Osborne continues his unexpected Mini domination at Snetterton

Winning five of the first six races of the Mini Challenge season is an impressive turnaround in form for Jamie Osborne, who failed to take a victory in the whole of 2024, and is somewhat disbelieving of his dominant start to the year.

“Last year we came into the first weekend and got a third and a sixth and never really got going,” said Osborne. “This year we’ve hit the ground running. I was expecting a couple of podiums – to be dominating the championship feels surreal.”

The NAPA Racing UK pilot continued his impressive form from the Donington Park opener into Snetterton last weekend but did not quite have things all his own way this time. He only qualified fourth for the first race but was up to second off the line and began challenging polesitter Tom Ovenden (Excelr8 Motorsport).

Ovenden was able to repel Osborne’s attacks and this drew the rest of the pack into contention and, sure enough, an attempted move at Riches instead resulted in Max Edmundson (Pro Alloys Racing) darting ahead into Wilson, and Osborne was unable to retaliate.

Normal service was restored in a thrilling race two as Osborne was triumphant, but he faced a tough initial battle with Albert Webster. The pair spent the majority of the first lap side by side before Osborne grabbed the lead with a brilliant move around the outside of Coram and into Murrays.

“I was coming through Bomb Hole and Albert made a little mistake and I capitalised on it,” said Osborne. “I thought, ‘let’s try and be a hero’ and I just hung on. We’d been side by side for four or five corners and it was getting a bit touch and go.”

Edmundson demoted Webster at Riches while Josh Porter headed a huge tussle for the final spot on the podium. Ovenden should have been a part of that fight but was edged onto the grass out of Riches by Lewis Selby (who was penalised), which sent Ovenden spinning and he could only salvage 15th place in a costly blow to his title bid.

Osborne was then in a different league in race three as he blasted clear from pole to take another untroubled victory and now heads the standings by a colossal 64 points. He may not have expected such strong performances, but he is already looking very tough to beat.

Very mixed results for leading British F4 contenders

Qualifying 18th and 13th, picking up a false start penalty and then suffering a puncture that caused race-ending damage meant the Snetterton British Formula 4 round was far from an ideal weekend for pre-event points leader Jimmy Piszcyk.

Yet mixed fortunes for his fellow title contenders and a stirring recovery drive to fourth in the finale mean he still only trails new table-topper Fionn McLaughlin by 12 points. “It was the best of a bad situation,” was the Australian’s philosophical verdict.

McLaughlin was the class of the field in Norfolk and should really have left with a double win to match his double pole. However, the Hitech driver struck an Esses tyre bollard when comfortably leading the opener, which broke his front wing and enabled Piszcyk’s Rodin team-mate Adam Al Azhari to benefit. But there was no mistake from the Red Bull Junior in race three as he led throughout to grab the points lead.

August Raber, another to struggle in qualifying, won the reversed-grid race at the third attempt. A pile-up at Wilson caused the initial start to be red-flagged before radio problems in race control meant the rerun had to be moved later in the day.

Raber had skated straight on at Wilson amid a damp track at the first start, but the Argenti driver streaked ahead in the actual race. However, he was reeled in late on by CDR’s Tommy Harfield, who ducked this way and that but missed out on victory by 0.165 seconds. “I didn’t want to risk too much because I’ve had a few DNFs,” he admitted.

Landmark 400th Carrera Cup GB race also a milestone for number 400 Wallis

Porsche GB Junior Wallis achieved his maiden victory

Photo by: JEP

The 400th Porsche Carrera Cup GB race was a memorable one for James Wallis as the Porsche GB Junior secured his maiden win having adopted number 400 for the weekend.

The JTR driver got the jump on Team Parker Racing’s polesitter Sid Smith off the line and never looked back from there to triumph, while some of the other frontrunners were in strife.

“I think I’m going to have to stick with it now!” quipped Wallis about his new number. “I was crying coming into the pitlane as a lot of hard work has gone in behind the scenes.”

But Wallis’ joy turned to disappointment in race two when contact from Smith sent him spinning at Riches and he could only recover to 14th. Instead, there was another first-time winner in the shape of reversed-grid poleman Max Coates, who headed home an historic all Pro-Am podium of Ollie Jackson and Josh Stanton.

“I didn’t keep pushing and build the gap as I wanted to look after my rear tyres,” said the Duckhams-backed driver, but no attack materialised. “I’m in a pretty iconic livery for the championship and I’ve proven them right for choosing me.”

Wallis’ woes mean it is Andrew Rackstraw, the first Pro home in race two, who now heads the overall standings with a 10-point advantage over Wallis.

Coates scored a maiden Carrera Cup win in race two as he headed an all Pro-Am podium

Photo by: JEP