17 points behind Molnár.
Elsewhere, Tommy Harfield (Chris Dittmann Racing) will be competing in his eighth event of the season and therefore is no longer eligible for the Challenge Cup, which sees drivers pre-select seven rounds to feature in at the beginning of the season. In his first year in single seaters, the former Fiesta Junior driver has impressed with four podiums (plus another at the non-championship British GP round).
Harfield was leading the way in the Challenge Cup, and top spot will now be taken up by Ella Lloyd (Rodin Motorsport), who is absent along with Alba Larsen (Chris Dittmann Racing) this weekend as they contest the next F1 Academy round at Zandvoort.
Like Harfield, fellow top-10 drivers Henry Joslyn (Fortec Motorsport) and Mercedes Junior Ethan Jeff-Hall (Argenti Motorsport) will be seeking a maiden victory this weekend. Meanwhile, race-winning trio Adam Al Azhari (Rodin Motorsport), August Raber (Argenti Motorsport) and Thomas Bearman (Hitech TGR) all enjoyed success last time out; Bearman clinched his first C1RCUIT Watches Pole Position Award of the season, while both Al Azhari and Raber picked up silverware in Race 2 at Knockhill finishing P1 and P3 respectively.
Another feel-good story to come from British F4’s trip across the border was a maiden victory for second-year driver Rowan Campbell-Pilling (JHR Developments), who became the 11th different winner of the season.
Just on the cusp of the top ten are two more race winners, Xcel Motorsport’s Chase Fernandez and Fortec Motorsport’s Ary Bansal. Returning to the scene of his triumph, Fernandez will be aiming for a repeat showing, whilst Bansal continues to impress as each round passes.
Theo Palmer, Cole Hewetson (both Xcel Motorsport) and Xavier Avramides (Hitech TGR) all clinched Rookie podiums at Knockhill. Argenti Motorsport duo Henry Mercier and Arjen Kräling will be seeking more Rookie silverware too, while Charlie Edge (Chris Dittmann Racing) will want to add to his Rookie tally having picked up his first trophy in the opening race at Donington Park earlier this season.
Xcel Motorsport’s Yuhao Fu earned valuable points at Knockhill, while Joseph Smith (Hitech TGR) learned a lot from his maiden outing there. Oleksandr Savinkov returns with Virtuosi Racing, while Guy Albag makes another appearance with Rodin Motorsport. Additionally, Thomas Ingram Hill is back with Fortec Motorsport having missed the last round, while Piotr Orzechowski steps in at Chris Dittmann Racing.
Finally, Rodin Motorsport will hand a British F4 debut to promising Belgian youngster Dries van Langendonck, who joined the McLaren Driver Development Programme last year.
Qualifying for the C1RCUIT Watches Pole Position Award takes place at 10:25 on Saturday before Race 1 gets underway later that afternoon at 14:10. Two more races – at 09:15 and 13:15 respectively – will then play out on Sunday.
Fans in the UK can tune in to ITV4 and ITVX to watch races live on Sunday, while those following around the world can tune into Sunday’s races live on the official British F4 YouTube channel.
Click here for all the links you’ll need this weekend – including livestream links, coverage on our social media channels, live timing, results & standings, race reports and podcast.
