French F4

Frustrating Weekend in Pau for Paul Hokfelt Jr

1 Mins read

For Paul Hokfelt Jr, the Pau French Formula 4 event started so promisingly but ended with him only completing three racing laps in the three races. He was eliminated early in both race one and three by contact at the Lycée hairpin, while a puncture in race two saw him retire in the pit lane.

In a complete opposite of the opening round in Le Mans where the Swiss driver messed up qualifying and had two brilliant races to storm through the field to take points, qualifying was the high point in Pau. He qualified third for race one and fourth for race three. Unfortunately race one would end too soon when Australian Joseph Mawson tried an ambitious move that resulted in Hokfelt Jr ending in the wall.

“I was fourth when we came into the Lycée hairpin,” said a frustrated Hokfelt Jr. “Mawson tried to pass me by braking far too late. He hit the driver in front of me and I ended up in the wall.”

Aussie Mawson was later disqualified from the results for the collision, but Hokfelt Jr was resigned to starting from the second-last row for race 2. He managed to do a lap before a puncture sent him into the pits and into retirement. For race three, Hokfelt Jr lined-up fourth on the grid, but again came to grief at the Lycée hairpin in a collision that was not his doing.

“A driver tagged my rear wheel and knocked me into a spin. It’s really disappointing to leave Pau without scoring any points as I was very quick.”

After proving himself in the races in Le Mans, and in qualifying in Pau, Hokfelt Jr will be hoping to have a strong weekend where things go right for him in both qualifying and the races when the series resumes in July at the Circuit du Val de Vienne.

13769 posts

About author
Long time motorsport fanatic, covering Formula 1 and the occassional other series. Feel free to give him a follow on Twitter at @Paul11MSport.
Articles
Related posts
EuroFormula OpenFrench F4Italian F4Super Formula

Junior Single Seater Race Weekend Round-Up – 17-19 May 2019

10 Mins read
The Checkered Flag looks back at the race weekends in Pau for EuroFormula Open and French F4, Autopolis for Super Formula and Misano for Italian Formula 4.
French F4Super Formula

Junior Single Seater Race Weekend Round-up – 19-22 April 2019

5 Mins read
The Checkered Flag looks back at the opening weekend of Super Formula at Suzuka, while the French F4 championship also begun at Nogaro.
ADAC Formula 4F4 British ChampionshipFormula 4French F4Italian F4Season Review

2018 International Formula 4 Season Reviews

10 Mins read
TCF takes a look at the FIA Formula 4 series and the new stars that emerged from the around the world in 2018.