The headline championship for the Silverstone International Trophy event last weekend was unquestionably the British Formula 4 brigade, but the young guns were surprisingly restrained in the opening encounter.
Lewis Wherrell – fresh from a double win at Snetterton the previous weekend – comfortably secured victory, the choice of fitting his new set of tyres for race one allowing the JHR Developments driver to romp away from the field.
He was originally joined by Argenti’s Ethan Jeff-Hall and Rodin’s points leader Dries Van Langendonck on the podium, before respective overtaking infringement and causing a collision penalties bumped the pair off the rostrum. This meant Adam Al Azhari (Hitech) and Jarrett Clark (Virtuosi) completed the top three.
“The tyres helped,” said Wherrell when questioned about the strategy call. “We only used one set of tyres in qualifying. We put the new tyres on now instead of race three as the weather looks a bit so-so for tomorrow. I just pulled away and showed everyone what I was capable of.”
Always delivering drama, the reversed-grid race two didn’t disappoint as the first lap was awash with incidents. The field didn’t get much further as the race was red-flagged due to multiple cars being stranded. On the restart, Virtuosi racer Joseph Smith sprinted away from his fourth place on the grid, immediately putting leader Ethan Carney (Fortec) under pressure.
Smith didn’t delay making his move either, neatly slotting around the outside as the duo braked for Stowe on the opening tour. Unchallenged from then on, Smith took his second win of the season ahead of Carney and Hitech’s Chiara Battig, who started from pole.
Closing out the weekend’s action, the final F4 encounter began with an echo of race two as the reds were shown on lap one due to myriad damaged cars littering the circuit. Once restarted, it was another Virtuosi success with a lights-to-flag win for George Proudford-Nalder, who notched up his first victory of the season.
It wasn’t plain sailing for the Australian, however, with Wherrell snapping at his heels in the closing stages of the race. Wherrell attempted several courageous dives, but it wasn’t enough to snatch the International Trophy accolade away from Proudford-Nalder. But a best result of fifth for Van Langendonck means Wherrell has now assumed the championship lead as the series heads into its summer break.
Kay and Hughes Elan was able to usurp the Lister and E-type ahead for GT & Sports Car Cup glory
Photo by: Steve Jones
Even though the Connor Kay and James Hughes Lotus Elan took victory by over 10 seconds in the two-hour race, the GT & Sports Car Cup feature was a tight contest with three potential winners in the early stages.
The Jaguar E-type of John and Gary Pearson was the early leader, but Richard Hudson and Stuart Morley were glued to the Jag’s bootlid in their Lister. Kay and Hughes were following in third, despite a tricky qualifying where a wheel dropped off the Lotus.
Following a pitstop shuffle during the final round of stops, the Elan emerged in the lead, which is how it stayed to the flag. Kay was quick to credit his team-mate Hughes as an important ingredient to their success.
“James did a really good job in the second stint,” said Kay. “Considering he did bugger all laps in qualifying following the mishap with the wheel, that was about his fifth or sixth lap in the car when he got in. He did a really good job considering the first time he drove it was last weekend too, and then I think we just got lucky on the final stop.”
Elsewhere, Noah Osbaldeston proved he’s a force to be reckoned with on the combined Sports 1000 and Sport Specials grid as the teenager delivered a hat-trick of wins in his Mittell MC-53.
Osbaldeston proved unstoppable in Sports 1000
Photo by: Steve Jones
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– The Autosport.com Team
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