Last weekend saw the British Touring Car Championship hold its final event of the year at Brands Hatch, which included the British F4 Finale 2018 which forms one of the support series for BTCC. The drivers went in to the last weekend with two potential series winners, with Kiern Jewiss leading the title from Ayrton Simmons.
Qualifying saw Sebastian Priaulx top the times from Jonathan Hoggard and Paavo Tonteri, with the second fastest times which are also used for qualifying seeing the same three drivers in a different order, Hoggard, Priaulx and Tonteri, with the fastest times.
The first race on Saturday was drier than many people expected, and Priaulx managing to convert his maiden pole to a win, and Hoggard and Tonteri also keeping their places. All of Hoggard’s previous podium appearances this year up until the last weekend had been on the top step, so this was new territory for the young driver.
Simmons was fifth and Jewiss sixth, which was enough to give Jewiss an unassailable lead in the championship, replacing Jamie Caroline as the British Formula Four champion.
Sunday saw the second race of the weekend, and Jewiss was in good form with the new champion taking the top step on the podium ahead of Patrik Pasma and Hoggard.
The final race of the weekend, and of British Formula Four 2018, saw Hoggard back to his usual place on the podium with his eighth win of the year and securing third place in the championship. Priaulx was second with Tonteri third.
In the Rookie Cup, Jack Doohan took the title from team mate Dennis Hauger.
It will be interesting to see where the drivers move to next year, with 2015’s champion Lando Norris getting a seat with McLaren in the 2019 Formula One championship. No doubt some of this season’s drivers will be following in Lando’s footsteps.
The series will be back in 2019, meanwhile, here are some photos from the British F4 Finale 2018 at Brands Hatch.
