Rookies lead the way in season opener at Donington Park

Fionn also secured an overall P2 at the start of the weekend and was set for another podium finish on Sunday afternoon before receiving a time penalty for track limits. In Race 2, he ran wide through the gravel at the bottom of the hill at the Old Hairpin and lost several places. Despite limited single-seater experience, it was a successful start to the year for the Red Bull Junior Team driver, who showcased immediate pace.

The Irishman qualified P2 for Race 3 at Donington Park and kept that position at the flag despite two Safety Car interventions. He also added two top-ten finishes to round out his first British F4 weekend.

The Irishman continued:

“On the second Safety Car restart, I actually hit the rev limiter, which was a bit annoying. That lost me time, but Safety Cars happen a lot in racing, so it’s important for me to prepare for these moments. That’s something I’ll work hard to improve on, but overall the race was good, so I’ll take the positives.”

Thomas Bearman took two second places and a third in the Rookie Cup, and sits 19 points behind his Hitech team-mate in the class standings. His best overall result was sixth in the first race on Saturday afternoon.

Thomas continued:

“Race 1 was a tough battle, and I know we have a few things to work on. I don’t think we maximised the car, but we know it’s fast. I felt we could have fought for a podium, though. It’s difficult to overtake here, especially with all the dirty air in the midfield battles – but that’s the fun of it.”

Starting 13th on the grid, Leo Robinson finished 14th in Race 1 and improved as the weekend progressed, taking fifth in Race 2 and sixth in the final race. 

In the fourth Hitech entry, Xavier Avramides showed strong pace across the opening round and is feeling optimistic heading into Silverstone. A spin at the chicane hindered him in his opening race, but he bounced back with a top-ten finish in Race 2 and leaves the opening event third in the Rookie Cup. With valuable experience gained at Donington Park, the 17-year-old is aiming to take another step forward this weekend as he looks to fight further up the grid. 

Hitech now sits P2 in the Teams’ Cup standings.