Report – Euro 4 Round 2
Hitech delivered a strong performance at the Red Bull Ring, securing an eighth-place finish in a fiercely competitive weekend of racing. Taking a brief hiatus from our British F4 Championship campaign, we participated in the second round of the Euro 4 Series in Austria. Facing a full grid of nearly 30 cars in freezing, rain-soaked conditions, Hitech’s three drivers gained invaluable experience on the iconic Formula 1 circuit and against European-wide competition.
Despite limited track time to familiarise themselves with the new venue, Reza Seewooruthun capped off the weekend with a hard-earned eighth-place finish, setting the fastest lap of the race. The final fixture was a frantic affair, featuring two Safety Car periods as competitors battled around the 4.3km circuit. With temperatures plunging to just 8°C – and even a smattering of snow in the surrounding Styrian hills – generating enough heat in the Pirelli tyres was a major challenge for all drivers.
“I’m really pleased with how the weekend turned out, especially finishing eighth in such tough conditions and setting the fastest lap,” said Reza. “Racing on a Formula 1 circuit like the Red Bull Ring was an incredible experience. The final race was intense, especially battling with Deagen throughout – but I pushed as hard as I could. We both had good pace and I’m happy we could bring home a solid result for the team. This weekend has given me a lot of confidence heading into the next races.”
British F4 Championship leader Deagen Fairclough qualified 16th for the final race and after a troubled start, managed to gain seven positions on the first lap after the Safety Car. However, amidst the intense battles, he slipped to 15th by the chequered flag. In Saturday’s opening race, Deagen was on course for a top-ten finish but ran wide through the gravel late-on, losing valuable time.
Reza maintained strong pace in both Saturday’s race and Sunday morning’s delayed encounter, which was pushed back by 45 minutes due to earlier red-flag incidents in another session caused by the weather.
When the race finally began under Safety Car conditions, poor visibility from the spray added to the challenge. Unfortunately, the treacherous conditions caught out Thomas Bearman, who was competing in only his second car race, and a spin dropped him down the field.
After a challenging but rewarding weekend at the Red Bull Ring, our Formula 4 team now returns to the UK, as we set our sights on our home circuit at Silverstone next weekend.
