Josh confirms British F4 campaign with JHR Developments

9 January 2019

Josh returns to the F4 British Championship in 2019, and is optimistic of challenging for overall honours with the JHR Developments outfit.

Josh made his single-seater debut in the British F4 series in 2018, taking a Rookie Cup victory at Rockingham and further class podiums in nine events establishing himself as a regular top ten competitor.

Josh: “We had a good learning year last year and I’m looking forward to carrying over the experience into this season. It’s great staying with the JHR team as I know the guys well and so it will mean we can focus on getting results. My objective is the top three in the championship and race victories, but I’m optimistic we can go for the title. I really enjoyed Knockhill and Croft last year and we get two chances to visit Thruxton which I also enjoyed. Testing went well in Valencia and I’ve been training in the gym so I’m really looking forward to the start of the season.”

JHR Team Principal Steven Hunter praised Skelton’s development across his debut campaign: “Josh progressed throughout the 2018 season. We all believe he will be at the sharp end of the grid as he looks forward to a full campaign with the team. I’m sure he’ll build on the promising form he demonstrated last year. He has already shown improvement in his lap times during winter testing, so things are falling into place and he clearly feels comfortable in the car. We had a good learning year together for his first time out of karts and he’ll no doubt be a driver challenging for the title in 2019.”

The British F4 ten-event, thirty-race calendar gets underway in front of a capacity crowd and ITV Sport’s television cameras at Brands Hatch over the weekend of 6th-7th April.

British F4 2018 – Brands Hatch Rd.10

29/30 September 2018

Having never driven around the track before, we turned up for the two test sessions on Friday knowing that it was going to be difficult, but were ready for the challenge ahead.

Friday test day: We only had two 50 minutes sessions so had to make the most of them and get as much track time as possible. FP1 we ended the session in 10th but had no new tyres, so we were pretty happy with this. FP2 was all about track time again, but we put new tyres on through the middle of this session and we were in P9 until a snap of oversteer led to a over correction, and a resulting crash. We would end the session in P9 and were now focusing on qualifying the next morning.

Saturday morning we went out for qualifying and struggled with the car and oversteer, and didn’t get the best of laps together. We ended the session in P12, which wasn’t the result we wanted but we would put in a lot of effort to move our way up the field.

Race 1 we got a bad start and dropped to the back of the field. Throughout the race we slowly made our way past a few people, and ended the race P11.

Race 2 we got a really good start and up into P9 halfway around the first lap, but I went up the inside of another driver and he didn’t see me on the inside of him and turned in which resulted in my front wing breaking and having to pit. By this point we were 2 laps down.

Race 3 we got another good start but made a mistake on the opening lap dropping me to the back of the field. I would get back to P10 by the flag showing good pace and taking 3rd Rookie.

Overall it has been a really good first year in cars, and I have enjoyed every minute of it. I have learned so much and can’t wait to put that to work in whatever we choose to do next year.

I would just like to take this opportunity to thank JHR Developments for everything they have done for me all year round, and everyone else involved because without the help none of this would be possible.

British F4 2018 – Silverstone Rd.9

15/16 September 2018

Friday: Dry all day and we were set for a good day of testing to see what our speed was like heading into qualifying on Saturday morning. In FP1 we set off well showing consistently quick speed throughout the session, ending in P10 due to running on older rubber. The rest of the field were shod with new tyres, so we were confident going into FP2 being only 4 tenths off the pace. FP2 set off well and we were sitting in P8 and 3 tenths off at the halfway stage, then everyone came in and changed to new tyres and we went quicker and moved to P5 just a tenth off the quickest. We were confident going into qualifying that we could produce a good result.

Saturday: Qualifying was going to be very close. Having hit the halfway stage of the session we were sitting on pole when we came in to change the tyres around and go back out. Others had done this earlier than us and jumped me whilst I was in the pits. As fate would have it, the session got red flagged as I took to the circuit. They abandoned the session so frustratingly, we didn’t get our second run. This was a shame as we ended P6 but it could have been a lot more. Race 1 didn’t go well, due to being crashed into from behind on the first lap, resulting in damage and a DNF.

Sunday: Race 2 saw us having to start from the back of the grid. The opening lap saw the driver in front braked going into a fast corner and I was too close to react and ended up running into the back and damaging the front nose. Luckily I came into the pits and got it changed and back out before the safety car came around. I was able to come back through to P9 and take 3rd rookie.

Race 3 and a P8 start. Having not the best of starts I lost a few places, but by the half way point I was up to P6. Going for a move I was ran off the track and dropped back to P10. I recovered as the race progressed, and went for another move to take P9. This time the driver made contact with my rear wheel, spinning me around resulting in a P11 finish.

The racing is proving to be very difficult as we seem to have a big lack of power compared to some of the other drivers on the grid. The engines are all meant to be equal, and it’s obvious they aren’t when the cars are out on track.

I would like to say a massive thank you to JHR developments for doing a mega job as always, and then everyone else involved.

British F4 2018 – Knockhill Hatch Rd.8

25/26 August 2018

The weekend was full of differing weather conditions. On Friday there were 3 x 45 minute test sessions providing plenty of time to try stuff with the car and find a good overall setup. Session 1 was dry, and we would start the day well being up on the top 5 of the timings for most of the session, before falling down to P8 by the end of it but only 4 tenths off the quickest. All achieved without new tyres where as everyone else did, so we were very happy with the speed that we had shown from this session. Session number 2 was wet to start with due to a heavy rain shower just before the session, however, we headed out onto the wet track and adapted to the weather conditions very quickly. We would be in the top 3 the full session and headed the wet part of the session P1, before pitting for slicks to go out onto a drying track. P10 by the session end. but very happy with the speed in the wet. Session 3 was once again dry, completing in P9 just 4 tenths off the lead time, which we were happy with going into qualifying as it was very close and anything could happen.

Saturday was dry for the whole day, and welcome for the 20 minute qualifying session and our first race of the weekend. In qualifying for the first half of the session we were sat in P6 before pitting and out for further run. We wouldn’t better our time set in the first run and fell to P9 which was a little disappointing, but we would work hard to try and make our way forward in the races. Made a good, clean getaway in Race 1 and held my position for the first few corners before running wide into the gravel, dropping to the back of the field. I climbed way back to P10 at the end of the race but was disappointed as the result could of been a lot better.

Sunday was very wet and for the first race I started in P10, and held that position for the first lap. The track was extremely wet and it was nearly impossible to see the cars in front, and indeed where the track actually went from all the water being sprayed up! After making a small error on the exit of a corner on the second lap, I ran wide and onto the grass heading straight into the barriers resulting in a DNF. Race 3, P10 slot, same conditions as the race before, and once again visibility was atrocious but made up a few positions to end the race in P8.

I would like to say a massive thanks to JHR Developments and everyone else involved. I wouldn’t be able to do it without you and all the support is genuinely appreciated. The next race will be at Silverstone in two weeks time for the penultimate round of the F4 British Championship.

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.