- Lights to flag victory for Lundqvist and Double R Racing in Croft opener.
- Piastri (TRS Arden) and Sargeant (Carlin) complete podium.
- Championship leader Caroline climbs eight places in damage limitation drive.
Linus Lundqvist converted pole to victory at Croft in Round 13 of the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost. The Double R ace has been in fine form this weekend, topping every session in the run up to the opening race and he duly delivered to take his second win of the campaign.
A perfect getaway in slippery conditions and excellent opening lap saw him immediately build a gap of over two seconds, but it was wiped out due to team-mate Karl Massaad having an off at Tower which brought out the safety car.
Lundqvist was flawless once again at the restart and scampered off into the distance. The Swede set fastest lap and built a gap of almost seven seconds by the time the chequered flag fell.
“Firstly I need to say a huge thank you to Double R for a phenomenal car,” said a beaming Lundqvist. “The car feels so good in the dry and the wet. I love this circuit.
“I felt very confident going into the race and I knew we were quick. I just focused on steadily building the gap, increasing it lap by lap to pull away from the field. I found a rhythm and stuck with it.
“I didn’t want to back off too much because it was important to keep the heat in the tyres, otherwise that could have left me vulnerable to the guys behind.”
Added Double R race team director Matt Willet: “Linus is driving incredibly well this weekend. Fastest in every session, wet or dry. He’s doing a great job, as is everyone in the team.
“We feel like we’ve got Croft pretty nailed in terms of car setup and for the race today we worked very hard to make sure it was dialled in properly for the conditions.
“We had bad luck at the beginning of the year, but we’ve put that behind us and it’s now onwards and upwards.”
Behind Lundqvist could be found fellow front row starter Oscar Piastri who despite significant pressure from the fast-starting Logan Sargeant was able to keep his fellow F4 UAE graduate at bay. It earned him his sixth trip to the podium this season. The most of any driver, with the exception of championship leader Jamie Caroline who finished behind Sargeant in fourth.
“I think Logan got the best start out of the three of us at the front,” said Piastri. “I tried to go down the inside, but there wasn’t much room so I braved it around the outside and that’s how I managed to stay in second place after the opening exchanges.
“Logan stayed close to my tail for the rest of the race, but I was pleased with my performance to be able to keep him behind because he’s been one of the quickest guys this weekend.
“The aim is a top three finish in every race, claiming podiums and points consistently to help me in the championship fight.”
“It was a lot fun out there,” said Sargeant. “I got a mega start and actually got alongside Lundqvist, but I underestimated how much grip there was. I could have maybe got second if I had pushed a little more, but I brought home third and a load of points which is great.
“I feel like I have stepped up my game with these recent podium finishes, but I need to take another step to win races. I know it will come. I have all the support I need and a fantastic team around me.”
Caroline made up six places on the opening lap from 12th on the grid, having been demoted ten places courtesy of taking his penalty from Oulton Park. The Carlin ace then passed Alex Quinn and Harry Webb after the safety car period to complete the damage limitation drive.
The TRS Arden duo of Quinn and Ayrton Simmons ultimately got the better of Harry Webb who made a storming start, making up four places from ninth on the grid on his way to his third Ford F4 Challenge Cup win of the season. The Richardson Racing driver revelled in the wet conditions, perfecting the restart to get the run on Quinn down the main straight and pull off a move into turn one.
However, Webb came unstuck later in the race at the chicane, losing momentum as he travelled through the grass. It enabled Caroline and Quinn to sail past, while Simmons seized his opportunity by pulling off a brave move around the outside of Webb at Tower.
Patrik Pasma continued his fine point scoring run to bring his Carlin-prepared car home in eighth ahead of Oliver York (Fortec Motorsports) and Jamie Sharp who recorded another points finish for Sharp Motorsport. A feat made all the more impressive given that he missed free practice one on Friday due to sitting a GCSE exam.
Lucas Alecco Roy looked on course to finish well inside the top 10, making up three places on the opening lap to run in seventh. However, an off at turn one on lap six scuppered his chances.
The F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost action continues tomorrow with Round 14 commencing at 1322 and televised live on ITV4. Meanwhile the finale to the weekend gets underway at 1740. |
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