It was a record-breaking season for Hitech in this year’s ROKiT British F4 Championship certified by FIA, as the team achieved a historic Drivers’ and Teams’ double for the first time. After a victorious debut in 2022 with Alex Dunne, this year Deagen Fairclough shattered records, winning an incredible 14 races and securing eight additional podiums (five second places and three thirds) over the 30-race campaign.
Across ten race weekends, there was only one venue where Deagen didn’t stand on the top step. Rain or shine, he consistently delivered dominant, lights-to-flag victories and amassed an incredible 583 points – 222.5 ahead of his nearest rival. The 18-year-old West Sussex native even clinched the Drivers’ title with a round to spare, impressing the wider motorsport community along the way. His performances earned him a spot in the final four of the prestigious Silverstone Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award.
Deagen kicked off his campaign with a win in the season opener at Donington Park and followed it up with a double victory at Brands Hatch’s Indy circuit in May. The final race of that weekend was a standout, as Hitech locked-out the podium with a 1-2-3, Deagen leading team-mates Reza Seewooruthun and Mika Abrahams.
Though he faced a tricky weekend in the wet at Snetterton and a mechanical issue at Thruxton, Deagen was unstoppable in the second half of the season. He claimed two victories during British F4’s first overseas visit to Zandvoort and followed that up with two more at the tricky Scottish circuit of Knockhill. After a string of podiums on Donington Park’s Grand Prix layout, he sealed the British F4 Drivers’ Championship with two wins at our home race at Silverstone in September. His 14th win, secured at the season finale, set a new series record. Across 2024 he also claimed seven C1RCUIT Watches Pole Position Awards.
Reflecting on his brilliant campaign, Deagen said: “I had high hopes after last year, but this season, Hitech have really elevated my approach to race weekends, both mentally and in terms of preparation. They’ve made me a better driver and provided an outstanding car all year. Every time I went out, there was nothing to complain about – the car was perfect. The team was on their A-game, and so was I. After a few early mistakes, we got into a rhythm and it’s been pretty much flawless across the entire year.
“After Snetterton, I focused on cleaning up my driving and minimising errors. The team and I really hit our stride. There are things I can’t share, but the key was being more prepared going into race weekends. Last year, I wasn’t always ready in certain areas, but with the team’s guidance, my mental focus has improved and it’s paid off.
“I’m incredibly grateful to ROKiT. Without their support and the eSports competition they held in 2022, I wouldn’t be here,” added Deagen. “Motorsport is expensive, and coming from a working-class family, it was nearly impossible to break into. This season has been my way of repaying their belief in me.”
In total, Hitech claimed 17 wins out of 30 races. Dorset racer Reza Seewooruthun took his maiden F4 win at Thruxton, followed by a second victory just a week later at Silverstone. He scored eight podiums and secured third overall in the Drivers’ Standings after a dramatic finale at Brands Hatch, finishing the season on 272 points, just 2.5 points ahead of fourth.
“Getting all three Hitech drivers on the podium together was a real highlight of the year for me,” Reza said. “It was a fantastic fight and our pace was so strong compared to the other teams. Standing on that podium at Brands Hatch was a huge relief after the second round. It really showed how strong this team is and I’m thrilled we could secure the Teams’ Championship when we returned to Brands at the end of the year.”
Hitech’s success wasn’t just limited to Deagen and Reza. South African racer Mika Abrahams began the season with a win at Donington Park, but he was replaced later in the year by rookie Thomas Bearman. Bearman, transitioning from karting to single-seaters, showed promise by securing a rookie class podium at the Brands Hatch curtain closer. There was also the one-off appearance at Zandvoort of Mexican racer Ernesto Rivera and F1 Academy’s Bianca Bustamante – a member of the McLaren Driver Development Programme.
With just a handful of car races under his belt, Bearman is looking forward to getting more testing mileage before advancing in a full campaign next year. “I know that I’m competing alongside some really strong team-mates who I could learn from for next year,” said Bearman. “And I’ve also been really impressed with the facilities of the Hitech team at their Silverstone base. The factory is incredible – like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It’s massive and has everything you could possibly need. It’s amazing.”
Sitting in that factory are the 32 trophies accrued in British F4 this year, from the outfit’s 17 wins and 15 other podium results. It led to the team, managed by Dominic Stott, to wrap up our first-ever British F4 Teams’ Championship at the final round at Brands Hatch, scoring a total of 807.5 points – 66.5 clear of our nearest rivals.
“Winning both the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships in the same season is a testament to the hard work and dedication of every single person at Hitech,” said British F4 Team Manager Dominic Stott. “From the drivers to the engineers, mechanics and everyone behind the scenes, it’s been a collective effort. This season has been about precision, focus, and constant development and it’s amazing to see all of that hard work pay off in such a spectacular way. I couldn’t be prouder of Deagen, Reza and the team and what we’ve achieved this year.”
