Next up, the Netherlands
Round 6 - Zandvoort - Preview
After a short break, Hitech TGR return to British F4 action this weekend (July 26-27th) as the second half of the season gets underway in the Netherlands.
Round 6 of the Wera Tools F4 British Championship, certified by FIA, takes place at the Dutch seaside venue of Zandvoort-aan-Zee. A stone’s throw from the North Sea, the historic 14-turn Circuit Zandvoort is nestled in the dunes and features a couple of banked corners in its current Formula 1-spec layout.
Heading to the Netherlands, Hitech top all three points tables. In the Drivers’ Standings (and Rookie Cup), Fionn McLaughlin leads the way. The Irishman has netted 168.5 points so far this season with two wins — at Snetterton and last time out at Oulton Park — and carries a slender margin of just 5.5 points into Holland. We also top the Teams’ Championship table after five rounds, having amassed 279.5 points.
The Red Bull Junior Team driver commented:
“I’m very excited to get back on track and Zandvoort looks like an interesting place to race. It’s great that we get to experience another destination used in Formula 1 - and maybe someday I’ll be back in a faster car. I’m looking forward to tackling the banked corners, as that’s something you don’t normally get on British circuits.”
Hitech team-mate Thomas Bearman was also victorious last time out, securing his first win in British F4 at a rain-hit Oulton Park. The Chelmsford-based youngster has four Rookie Class triumphs to his name so far this season. He currently sits second in the Rookie Cup standings, one place ahead of fellow Hitech driver Xavier Avramides.
Thomas Bearman:
“Zandvoort’s a great circuit. It has those two notorious banked corners - Turn 3 and Turn 14 - which make it unique. Also, because it’s quite tight, qualifying is going to be super important, as I think overtaking will be pretty difficult.”
Thomas continued: “Ahead of the weekend, I’ve completed a few laps on the simulator to learn the track to get the racing lines right, especially in those banked turns – they’ll be a challenge for sure.”
Twelve months ago, Hitech’s Deagen Fairclough won twice on British F4’s first-ever visit to Zandvoort, and last year’s champion still holds the F4 lap record at the 2.6-mile circuit. As we return to this overseas venue, we’re delighted to welcome back to the team a driver who calls this her home circuit – despite living in Wijster, located on the other side of the country, over 120 miles away.
Following her outings in the Formula Winter Series and, more recently, the two non-championship races at Silverstone during the British Grand Prix weekend, Nina Gademan returns to the Hitech squad. The F1 Academy driver takes over the number six car following the departure of Leo Robinson.
This weekend’s BARC-organised meeting begins with two 45-minute test sessions on Friday, followed by that all-important qualifying session at 9:30am on Saturday (local time). All races will be streamed on the British F4 YouTube channel: Race 1 is 14:00 (13:00 UK) on Saturday, with Race 2 at 10.10am (09.10am UK) and Race 3 at 14:35 (13:35 UK) on Sunday.