Oulton Park in Cheshire hosted Rounds 10-12 of the F4 British Championship. The Arden Motorsport quartet of Dennis Hauger, Patrik Pasma, Jack Doohan and Sebastian Priaulx started the weekend off by setting the 2nd, 3rd, 7th and 9th fastest times respectively in Timed Qualifying – setting their positions for the opening race of the weekend.
When second fastest times we counted for, which formed the grid for Race Three, Pasma headed the Arden drivers with 2nd on the grid, Hauger would start from 5th, Doohan 7th and Priaulx from 8th on the grid.
Race one saw Hauger and Pasma make great starts to jump into 1st and 2nd off the line. Pasma was demoted to 3rd in the early stages by Kiern Jewiss, as he and Hauger then duelled for the lead.
Hauger kept Jewiss behind brilliantly all race, before being punted wide at the ‘Island Hairpin’.
Hauger crossed the line in 2nd position, but he was promoted to the victory after Jewiss was penalized for the illegal manoeuvre – awarding the Red Bull Junior his maiden victory in the championship, as well as the Rookie victory in the process.
Pasma came home to make it two Arden’s on the podium in the opening race with 3rd position. Doohan managed to gain two positions in the race and finished a solid 5th, with Priaulx taking the final championship points place in 10th position.
The second race of the weekend saw Doohan start from 2nd on the grid and immediately challenge pole sitter Ayrton Simmons for the lead. The Red Bull Junior stuck to the gearbox of the leader, applying constant pressure for the victory. This became a three-way fight for the majority of the race, all in contention for victory.
Despite his best efforts, Doohan had to settle for a strong 2nd place finish – just 0.382s off the race win, taking his fifth Rookie win of the season.
Pasma and Hauger were running nose-to-tail for the majority of the race in an intense intra-team battle, which saw them cross the line in 5th and 6th position respectively. Priaulx made it all four Arden’s in the points once again by finishing the race in 9th position.
The third and final race of the weekend saw Pasma lead the Arden charge, holding on his 2nd position off the line and resisting the pressure from fellow Finn Paavo Tonteri behind. Pasma managed to keep his rival behind to take his third podium of the season after his strongest weekend of the season so far.
Red Bull Juniors Hauger and Doohan battled closely throughout the race, as they came home in 5th and 6th position respectively at the finish, while Priaulx was forced to retire from the race with a technical issue – denying him a chance at scoring valuable championship points.
In the Championship Standings, Doohan is the lead Arden Motorsport driver in 3rd overall on 137 points, 20 ahead of teammate Hauger in 4th position. Pasma’s strong weekend has moved him into 6th position in the standings, one place ahead of Priaulx who sits 7th in the table.
Arden Motorsport sit 2nd in the Team’s Championship, just 7 points off the lead.
Doohan leads the Rookie Championship from teammate Hauger as the two Red Bull Juniors and British F4 race winners continue to impress in the championship.
The next round of the 2018 F4 British Championship will take place at Croft on the 23-24 June for Rounds 13-15, before the season heads into a summer break, as the championship reaches its half-way point.