Chris Dittmann Racing secured its ninth Rookie Cup podium of the season in the F4 British Championship at the weekend (October 4-6), as Bart Harrison finished second on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit.

Qualifying for the final time this season, Bart delivered a standout performance, finishing just 0.4s from overall pole position, quickest of the Rookies and sixth overall, despite a pair of red flags interrupting the session.

The youngster slipped back one position on the opening lap, settling into eighth place but still holding a strong second in the Rookie standings. The Safety Car was then deployed with just five minutes remaining, ultimately leading to the race finishing behind it, making it a ninth Rookie podium for Bart.

Race two was the rescheduled event from Silverstone, where he made a great start, climbing an impressive seven places by the end of the first lap. As the race progressed, he maintained his position in 11th overall and when the chequered flag was waved, Bart crossed the line fourth in the Rookie Cup.

Race three, on Sunday morning, took a tough turn, as he fell back two places off the line and an ambitious move around the outside didn’t pay off, sending him down to the back of the field. The red flags were then shown after a scary incident, which thankfully led to no injuries for the driver involved, but the race would not be restarted.

Drizzle fell ahead of the final race, making it a challenge from the start. Bart was unlucky as he had to take to the gravel in avoidance of a car running wide, though did well to continue, before red flags once again halted proceedings, with the race to be restarted over a shortened 18 minutes.

Bart lined up sixth and wasted no time, gaining a place, before a daring move where he went side by side down the straight and pulled off an impressive overtake to gain fourth overall and leading the Rookies. After a Safety Car, there was a two-and-a-half-minute dash to the flag but sadly, while under pressure, he ran wide and fell to 15th, where he took the flag.

There have been some highs and lows for Bart and Chris Dittmann Racing in the F4 British Championship this season, as he took his maiden Rookie victory in just his second race. The team was also delighted to welcome F1 Academy racers Carrie Schreiner and Jess Edgar for appearances, as well enjoying the return of Gustav Jonsson at Silverstone. The team now looks ahead to 2025, with its full programme of racing and driver line ups to be confirmed in due course.

Bart Harrison – #77

G1 – 6, R1 – 7 (Rookie – 2)
G2 – 16, R2 – 11 (R – 4)
G3 – 7, R3 – 18 (R – 9)
G4 – 6, R4 – 15 (R – 6)

Rookie Cup: 4 (227 Points)

“My main goal was to be running up the front with the best drivers by the end of the year, and that’s what we were doing across the weekend. We didn’t finish there every race, but we know we can do that now, which is a big positive. The final race would have been my best result of the season, so it is frustrating not to hold on for the finish, especially with it being my fault as well. The gravel was then so slippery I struggled to get it out quickly, so it was an unfortunate end to a great race and the year.

“It was good that we had the pace to run up the front. The car has been good this year, and we could have had a better year if I had made fewer mistakes and put a proper championship run together. Wherever I am next year, that’s what I need to do, and I would definitely like to be back with the team if it is possible.”