Argenti Motorsport’s Matias Zagazeta topped the timesheets of the latest official test at Thruxton today as we inch closer and closer to the beginning of the 2021 British F4 Championship, with other sophomore drivers Abbi Pulling and Roman Bilinski featuring prominently in the top five. The leading quintet was complete by impressive rookie drivers Mckenzy Cresswell and Fortec Motorsport’s Oliver Gray in third and fifth respectively.
In what was effectively two “Friday” practice sessions of 45 minutes, the running was limited. However, this didn’t stop the 17 drivers from gaining plenty of data and knowledge ahead of the season opening round at the high speed Hampshire circuit.
Completing 46 laps for the day, it was Zagazeta’s 1:12.878 time set in the first session that remained unbeatable, with Carlin’s Roman Bilinski’s 1:13.123 benchmark time in the afternoon session being enough for fourth overall.
Outside the top five it was Fortec’s Swedish star Joel Granfors in sixth, with rookie Matthew Rees following less than a tenth of a second behind the Formula Nordic champion in seventh place.
Carlin team mates Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak and Kai Askey were joined at the hip in lap time, with the the fellow first year drivers separated by just four thousandths of a second in eighth and ninth place, and JHR Developments’ Joseph Loake a couple tenths further back in tenth place and completing the most afternoon laps with 28.
Outside the top ten it was Japan’s Dougie Bolger for Carlin and one of the 2020 British F4 stars James Hedley for Fortec Motorsport in eleventh and twelfth respectively, with the two new Argenti Motorsport acquisitions of Marcos Flack and Edoardo in thirteenth and fourteenth, separated by just two hundredths of a second.
At the rear of the timesheets it was Georgi Dimitrov in the sole Richardson Racing entry down in sixteenth place, sandwiched in between the two Arden new boys of Zak Taylor and Thomas Ikin in fifteenth and seventeenth respectively.
With just four weeks until the season begins in earnest, these tests are critical in preparation for what could be one of the closest fought British F4 championships since the series inception in 2015.
The 2021 F4 British Championship season begins at the high-speed Thruxton in Hampshire over the 08-09 May.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matias Zagazeta | Argenti Motorsport | 1:12.878 | 46 Laps |
| 2 | Abbi Pulling | JHR Developments | 1:12.961 | 44 Laps |
| 3 | Mckenzy Cresswell (R) | JHR Developments | 1:13.093 | 10 Laps |
| 4 | Roman Bilinski | Carlin | 1:13.123 | 52 Laps |
| 5 | Oliver Gray (R) | Arden Motorsport | 1:13.131 | 44 Laps |
| 6 | Joel Granfors | Fortec Motorsport | 1:13.139 | 44 Laps |
| 7 | Matthew Rees (R) | JHR Developments | 1:13.245 | 36 Laps |
| 8 | Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak | Carlin | 1:13.273 | 50 Laps |
| 9 | Kai Askey (R) | Carlin | 1:13.277 | 44 Laps |
| 10 | Joseph Loake | JHR Developments | 1:13.424 | 46 Laps |
| 11 | Dougie Bolger (R) | Carlin | 1:13.434 | 44 Laps |
| 12 | James Hedley | Fortec Motorsport | 1:13.486 | 49 Laps |
| 13 | Marcos Flack (R) | Argenti Motorsport | 1:13.787 | 41 Laps |
| 14 | Edoardo Coseteng (R) | Argenti Motorsport | 1:13.810 | 40 Laps |
| 15 | Zak Taylor | Arden Motorsport | 1:14.039 | 50 Laps |
| 16 | Georgi Dimitrov | Richardson Racing | 1:14.198 | 43 Laps |
| 17 | Thomas Ikin (R) | Arden Motorsport | 1:14.514 | 48 Laps |
