British F4 2018 – Rockingham Rd.7

11/12 August 2018

Friday was a day full of mixed weather and conditions with most of the track time was on a damp drying track in both sessions. In FP1 we went out of the wet track but only completed one lap as we had mechanical issues which meant we would miss over half the session. Following the teams hard work they managed to get me back out on track for the last 15 minutes of the session, where we would be on slicks in the damp conditions, and finally ending the session in P10. FP2 set off in the same way, but after two laps we came in and immediately changed to slicks. We had good consistent pace throughout the session and ended it P10 just four tenths off the quickest.

Saturdays was dry all day with one qualifying and one race. In qualifying we tried something with the setup on the car which didn’t really pay off, and we ended P11. We had a lot of work to do for the races! Race 1 we started from P11, and had good speed but had to work really hard to overtake a competitor who was defending strongly early in the race. Following a pass around the outside of turn one, we started to pull in the group up front but was just too far back and settled for P10.

Sunday was very wet to start with but the track dried for our first race of the day, leaving the grid from P10. After a bad first lap I found myself down in P12, but managed to pull things back to P8 by the end of the race, once again showing we have the speed.

For race 3 we would start from P12. After making a good start and having a good first lap, I was up to P8 and fighting hard through the race, and into P6 mid-race. I had really good speed and was well in the battle for the final podium position, finally ending the race in P6 and taking my first rookie win of the season.

Overall it was a good weekend and I managed to score points in every race which we were very happy with. I would like to say a massive thanks to JHR Developments and everyone else involved. Our next race is at Knockhill in Scotland for Round 8 of the British F4 Championship.

British F4 2018 – Snetterton Rd.6

28/29 July 2018

Friday was a very hot sunny day where we would head out on track for two 50 minute test sessions. In the first session we didn’t have any new tyres so knew it was going to be hard, but we set our targets to be as consistent as possible and be as quick as possible with the setup and tyres we had. We ended the session P8 which we were very satisfied with.

In the second session we were hoping to improve on the time that we had set in the morning session when we put the new tyres on. Which we did, but this time only put us P10 on the leader board. But we were happy with the speed that we had shown, and looking forward to going into qualifying on Saturday morning.

Saturday was a busy day as we had the qualifying session and two races. In qualifying we went out and at the halfway point we were lying in P3, but then the red flag came out. When the session restarted for the last 10 minutes I didn’t get the best out of the tyres and dropped down to P11. We would be starting P11 for Race 1, and P10 for Race 3.

We set our aims for Race 1 on the reverse grid Pole for Race 2. After making a good start and making my way forward up the grid, at the halfway point of the race we would be in P5 and then dropped back to P6 a little later in the race. But this meant we would be reverse grid Pole for Race 2, but around 3 laps from the end the driver just in front spun and slid across the track.I hit him meaning a loss of position and damage to the front of the car. I would end this race P9. Race 2 I started the race and by the end of the first lap was up to P5. Around midpoint in the race I got ran wide and dropped back to P7 where I would work hard to keep that position for the rest of the race, taking 3rd Rookie.

Sunday we had just the one race and was looking interesting as the circuit was very wet. But moments before we went out however, it started to dry so slick tyres it was. After struggling for traction off the start – on a wet patch of the track – we dropped to P12, but later made my way to P9 by the end of the first lap. But on the second lap we hit another wet patch and ended up off the track. I had to come into the pits in the end due to engine overheating meaning a P12 finish.

Overall we had a good weekend and showed some good speed over the races. I would like to say a big thank you to JHR Developments and everyone else involved.

The next round of the British F3 Championship is at Rockingham in a weeks time.

British F4 2018 – Croft Rd.5

23/24 June 2018

On Friday we had two 50 minute test sessions so we would be able to assess our speed heading into Saturday’s qualifying.

