The Arden quartet of Dennis Hauger, Patrik Pasma, Jack Doohan and Sebastian Priaulx headed into the F4 British Championship finale at Brands Hatch on the 28-30 September.
Qualifying saw Priaulx storm to pole position for Arden, with Pasma setting the 4th fastest time, followed by the Red Bull Juniors Hauger and Doohan in 8th and 9th positions.
This set their positions for Race 1 of the weekend. Whilst when their second-best laps were considered, Priaulx was 2nd quickest, with the other three Arden drivers starting in the same three positions of 4th, 8th and 9th respectively for Race 3.
The first race of the weekend saw Priaulx make a great getaway from pole position, assuming a position out front which he wouldn’t relinquish over the course of the 30-minute race – taking a dominant victory and his first since the opening weekend of the season.
Pasma was involved a race long battle with fellow Finn Paavo Tonteri, as the two duelled it out for 4th position throughout the race, with Pasma crossing the line in 5th position.
Doohan and Hauger were duelling it out in their battle for race and overall Rookie Championship supremacy, with Hauger finishing the first race in 7th position – just one ahead of teammate Doohan as the Rookie title race hotted up.
In the partially reversed-grid second race, Pasma made a great getaway from 3rd on the grid to move himself into 2nd and ahead of Ayrton Simmons into Turn 1. Pasma wasn’t able to trouble leader Jewiss, who got a break at the start of the race – meaning Pasma would focus on defending 2nd position to the end of the race, which he held onto at the finish line.
Priaulx was all over the back of Simmons throughout the race, again demonstrating his impressive pace from Qualifying and Race 1 to threaten for serious points once again as he finished in 6th position.
The Red Bull Juniors once again were at it again fighting for race and Rookie podium honours, with Hauger finishing just behind Priaulx and one position ahead of Doohan who rounded out the Arden quartet in 8th position, taking fastest lap in the process.
The final race of the British F4 Championship saw Priaulx start from 2nd on the grid, trying to pressure leader Hoggard from the beginning but was unable to find a way through. Despite setting the fastest lap of the race and shadowing Hoggard throughout he would just miss out on making it a Brands Hatch GP double – finishing in 2nd position in the season finale.
Pasma enjoyed a battle race long with Simmons for 4th position, after both drivers pounced on an error by newly crowned Champion Kiern Jewiss to move into the battle just off the podium. Pasma finished a solid 5th to round out his impressive form in the second half of the season.
The Rookie Championship was on the line in the final race of the year between the two Arden Red Bull Juniors. Doohan had a small advantage over Hauger heading into the final round, where the Rookie title was decided in his favour early on, after Manuel Sulaima hit Hauger into Paddock Hill bend, damaging his floor significantly, pushing the Norwegian through the gravel and to the back of the field.
Doohan crossed the line in 7th position to seal the Rookie Championship, with Hauger unlucky to finish outside the points after being knocked out of contention.
The result of the three podiums for the team, saw Arden crowned the British F4 Teams Champions for the first time, outscoring Double R Racing by 39 points at the end of the season finale.
In the overall championship, Hauger finished as the lead Arden driver in 4th position overall, just ahead of Doohan in 5th, Pasma 6th and Priaulx rounding out the quartet with 7th overall in the final points classification.
Doohan also received the prestigious Joe Tandy Memorial Trophy, meaning it is the second year in a row that an Arden driver has won the coveted award – following Oscar Piastri claiming the award in 2017.
With the 2018 championship over, attention begins to turn to the 2019 season – where announcements about next years plans and drivers will be made in due course.