Jack Barlow produced a sensational drive to take victory in only his second ever car race in Round Two of the 2013 BRDC Formula 4 Championship at Silverstone.
A stunning start from third on grid gave Barlow the lead as the field streamed into Copse corner for the first time. Fellow fast-starter Seb Morris moved up to second from sixth on the grid, while heading backwards was poleman Diego Menchaca, the Mexican eventually pulling off on the exit of Becketts with a technical problem.
Barlow led the opening two laps, however Morris fought his way past and into the lead on lap three at the Loop. Morris, Barlow and third placed man Jake Dalton had broken away from the pack behind, with race one winner Matt Bell best of the rest after working his way up from eighth at the start.
Morris looked set for his first F4 win at the front, however two laps from the end, Barlow challenged the race leader at Becketts, eventually making the move stick at Stowe to take the lead, holding on for the remainder for his first victory with Sean Walkinshaw Racing.
“It was a bit surreal really,” said Barlow. “Even now I don’t think it’s sunk in, so it’s going to be one of those where I wake up tomorrow morning and I think ‘wow I’ve just won my second ever race!’”
Morris was left defending from Dalton behind, with the Hillspeed driver just holding him off for second, leaving Dalton to settle for third. Bell retained his championship lead in fourth, with Jake Hughes fifth.
Matthew Graham set the fastest lap of the race en-route to sixth, with the lap time giving him pole for race three. Reigning Ginetta Junior Champion Charlie Robertson claimed seventh, while Struan Moore emerged from a titanic scrap with Pietro Fittipaldi and Falco Wauer to take eighth, Wauer having driven superbly to finish tenth from 19th on the grid.
2013 BRDC Formula 4 Championship Round two result:
1. Jack Barlow, SWR Racing, 10 laps
2. Seb Morris, Hillspeed +0.818s
3. Jake Dalton, Mark Godwin Racing, +1.745s
4. Matt Bell, MattRBellRacing, +2.793s
5. Jake Hughes, Lanan Racing, +5.906s
6. Matthew Graham, SWR Racing, +7.332s
7. Charlie Robertson, HHC Motorsport, +8.039s
8. Struan Moore, Hillspeed, +17.196s
9. Pietro Fittipaldi, Mark Godwin Racing, +17.679s
10. Falco Wauer, Team KBS, +20.466s
