Pirtek Racing’s rising star Jamie Caroline has extended his lead in the F4 British Championship Certified by FIA – powered by Ford on the back of another strong performance on track at Donington Park.
Jamie went into the weekend seeking to build on a stunning showing in the season opener at Brands Hatch, and qualified second on the grid for the opening race of the weekend.
Taking the lead at the start, Jamie was able to control proceedings from the front for a third victory of the campaign, with the reverse grid for race two leaving him to start from sixth spot.
When that second race kicked off, a stunning opening lap saw Jamie rocket through into the lead of the race and once clear of the field, the teenager was able to build a lead over the chasing pack to make it two wins from two.
Aiming to become the first driver in series history to secure a hat-trick of wins, Jamie saw his hopes come to an end when contact at turn one tipped him into a spin that dropped him to the rear of the field.
Forced to pit for a new nose, Jamie rejoined at the back of the field but was prevented from making up places when an accident involving Carlin team-mate Patrik Pasma and JHR’s Billy Monger saw the race halted.
After a lengthy stoppage, the decision was taken not to restart the race, leaving Jamie with a 40 point lead in the standings heading into the third round of the year at Thruxton.
“It’s been a good weekend in terms of the results with two wins, and it’s great to extend my points lead,” he said. “In race one, I really pushed hard when I got in front and it was good to get my first victory at Donington Park. In race two, the aim was to try and get into the top five like we did at Brands Hatch but the first lap was just unbelievable.
“I was able to make up two places around the outside and then got two more at McLeans before getting into the lead, but I couldn’t believe when I found myself out front.
“The hat-trick was on and it was unfortunate that I was tipped into a spin at turn one. However, the most important thing from that race is that I hope Patrik and Billy are okay, as you don’t want to see that kind of accident on track.
“Overall, Carlin have given me a mega car again this weekend and it has allowed me to extend my lead. This is a very competitive championship, so I’m surprised we have such an advantage at this stage, but we’ll keep working hard to maintain the lead when we get to Thruxton.”
Following the Donington Park weekend, the thoughts of all involved with the Pirtek Racing programme remain with both Billy and Patrik, and we wish them well in their recovery.