Hitech secure double podium to close F4 UAE campaign in style
Round 3 - Abu Dhabi - Report
Hitech TGR brought its Formula 4 season to a successful conclusion in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, securing a double podium at Yas Marina Circuit in the third and final round of the F4 UAE Formula Trophy mini-series.
Swedish racer Scott Kin Lindblom starred for the team, claiming a pair of third-place finishes across the two races to round out the year on a high. The 15-year-old delivered a composed and competitive performance across the day, underlining his strong end to the campaign.
Following an encouraging qualifying session, Scott lined up fourth on the grid for the opening race but was slow away at the start. Behind him, Dutch driver Nina Gademan – returning to Hitech for the season finale – made an excellent launch from fifth, gaining two positions to run third into the first corner.
Further back, British-UAE racer Theo Palmer also made a strong start, climbing two places on the opening lap to move up to 11th after a challenging qualifying session in which he struggled with car balance.
At the end of the opening lap, Scott made a decisive move on Nina at the end of the long straight, braking late into the chicane to claim third place. He then closed the gap to the leaders and, despite sustained late pressure from behind, maintained a strong and consistent pace to secure third at the chequered flag.
Nina went on to finish fifth after running comfortably within touching distance of the leading group, while Theo produced an impressive recovery drive. The 15-year-old made several clean and confident overtakes during the 14-lap encounter to climb into eighth by the finish.
Race 2 took place under the floodlights in cooler conditions and once again the F4 field lined up on the alternative grid on the second of the two back straights. Starting third, Scott again lost ground off the line, but attacked into the first corner, a left-hander, to retain his position.
The Red Bull Junior Team driver quickly settled into a strong rhythm and held third throughout the shorter 12-lap contest, which was reduced following a Safety Car intervention on lap two for an incident at the chicane. Scott ultimately finished just 2.4 seconds behind the race winner to seal his second podium of the day.
Nina started Race 2 from eighth but was unable to replicate her earlier pace, slipping back to 13th on the road, although post-race penalties elevated her in the final classification. Theo once again showed strong racecraft, charging from 16th on the grid to secure another top-ten result to conclude his season.
Scott Kin Lindblom:
“A good way to finish the Formula Trophy UAE. We had a good qualifying - good speed, P4 and P3 - and today we had two good races where we finished P3 and P3! So I'm super happy with the results and this has been really good preparation for 2026.”
Theo Palmer:
“We didn’t have the pace we were looking for in the car, which left us on the back foot in qualifying… putting us in P12 for Race 1 and P16 for Race 2. In Race 1, I fought through the midfield to finish P8. In Race 2, I gave everything to recover from P16 to P8.”
Theo continued: “I’m really proud of the performances and feel I extracted the maximum from the car. My racecraft and performance have improved across every weekend and we take this positive momentum forward into the UAE F4. That wraps up the Middle East Trophy. A big thank you to the entire Hitech team for their hard work and support.”
Dominic Stott, Hitech's F4 Team Manager:
“It’s been an excellent end to our Formula 4 campaign this year. Qualifying was strong for Scott and Nina, while Theo was a little disappointed as he struggled with the balance of the car. That said, the race pace across all three drivers was really encouraging. Theo made up a number of places on track and pulled off some excellent overtakes, which was great to see.”
Dominic continued:
“Scott finishing the weekend with two solid podiums is a fantastic way to end this mini-championship, and Nina showed she was right in the mix as well — she ran third in the first race and was matching the leaders’ pace early on. Overall, it’s a positive way to close the year and we’re all looking forward to coming back stronger in the New Year.”
