FORTEC MOTORSPORT MAKE HISTORY WITH TRIPLE VICTORY IN WEEKEND TO REMEMBER AT OULTON PARK
● Daventry-based outfit assert dominance at the top of the Teams Cup standings after securing clean sweep of victories at Oulton Park.
● Home hero Luke Browning steals the headlines after emphatic triple victory elevates him into championship lead.
● Roberto Faria bounces back impressively from unfortunate race one to secure a solid points haul on Sunday in Cheshire.
Fortec Motorsport stormed to a historic clean sweep of victories in the triple-header of British F4 contests at Oulton Park last weekend [22-23 August].
With four podiums to his name prior to the weekend – and expectations high at his home circuit – Luke Browning made his intentions clear early in the weekend by qualifying second for the opener and securing pole position for race three. A brave move around the outside at Old Hall Corner on the opening lap of race one gave him a lead he would never relinquish, extending his advantage out front to 2.7 seconds at the flag despite a safety car intervention to take his first victory of the 2020 campaign in fine fashion. The 18-year-old then had a task on his hands in the reverse-grid encounter, but would scythe through from sixth on the grid in mixed conditions to take his second consecutive victory and assume the lead in the Drivers’ Championship.
Browning would then complete the hat trick of wins in the final encounter, leading every lap en route to a perfectly-controlled victory and extending his standings advantage to 22 points as a result. He became only the third driver in the series’ history to achieve the elusive hat-trick of victories in a single weekend, joining 2017 champion Jamie Caroline and reigning champion Zane Maloney in the process.
Roberto Faria would endure a testing weekend in Cheshire after contact in race one dropped him out of the top five positions, and forced an impressive recovery drive in the second contest. The Brazilian ace would make amazing progress through the pack in challenging conditions, crossing the line seventh at the chequered flag after starting from the pit lane. Faria would make further progress in the final race of the weekend in Cheshire, narrowly missing out on adding another podium finish to his 2020 tally but scoring a solid points haul that left him fifth in the standings, only four points adrift of third position.
The memorable triple victory at Oulton Park places Fortec firmly on top of the Teams Cup standings, with a healthy margin of 38 points over their nearest rivals after three rounds. The squad’s full roster of drivers will contest the next round at Knockhill this weekend [29-30 August], with Mexican racer Rafael Villagomez returning to action after fulfilling his French F4 commitments last time out.
Fortec British F4 Team Manager Oliver Dutton:
“It was an unforgettable weekend for everyone at Fortec Motorsport. The team have been very strong all year so getting our first victory was inevitable, but for Luke to complete the hat-trick was just unbelievable.
We knew we had a good shot at the triple win after qualifying and race one, but Luke’s performance in race two was outstanding and we knew he’d be able to bring it home in race three.
Roberto really showed his fighting spirit to bounce back from a difficult race one, which is obviously really important with the season being so condensed and he got some valuable points towards the championship.
Luke is leading the Driver’s standings now and we’ve taken the lead in the Teams Cup so it couldn’t get much better.
We can’t wait to carry this momentum into Knockhill, we’re really looking forward to having all three drivers back and it should be another amazing weekend.”
Roberto Faria (#7):
“It was a difficult weekend for us at Oulton Park. We had a good qualifying but we got hit in race one which made race two very difficult. I started from last and overtook seven people in the rain, so that was a good race – really fun to drive – and good points for the championship. Then in the last race I started from fifth and finished in fourth. It was dry so it was really difficult to overtake, but again some good points which means I’m four points behind third in the championship so even with the crash we had some good results. I’m really excited for Knockhill this weekend, it’s an amazing circuit.”
Rafael Villagomez (#8):
“I’m really excited to go back racing with Fortec at Knockhill. It’s my first time at the circuit, so we have some work to do but I’m sure we will be fine. We missed out Oulton Park which means less points for us but that’s only extra motivation for us to get ready to try and catch up.”
Luke Browning (#11):
“That was certainly a weekend to remember! To be able to get the ‘triple crown’ is an amazing feeling, especially at my home circuit. Coming into the weekend we knew we had a great chance to get our first victory of
the season but getting all three was never going to be easy! But that only made it all the sweeter when we achieved it. To be able to grab the championship lead and then extend the gap out front in the final race was amazing too, and Roberto and I scored some great points for the Teams Cup too. We couldn’t ask for much more really. Knockhill is an awesome circuit so I can’t wait to race there this weekend. We’ll be hoping for more of the same!”
