Hitech scores hat-trick of podiums at British F4 opener
Round 1 - Donington Park - Report
Hitech began its 2026 Wera Tools F4 British Championship campaign at Donington Park with a competitive opening weekend that delivered podium finishes, front-running pace, and valuable early-season points across the first three races.
The 30-car field launched the campaign on the National layout with a tightly contested qualifying session on Saturday morning, before three action-packed races that underlined the series’ competitive strength.
Qualifying
Theo Palmer delivered a strong performance to secure second on the grid, placing himself on the front row for Race 1. Scott Kin Lindblom qualified eighth, while Adam Al Azhari and Chiara Bättig set 17th and 23rd respectively.
Second-fastest lap times – Theo fourth, Scott fifth, Adam 13th and Chiara 15th – determined the Race 3 grid. Race 2 featured a partially reversed grid format.
Race One (Saturday pm)
At the start, Theo got a strong launch from second on the grid to put himself firmly in the podium fight. Scott ran in the lead group early on but slipped to sixth in the opening battles.
Further back, Adam made steady progress through the early phase, working his way into the top ten before ultimately finishing 10th. Chiara also moved forward during the race, recovering to 14th after early position changes.
Theo crossed the line in second place on the road after a confident and controlled drive, but a post-race track limits penalty dropped him to third in the final classification.
Scott finished sixth, Adam ninth, and Chiara 14th.
Theo Palmer:
“Obviously I was P2 on track but P3 because of track limits, so that's a shame, but my goal was to get a podium and I've achieved that in the first round - I'm really happy with that. I had rookie podiums last year but this is my first real podium in the championship. Hitech have given me a great car and now I can fight for a win.”
Race Two (Sunday am)
Race 2 was heavily disrupted from the outset, with multiple incidents leading to an early Safety Car and a Red Flag period.
Scott, starting fifth, was involved in early contact but kept his race alive. Adam was caught up in an incident following a lock-up bringing his progress to an early conclusion.
After a lengthy stoppage, the race resumed on lap 13 with limited green flag running available thereafter.
At the restart, Scott briefly dropped back but remained in the lead group. Theo gained ground to move into sixth, while Chiara climbed to 18th.
Further safety car periods reduced continuous running, leaving a short sprint to the finish.
Scott fought back strongly to secure third and a podium finish, while Theo finished fifth and Chiara 18th.
Theo collected the Lotus Fastest Lap Award.
Scott Kin Lindblom:
“For sure, it went well. There weren’t as many push laps as I would have hoped because of the interruptions, but to come away with silverware is still pretty good.”
Race Three (Sunday pm)
The final race of the weekend saw the grid determined by each driver’s second-fastest qualifying time, placing Theo on the front row in second, with Scott 11th, Adam Al Azhari 16th and Chiara Bättig 23rd.
The race got off to a hectic start with several cars running wide and multiple off-track moments on the opening lap.
Scott made strong early progress, gaining three positions to run eighth.
A safety car on lap two neutralised proceedings before racing resumed with 17 minutes remaining. Another interruption shortly after the restart prevented sustained running.
Once the race settled, Scott moved through the order.
On lap 12, Theo was involved in contact with Langedonck while challenging for the lead, which ended his race and brought out another safety car.
At the finish, Scott secured fourth place and was subsequently promoted to third following the application of post-race penalties, Adam Al Azhari 10th after a strong recovery drive, and Chiara came home in 13th having gained ten places.
Theo secured his second Lotus Fastest Lap Award of the weekend.
Hitech leaves Donington Park having firmly staked its claim on a strong 2026 campaign.