Palmer and Bättig take Silverstone podiums
Round 9 – Silverstone National – Report
Hitech enjoyed a strong weekend in the F4 British Championship at Silverstone, with Theo Palmer taking P2 in Race 1, Chiara Bättig securing P3 in Race 2, and Theo claiming P3 in Race 3.
Adam Al Azhari showed strong pace throughout the weekend and 15-year-old Archie Owen made his British F4 race debut ahead of his forthcoming Saudi F4 campaign.
Race 1
Theo started third, with Adam seventh, Chiara 12th and Archie 20th.
Theo held position at the front through the opening stages, while Adam moved up to sixth before contact with Al Sabah sent him off. The incident brought out the Safety Car, with several drivers pitting and Theo moving from fifth back to third.
At the restart, Theo made an excellent getaway and attacked the cars ahead. When the race leader ran wide, Theo closed in and engaged in a fierce battle with Van Langedonk, briefly taking the lead.
The Safety Car returned, setting up a final dash with less than five minutes remaining. Theo pushed hard when the track went green again to secure P2 and Hitech’s first podium of the weekend.
Race 2
Chiara started fourth, Adam sixth, Theo 10th and Archie 21st.
Adam attacked Chiara down the inside at the start and the two made contact. Both continued, but Chiara dropped to fifth while Adam fell to 12th.
Chiara responded brilliantly, passing Smith for fourth and setting her sights on Clarke ahead. She began to pull away from Theo behind, who was closing the gap as the team-mates traded fastest laps.
With Smith closing on Chiara again, Theo came back into contention. Six minutes from the finish, Smith ran wide and Theo moved past, leaving him directly behind Chiara.
Theo was fighting for valuable championship points, while Chiara continued to defend and pursue the podium. A penalty for Kraling promoted her to third, securing her second podium of the season. Theo finished fourth, with Adam 11th and Archie 27th.
Race 3
Theo started third, Adam sixth, Chiara eighth and Archie 21st.
Chiara stalled at the start and was hit from behind, with debris from two stricken cars bringing out a red flag. She was unable to take part in the restart.
Theo held P3 through the race, with Adam finishing sixth. Archie made strong progress from 21st to 14th in his first-ever British F4 race, gaining valuable experience on his debut weekend.
Hitech leaves Silverstone with two podiums, with Palmer continuing his fight for second in the Drivers’ Championship ahead of the Brands Hatch finale.
Theo Palmer:
“It’s been a really positive weekend for us. To come away with P2 in Race 1, another strong result in Race 2 and a podium in Race 3 is a great way to finish Silverstone. I’m still fighting for second in the championship, so there’s plenty to play for. I’m looking forward to Brands Hatch now and hopefully we can finish the season well and take a second win of the year.”
Dominic Stott, Hitech British F4 Team Manager:
“Silverstone was another strong weekend for the team, with Theo and Chiara both taking podiums. Chiara’s Race 2 drive was particularly impressive. She fought back from the opening-lap contact to secure her second podium of the season, so it was a real shame to see her Race 3 end before it had even begun.”
“Adam showed good pace, while Archie did a really good job on his British F4 debut. He made good progress through the field in Race 3, finishing 14th after starting 21st, which gives him valuable experience ahead of his Saudi F4 programme.”
Dominic continued:
“We now head to Brands Hatch with Theo still fighting for second in the championship, and we’ll be pushing to finish the season strongly.”