Session 1 on Friday didn’t go to plan as we went out on track. We set off struggling with the car set up and also gear shifting problems. We ended the session in a disappointing P12, but knew which areas we had to work on for Session 2. In session two we had fixed the gear shifting issues and the speed was looking good, we would end the session in P7 which we were happy with. We still didn’t have the best of car set ups as we were struggling with over-steer, but we knew we would have to work hard overnight to improve things further. Saturday would consist of the 20 minute qualifying session and also the first of three 20 minute races. Qualifying saw us finish in P7 which we were pleased with, and knew we had good race speed heading into the first race of the weekend.

After a reasonable start to the Race I found myself in P7 for much of the duration, but closing in on P6. With a few minutes left on the clock we rapidly closed in and on the last two laps tried an attack for the sixth place slot. We came very close to getting past but ultimately had to settle for P7. It was a shame we couldn’t find a way past as it would have been a reverse grid pole for Race 2. We finished as 3rd rookie.

Race 2 on Sunday. We made a fast getaway from P7 and gained two places on the opening lap. I had good battles throughout the race with several drivers, and at the chequered flag secured P5, which was another good results and points scoring finish.

Race 3 saw us once again start from P7. We were up into be P6 at half race distance, but contact to the rear wheel from behind would leave us with damage to the car and a subsequent DNF, which was disappointing as we were on for another solid points finish.

Overall we are very happy with how the weekend went. There were improvements with our set up and speed, and happy with the points finishes. I would like to say a big thankyou to JHR Developments and everyone else involved. We now have a 5 week summer break before we are back out for Round 6 at Snetterton.

British F4 2018 – Oulton Park Rd.4

9/10 June 2018

Friday we had the two 50 minute practice sessions. In the first session we set off looking good showing some good pace but we didn’t have a new set of tyres to go on in the second half of the session, so we dropped down the field to P11. In the second session we struggled to begin with but at the hallway point we went onto new tyres and were showing good speed and consistency securing P8 for most of the session, before finally ending up in P10 on the last lap.

Saturday we had qualifying and Race 1. We knew where we had to improve going into qualifying to gain time, but we didn’t manage to do this. We struggled with the car setup and didn’t get a good lap together, ending the session in P12. This meant the racing was gonna be difficult as it was proving to be very hard to overtake around the track. Race 1 would see me get a good start and immediately get into P11, but we did not have the speed to make up any more ground. We worked hard with the team however, analysing data, and where we could improve the car ready for the two races on Sunday.

Race 2 on Sunday we got an OK start, and near the beginning of the race moved up into P10. We would fight hard for the full race battling to try and make a move to P9 but we could not find a way through. I would cross the line in P10 but would drop to P11 after the race, as we were awarded a 10 second penalty for a jump start.

Race 3 would see me start back in P12 once again. Another driver had a collision around the first corner causing me to run wide to avoid hitting him, this meant I was a good distance behind the rest of the field. After a few laps we caught a few drivers up and made some moves to get myself up to P9. We were setting good times throughout the race and the speed was there, but the rest of the field had too big of a gap to catch, and in the end we had to settle for P9.

Overall we had a very tough weekend, but are looking forward to the next one at Croft in two weeks time where we are hoping for some better results. I would like to say a big thanks to JHR Developments and everyone else involved.

British F4 2018 – Thruxton Rd.3

19/20 May 2018

Friday brought a 1 hour 30 minutes test session where we found ourselves off to a quick start, sitting in p5 on the timing board for the first 40 minutes of the session. A visit to the pits to make a few changes to the car followed, but we could not improve further falling down the order to P11 before our last stint. We went out on New tyres were fitted for the last 15 minutes resulting in an improvement to p8 before having a ‘moment’ which ended up hitting the wall head on but the car wasn’t to badly damaged.

Qualifying on Saturday morning was a bit disappointing as we knew we had the speed to get a good result, and therefore be in a strong position to start the races. We adopted the wrong strategy which resulted in not getting the best time possible, and would start races 1 and 3 from 12th on the grid respectively.