Chris Dittmann Racing showed its pace in the Wera Tools F4 British Championship certified by FIA, bouncing back after qualifying to challenge for the podium at Oulton Park.
On a hot Friday, Tommy Harfield was right at the sharp end in FP1, ending the day fifth quickest overall, while Alba Larsen steadily improved throughout her first outing at the circuit. Qualifying on Saturday proved fiercely contested in hot, humid air with rain edging in as a late shower brought out the red flag and left Tommy down in 16th and Alba in 20th, below their practice form but confident in the car’s long-run pace.
It was clear and sunny again for the opening race later that afternoon, but red flags were quickly shown after an incident on the start line. On the restart, with five cars absent, Tommy had a clear road ahead right to the pole sitter and started well, slotting into fifth into turn one, while Alba gained one position to run 14th. Tommy moved forward, taking fourth, and from then onwards both drivers ran solidly to the flag, in fourth and 14th, respectively.
Conditions were cooler on Sunday, where Tommy enjoyed a good opening lap for the second contest, gaining four places and was then on the charge, pushing hard to try and crack into the top 10. Alba also started well, moving up two places and then gaining a third halfway through the 20-minute race. In the closing moments Tommy made one more effort to get past but couldn’t get through while Alba took one more spot to cross the line 16th.
Rain fell before the final race though the field started on slicks with just damp patches on track. Tommy enjoyed a good start, passing two cars, while Alba maintained her spot off the line. She then took two places before Tommy lined up a move into turn one, losing control on a damp part of the track and spinning, though he managed to get going again just before the Safety Car was called.
As the track went green, Alba was now up to 14th with Tommy 17th, albeit able to close in on the rear of the field, though the red flag was shown before a lap was completed. The restart would be for seven minutes, behind the Safety Car, but after a lap and a half was red flagged once again and half points awarded.
Next up for Chris Dittmann Racing will be the non-championship Wera Tools British F4 support races alongside the 2025 British Grand Prix, over the weekend of July 4-6, where the focus will be on maximising qualifying performances to ensure strong race results.
Chris Dittmann, Team Principal
“The car was quick enough for strong results; Tommy simply needs to translate that into qualifying, and I’m confident he will. Alba’s debut at Oulton Park was very promising – she’s finding pace each session and her confidence is growing. We’ll keep working hard with the drivers to ensure they attain the very best results possible and deliver what the car is capable of.”
#21 Tommy Harfield
G1 – 11, R1 – 4
G2 – 16, R2 – 12
G3 – 16, R3 – 18
Championship: 6 (91 points)
Challenge Cup: 1 (216.5 points)
#14 Alba Larsen
G1 – 20, R1 – 14 (Rookie: 4)
G2 – 20, R2 – 16 (R: 6)
G3 – 20, R3 – 15 (R: 4)
Championship: 21 (15 points)
Rookie Cup: 7 (89 points)
Challenge Cup: 3 (132 points)
