Hitech head north of the border
Round 7 - Knockhill - Preview
Round 7 of the Wera Tools F4 British Championship takes place in Scotland this weekend, as the series heads to the narrow, undulating Knockhill circuit. We also welcome a new face in the Hitech TGR garage, with Joseph Smith making his F4 debut — joining regulars Fionn McLaughlin, Thomas Bearman and Xavier Avramides — and he will remain with us for the final four rounds of the season.
Smith made his car racing debut in the Ginetta Junior Winter Series last year before stepping up to the main Ginetta Junior Championship, where he claimed four podium finishes. Now, the 15-year-old British racer makes the jump to single-seaters as the F4 championship rejoins the TOCA package following its recent overseas visit to Zandvoort.
In the Netherlands, Fionn extended his lead at the top of the standings by 28.5 points thanks to a win and a second-place finish. He arrives in Scotland aiming to add a fourth win of the season at the challenging and popular 1.27-mile circuit.
Red Bull Junior Team Driver, Fionn McLaughlin:
“Knockhill’s not an easy track. I haven’t raced there before, but I’ve seen the onboard videos — the kerbs, the cars flying over the chicane… it’s unbelievable. It’ll be a great experience and I’m definitely excited for it.”
Team-mate Thomas Bearman, who sits ninth in the standings, echoed those thoughts.
Thomas Bearman:
“It’s definitely one of the most daunting tracks on the calendar. It’s narrow, it’s hilly, it’s hard to overtake, and the weather can be really unpredictable. There’s not much room for error — it’s got everything you’d expect from what a street circuit would be, just packed into a proper race track. It looks a bit mad, to be honest, but exciting too. The chicane especially looks wild. I think it’ll be all about keeping it tidy and staying out of trouble.”
Meanwhile, Australian Xavier Avramides is looking for a reset this weekend after a heavy crash in Zandvoort last time out. Although he was unable to take the restart or race in the final contest, Hitech’s British F4 team manager Dominic Stott invited him onto the podium to collect our trophy as the winning team representative — a nice gesture following a tough weekend.
Xavier Avramides:
“It’s a very small but tricky track. There are lots of places where a small mistake can put you in the gravel or the wall. You have to be right on the limit everywhere. The chicane is definitely the key — it’s where you gain or lose the most time. It’s all about carrying speed without overshooting and getting a clean exit. It’s all about keeping the momentum.”
This weekend’s meeting begins with qualifying at 9am on Saturday morning, followed by the first 20-minute race at 1.40pm. On Sunday, Race 2 is at 10.35am with the final race of the weekend starting at 3.55pm.
