BRITISH F4 READY TO RETURN FOR 2019 AT BRANDS HATCH
Another high-quality field is set to provide more thrilling, wheel-to-wheel action and intriguing stories in front of capacity trackside crowds and ITV4’s television cameras as the 2019 F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost begins at Brands Hatch this weekend [6th-7th April].
Last season proved to be another vintage year for Ford’s winning formula, culminating in a maiden title for Double R Racing and now-BRDC Rising Star Kiern Jewiss. A fascinating battle for the Rookie Cup honours between Red Bull Junior Team racers Dennis Hauger and Jack Doohan was eventually settled in the latter’s favour, their efforts helping Arden take the Teams’ crown.
But that was then, and this is now. This season’s entry list is headlined by the defending champions, Double R Racing. The returning Sebastian Alvarez is among the favourites for the title and with former Ginetta Junior star Louis Foster and Reema Juffali – the first female racing driver from Saudi Arabia – alongside, the omens are good for a repeat success for the Woking-based squad.
One of their sternest tests is likely to come from Arden Motorsport’s trio, with ex-Formula Ford racers Tommy Foster and Bart Horsten joined by karting graduate Alex Connor from the second round at Donington Park onwards. An extensive testing programme at home and abroad over the winter is likely to put the ‘Red Arrows’ in the mix from the get-go.
Another second-year campaigner, Josh Skelton, was quickest on Media Day here at Brands Hatch three weeks ago and knows what it takes to fight at the front in British F4 as he returns to spearhead JHR Developments charge. With new team-mate Carter Williams also showing potential, the 2018 Vice-Champions are being tipped by many as potential dark-horse contenders for a maiden crown.
The return of single-seater powerhouse Carlin to the category was one of the winter’s biggest talking points, and with Barbados karting star Zane Maloney in their ranks the aim is to uphold their one-hundred percent record of winning the title when competing in the series. They also currently sit just one podium shy of completing a century.
Richardson Racing are another returnee, with another past Ginetta Junior front-runner in Luke Browning stepping across to the Ford EcoBoost-powered series. Three of the past four British F4 champions – Lando Norris, Jamie Caroline and Kiern Jewiss – have all done similarly. Browning will undoubtedly be aiming to continue that trend.
Fortec Motorsport ended last season fighting at the sharp end of the grid with consistent race-winner Jonathan Hoggard and will field Rookie Cup contender Roberto Faria and Mexican racer Mariano Martinez in their quest to fight at the front once again this year.
Looking ahead to the start of the new season, Ford Performance Europe’s Senior Manager, Gerard Quinn, underlined his pride at the series’ vital role on the FIA’s single-seater ladder and welcomed the next generation of motorsport stars to British F4 in a landmark year for the championship.
“I am delighted that the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost is back for another exciting season,” said Quinn.
“The thirty-race campaign is among the most challenging of all the F4 series worldwide and we are proud to be able to host another intake of professional young drivers, both male and female, from around the world.
“This is an interesting year for our championship as we will be keeping a close eye on Lando Norris, our 2015 champion, as he competes in his maiden season in Formula 1. I am sure he will be an inspiration to all of our drivers as they aspire to be F1 drivers of the future.
“We are proud to make such a valuable opportunity available for drivers to come and race in a series that is pivotal in their racing careers. I am looking forward to the close, exciting racing that we have become accustomed to in the F4 British Championship over the past few seasons”.
The stage is set for another thrilling season – prepare to watch history in the making!
Incredible prize offering continues…
The F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost is renowned for being the most difficult of its kind worldwide – with a fitting range of prizes on offer.
The Ford Triple Crown Award – open to all participants – will see the first driver to win all three races in a weekend awarded £10,000. The Ford Super Rookie Award continues, with a £5,000 prize for the first Rookie Cup entrant to win a race outright.
The champion will continue to earn a test with a leading F3 team in Europe courtesy of tyre suppliers Hankook, along with a free set of tyres for testing for the ‘Most Improved’ driver at each meeting, decided by the number of places gained from starting positions in Races 1&3.
Mygale will continue to offer a €1,000 credit for spare parts to the team that takes pole position at each event. Off-circuit, Snap-On Tools will provide a £300 voucher to the best technician at each round, and a Snap-On Business Solutions toolbox worth over £5,000 will be similarly awarded to the best technician over the course of the year.
Never miss the action
The F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered Ford EcoBoost will again comprise 30 races across 10 events at the UK’s premier race circuits as the sole single-seater support series for the ever-popular British Touring Car Championship. British F4 will play a starring role in front of hundreds of thousands of trackside spectators and millions more watching live and free-to-air on ITV4, ITV Hub and online at itv.com alongside extensive highlights programmes.
Source: British F4
