F4 British Championship

Luis Leeds Wins Chaotic Race to Claim Maiden British F4 Victory

2 Mins read

After staying out of trouble in the opening few laps, Luis Leeds managed to cruise to victory in the reverse grid F4 British Championship race at Thruxton. Meanwhile, the field was turned upside down behind, as a number of series leaders caused, or ran into issues.

A lack of finishers in the opening race saw seventh placed Jack Butel inherit his pole of the season. It didn’t last long though as Leeds made a good start, going around the outside of first chicane. He bumped into Butel as he did, demoting the JHR Developments driver to fifth.

The best start though, was once again made by Jamie Caroline. Determined to prove his Donington Park getaway was no fluke, the Pirtek sponsored driver leaped immediately from tenth into the top four as he chased down a podium.

The first lap drama had seen Alex Quinn move into the final podium place as his battle at first chicane ended in contact. Determined to defend from Caroline, Quinn outbraked himself and hit second place James Pull. Quinn spun again hitting others as others as Butel had the field stacked behind him after picking up damage.

Further consequential incidents saw Sennan Fielding pit with damage as Nicolai Kjaergaard beach himself at Church. The safety car was finally called to recover the Dane and calm the rest of the field down.

Leeds had broken away in the confusion but the Safety Car eradicated his advantage allowing Caroline and third place Devlin DeFrancesco to get a run on him as the race eventually got back underway.

The safety car didn’t stay in long though. The top three had initially broken away, but a battle for second saw fourth place Butel get a good run towards the chicane, DeFrancesco, determined not to lose ground, launched him into the barrier. The Carlin team’s terrible race got worse as Petru Florescu, who had inherited third, suddenly slowed into Noble.

With almost all the front runners caught up in various trouble, Leeds’ TRS Arden took a virtually unchallenged victory with Caroline holding on to second. The podium was rounded out by Billy Monger, who had started eighteenth, while fourth placed Carrie Schreiner also recorded her best result of the season, having started thirteenth.

With Zane Goddard starting nineteenth, the odds on the top five must have been long, as an excellent recovery drive from Fielding saw him claim the fastest lap and snatch sixth, despite starting the final lap in tenth. Pull was seventh as Jack Martin took the rookie victory in eighth.

Credit: Nick Smith / TheImageTeam.com
1347 posts

About author
Single-Seater Specialist who worked for TCF from 2015-19. Come finding me wandering the paddock.
Articles
Related posts
F4 British Championship

Carlin dominant as Louis Sharp draws first blood

2 Mins read
Rodin Carlin were resounding leaders in the opening race of the 2023 ROKiT British F4 Championship.
F4 British Championship

Aiden Neate, Noah Lisle, and Sonny Smith complete British F4 grid

1 Mins read
Three more drivers have been added to the British F4 grid for a record-breaking 21 entries.
F4 British Championship

Gabriel Stilp finalises deal to compete in British F4 with Hitech

1 Mins read
2-time Junior X30 World Champion, Gabriel Stilp, has finalised a deal to compete with Hitech in the ROKiT F4 British Championship.