It goes without saying that 2019 British F4 campaign was tough for the Arden Junior Team, with the squad finishing almost 200 points adrift of eventual team champions Double R Racing, scoring just seven wins in the 30 race championship. And with Abbie Munro, Tommy Foster and Bart Horsten all moving on after season’s end, the team had a major reshuffle during the winter break.
This season, they’ve downsized to a three car team in an effort to have a more focused assault on the championship, retaining the services of Alex Connor from last season, and being joined by Ginetta Junior graduate Roman Bilinksi, and rookie Frederick Lubin.
Alex Connor hoping experience will prove key
The 2018 teams’ champions will be looking to make amends in 2020, and if the Media test day on March 9th was anything to go by, then it appears that they have the capability to challenge for more consistent podiums and wins this year. Sophomore driver Alex Connor finished the day third fastest, and is confident that sticking with Arden coupled with his off-season preparation could lead to a title challenge this season.
“I’ve done some good preparation throughout the winter break, and hopefully it all goes well. The main target is to win the championship as a second year driver, so I would say that is the only goal. I think sticking with Arden will help, because last year was a really good atmosphere and I worked well with the team, but I also have new team mates this year and we’ve all got on really well.
“Obviously I know all the tracks now, so I already know what to expect now compared to last year, so I think that’ll help me a lot. There’s a little bit of pressure going into my second year, I’ve done it all before, but I have faith in myself and hopefully I can go for that main goal.” explained Connor.
Lofty goals for British F4 new boy Roman Bilinski
Two thirds of the Arden driver lineup in 2020 in brand new, and next up we spoke to Ginetta Junior driver Roman Bilinski, who makes his step up to single seater racing. And the British racer was clear in describing how racing in the British F4 championship was the natural next step in his career, what he can achieve in what it means to be racing for such an established name in junior formula.
“Well I think in the end this was a clear choice for us to get a better start to my career, and obviously British F4 has shown to be a very competitive championship, and it’s the first step on the single seater ladder. Obviously the car is a lot different to the Ginetta, it’s more physical and you have to be as smooth as you can.
“Me and my team mates have just clicked and we’re just pushing each other as fast as we can on race day to give the team the best result. The off-season has been busy, trying to do as much training on the sim as well as physcial training. The main target is definitely the championship.
“Obviously Arden is a great team to be with, it’s a real privilege, and we’ll be working our hardest to get the best results. The team is very professional, and all the data has helped be develop as a driver, I’ve become more mature and overall just improved myself in different ways.” said Bilinski.
Learning year for rookie Frederick Lubin
One of the most exciting prospects coming into this year’s edition of British F4 is the arrival of highly regarded Frederick Lubin. The British rookie will be looking to learn as much as possible from his more experienced team mates and hit the ground running the series rolls into Donington two weeks from now.
“I’m feeling excited and I just can’t wait ti get started now. The goal is the rookie championship and finish top five overall would be pretty mega. being announced early has helped because I’ve been able to get that out of the way and also getting my name out there coming from karting to cars, but I’m not expecting any added pressure.
“Arden’s the best team in my opinion, and my team mates are awesome as we get along really well. Everything’s just gelled really nicely. As for the cars, they give great feedback and feel amazing to push so everything is really good so far.
“The step from karts to cars wasn’t as steep because at the end of the day we’re still driving, But you definitely feel more power and downforce, and it’s something you have to learn from the start again.”
The 2020 British F4 Championship is due to kick off on the weekend of 28/29 March.
