Chris Dittmann Racing came away from the Wera Tools F4 British Championship certified by FIA weekend at Thruxton with a podium finish after Tommy Harfield continued to impress as the series visited the UK’s fastest circuit.
The Hampshire venue provided another challenge for the drivers, having previously taken on the unique characteristics of the Zandvoort Grand Prix circuit last time out. The circuit’s high-speed nature and abrasive surface meant drivers had to balance outright pace with careful tyre management. The result was plenty of action and close battles throughout the field, allowing little margin for error across the weekend’s three contests.
Following Alba Larsen’s podium finish at Zandvoort, the team welcomed Piotr Orzechowski back into the line-up after he missed the previous two rounds. Both he and Henry Mercier showed encouraging pace during Friday’s free practice sessions, with Henry setting the third fastest time in FP1.
Tommy quickly established himself towards the sharp end of the field, qualifying tenth for the opening race. Making a strong start, he was challenging his rivals as he moved forwards but, when a car became stranded in the middle of the circuit, the race was red flagged and ultimately not restarted.
He was on it from the start of the second race, immediately challenging for the lead through the opening sequence of corners. Finding himself on the outside for Seagrave, he had to yield and drop to third place, but one lap later a Safety Car neutralised the race after two cars collided at the final chicane.
When racing resumed four laps later Tommy seized the opportunity, making a move up the inside of Scott Kin Lindblom on the exit of the chicane. The pair ran side-by side, but Tommy held his nerve to sweep around the outside of turn three, before decisively closing the door and claiming second place. Unfortunately, another Safety Car would bring the race and Tommy’s impressive run to an early end.
Starting the final race from ninth, Tommy initially dropped back a spot but made solid progress throughout the race. He moved into sixth place before a Safety Car was called, gaining another place when the racing resumed with just four minutes remaining.
Henry and Piotr both qualified mid-pack for the races, giving them a good chance of points but unfortunately it would not go to plan. Henry stalled at the start of race one, dropping to the back of the field before getting the car fired back into life. Contact later in the race damaged his rear wing, but the subsequent red flag allowed the team to replace it before the restart. Starting from the pit lane, he produced an excellent recovery drive to gain seven places.
A puncture in the closing contest prevented him from showing his true potential, although he raced well in race two to finish thirteenth after another determined drive through the midfield.
Piotr continued his development with another solid weekend at one of the championship’s most demanding venues. Qualifying inside the top sixteen for all three races, he demonstrated encouraging pace, but a combination of incidents and Safety Car interruptions prevented him from translating that speed into stronger results.
Daniella Sutton also faced a challenging event but continued to gain valuable experience. She gained an impressive 13 places in the opening two races but unfortunately got caught up in someone else’s accident in the third contest, eliminating her from the race and resulting in a DNF.
The championship now has a four-week break before returning to Donington Park on the Grand Prix circuit next month, where the team will be looking to continue its run of podium appearances.
Chris Dittmann, Team Principal
“It’s been a strong weekend for the team. I think we showed really good pace, especially in qualifying. At one point both Henry and Peter were in the top eight. It was a super, super close session, so just qualifying where we did, was good. I think there was definitely more on the cards.
“We had good pace in the races, especially with Tommy and, most importantly, stayed out of trouble. So, to come away with an eight, fifth and a second was really, really good. It showed the pace in the car, and the other drivers definitely showed good speed throughout the weekend.
“The team did a superb job all weekend, especially on Saturday with having to change the rear wing on Henry’s car to get him back out after the red flag. Hats off to them for doing a mega job.”
