ROUND 15: HAUGER CONVERTS POLE INTO VICTORY
- Hauger and Arden win again at Croft.
- Jewiss extends championship lead with sixth consecutive podium.
- Doohan puts in inspired performance to clinch final podium spot with belting last corner lunge, having started from back row of the grid.
Arden and Dennis Hauger were back on the top step of the podium after a textbook win from pole position in round 15 of the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost at Croft.
Just as he had done in the first race of the weekend, Hauger performed yet more lights-to-flag perfection to take his second win of the Croft meeting and third of the season.
The Arden racer was able to keep Kiern Jewiss (Double R Racing) at bay for the duration, after Jewiss had got the better of team-mate Tonteri into turn one at the start to take second.
“Our pace was really good in that race,” said a beaming Hauger. “Before the Safety Car came out I had built a gap to second, but that got wiped out so I had to do it all again.
“After the first lap I felt I had the pace to win relatively comfortably. I just focused on my driving, stayed in the zone and ended the weekend on a high.
“It’s been almost a perfect weekend with two wins and a third place. It means our championship chances are starting to look a lot better now.”
Jewiss’ second place was enough to see him extend his championship lead by a further eighth points to a tally of 57 over Ayrton Simmons (JHR Developments). Simmons finishing fifth after a race-long battle with Sebastian Priaulx (Arden). The latter making a welcome return towards the sharp end of the grid after a frustrating time of late.
“For me it was always going to be a tricky race to win because Dennis had two new tyres for this race,” explained Jewiss.
“As much as I would have like to have taken the win I just don’t think it was really on the cards.
“I got a good start to maximise my chances of taking a place into turn one, which I did by going down the inside of Paavo.
“I pushed as hard as I could today. We got the win earlier and I’m happy with all the points we’ve scored this weekend.
“Two second place finishes and a win is a really strong weekend. It contributes to the excellent foundation we’ve created to fight for the championship from in the second half of the season.
“It’s definitely been a pretty good first half of the season. I’ve performed well and now we can look forward to the second half of the year having pulled away in the lead of the chase for the title.”
Behind Jewiss finished Jack Doohan. The rookie secured Arden and the Red Bull Junior Team a one-three finish and a one-two in the Rookie class after an inspired drive from the final row of the grid.
Having picked up four places on the opening lap, Doohan upped the ante as he ascended through the field, particular highlights including running bravely around the outside of Hoggard and Simmons within the space of several laps.
Doohan saved the best until the very last corner of the race. Getting a better exit out of Complex and selling Tonteri a dummy into the hairpin. He switched to the Finn’s inside and planted his car on the apex to claim the corner and power towards the finish line to take a remarkable third place.
“I really had to keep my foot planted to have a chance of getting around the outside of Hoggard into turn one. I still managed to slow the car down and emerge in front. It was a really tight overtake.
“The move on Simmons was a little bit tense. I went in pretty deep, sliding around and we were side-by-side through the Jim Clark Esses and I just managed to do enough to get ahead for Sunny In.
“I was lucky to pull off the move at the end. Tonteri defended really well. He swept out to take his normal line for the final corner and I went for the gap on the inside to get third.
“It was a tough move because I had understeer through Sunny Out which I thought cost me my chance, but then I got a good exit out of Complex to set up the move.
“We definitely showed our pace today. If we had started higher up the grid this weekend, it would have been a very different story.”
Sebastian Alvarez had plenty to be pleased about at the chequer. The Double R racer recorded his best result of the season so far in seventh, ahead of the Fortec Motorsports pair of Johnathan Hoggard and Lucca Allen who sandwiched Manuel Sulaiman (JHR Developments) in the final classification.
However, after the race Alvarez was handed a five-second time penalty for gaining an unfair advantage. It demoted him to ninth, promoting Hoggard and Sulaiman up to seventh and eighth respectively.
The quartet bagged points and denied Jamie Sharp (Sharp Motorsport) a top 10 finish. It was a case of what might have been for Hoggard, whose attempt to go around the outside of Simmons on the opening lap at Tower Bend saw him shuffled down the order.
A tangle between Josh Skelton (JHR Developments) and Patrik Pasma (Arden) at the hairpin proved the undoing of their respective races and triggered a brief Safety Car period halfway through the race, while Hampus Ericsson was also forced to retire.
Following the race Pasma was handed a 10 place grid penalty for driving in a manner not compatible with general safety. He will take the full 10 place grid drop at the next available opportunity to do so.
The F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost now goes on its annual summer break, with action resuming in five weeks at Snetterton on 28/29 July. |
