The half-way stage of the British F4 season
Round 5 - Oulton Park - Preview
Hitech TGR’s four-car line-up heads to the picturesque Oulton Park circuit in Cheshire this weekend for Round 5 of the British F4 Championship, which marks the half-way point of the season. The challenging 2.26-mile ‘Island’ layout is characterised by fast-flowing corners – with little run-off. As a result, and with the weather set fair, this weekend will place an added focus on qualifying.
Situated in the Cheshire countryside, Oulton Park is one of the most popular venues in the UK and regularly attracts a bumper crowd. Located close to the village of Little Budworth, near Tarporley, the circuit rewards commitment and bravery, with fearsome bends such as Old Hall, Cascades and Druids requiring precision driving. Mistakes are costly at this historic venue, making it a great proving ground for up-and-coming talent.
Leading the attack for us this weekend is Fionn McLaughlin, who is just ten points off the top of the Drivers’ standings. The Red Bull Junior Team driver is expecting Oulton Park to be a challenge and emphasises how important qualifying will be.
Fionn McLaughlin:
“As a rookie it will be tough because at this circuit there is no margin for error. You have a very high chance of hitting the barriers, so it’s all about threading a very fine needle around this layout.”
Leo Robinson was victorious last time out at Thruxton and, after his strongest showing of the British F4 season so far, will be hoping to maintain his form going into the weekend.
Leo Robinson:
“I actually did my first ever car race at Oulton Park, so it’s a track that has good memories for me. After helping Hitech achieve a 1-2 finish at the last round, I’m hoping we can carry that momentum forward.”
Despite leading most of the race at Thruxton, Thomas Bearman finished second to Leo to give us our first 1-2 of the year. And the 15-year-old is excited about getting back behind the wheel once more, with that all-important qualifying at 11:25 on Saturday morning.
Thomas Bearman:
“This race wasn’t on the calendar last year, but I’m glad that it has returned - I think this will be a fun track to race on. There are some tricky corners, so I’m not sure how easy it will be to overtake - so qualifying will be especially important and the margins between the cars will be tiny.”
Hitech team-mate Xavier Avramides agrees it’s a fun track to drive, with its undulations and high-speed corners – his personal favourite being the dip into Cascades at the start of the lap.
Xavier Avramides:
“It’s a track I really enjoy. It’s narrow, bumpy, has all kinds of corners, and very little room for error - almost like a street circuit. And I was pretty fast there last time I drove it in testing so let’s see what we can achieve this time around.”
In the Teams’ Championship, Hitech sit top with a 38-point margin over the opposition. This weekend, Race 1 takes place on Saturday at 16:15, with Races 2 and 3 on Sunday at 13:05 and 16:05 respectively.
