BRDC Formula 4

Middlehurst Relieved To Get First F4 Win Under Belt

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Chris Middlehurst has expressed his relief at finally carding his first BRDC Formula 4 Championship victory at Brands Hatch this past weekend, and hopes the win can spur him on to a successful end to the 2014 season.

MGR Motorsport’s Middlehurst started the second race of the weekend from second on the grid, but slipped to sixth off the start. After holding position for the first couple of laps, the former Formula Ford 1600 champion benefitted from contact ahead to snatch second on lap three.

Keeping in touch with leader Arjun Maini in the middle of the race, a spin for the Lanan Racing driver at the high-speed Sheene bend handed the advantage to Middlehurst, who held the lead for the final seven laps to collect his maiden F4 win.

“I got a really bad start off the line and two or three came past me,” Middlehurst reflected. “I was holding sixth for a couple of laps until into Druids, Fielding threw it up the inside of Palmer and they hit each other and slowed the others up. I kept it on the inside, booted it on the exit and me and Maini got away.

“He was pulling away a few laps, then I was catching him a few laps, until he made a mistake at Sheene and did a full 360. I snuck up the inside and tried to get as much advantage as I could from it, then held him off till the end as he caught me up.”

While Middlehurst admits that the victory only came thanks to a large chunk of good fortune, the 19 year old is hugely relieved to get a first F4 win under his belt.

“Luck played into my hands, some will call it an inherited win but we’ll take it however it comes,” he commented.

“Sometimes you win races like that, sometimes you lose races like that, it’s racing and we’re just delighted to take the win, we haven’t had the pace really all year and it’s a big confidence boost.”

While frustrated he hasn’t been a more consistent podium finisher, having taken just four in eighteen races so far, the reigning Formula Renault BARC champion is content with his performances so far in his first season in the category.

“I’m seventh in the championship at the moment which isn’t too bad and hopefully we can climb a few places in these next couple of rounds and see where we are at the end of it,” he added.

“Realistically though in my first year in this class, we’ve done okay and hopefully we can do it again next year and try to win it.”

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Simon is an experienced journalist and PR officer, who has worked in the national motorsport paddocks for over a decade, primarily on the BTCC support package.
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