Argenti’s August Raber moves into British F4 lead with Snetterton win

Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography

August Raber held off Tommy Harfield to win British Formula 4’s delayed reversed-grid race at Snetterton.

The first attempt at starting the race lasted less than a lap, with red flags being waved in rainy conditions. It was scheduled back into the timetable almost two hours later, when better weather enabled the drivers to complete the 11-lap encounter.

It was damp when the race initially started, and several drivers got into trouble on the formation lap. They all eventually came around to start the race, only for five cars to be involved in an accident on lap one. JHR Developments’ front row starter Joel Bergstrom and Rowan Campbell-Pilling were among those who at that point were retirees as they were not moving when red flags arrived.

The race was initially shortened to 15 minutes during the stoppage and the remaining cars then went on another formation lap, only for the red lights to be held on the gantry and the race postponed. With the delay, cars could be repaired and the grid was full when it formed again.

This time Bergstrom made it around the first lap, but fell back behind Chris Dittmann Racing’s Harfield and Rodin Motorsport’s Adam Al Azhari. 

At the front, reversed-grid poleman Raber built a gap of over two seconds, but it was an advantage Hartfield would quickly reduce after lap two. He lowered the fastest lap pace multiple times as he closed in on Raber and distanced himself from third.

In the final laps, the pair were separated by just a few tenths of a second. Harfield looked for a way through but Raber offered no opportunity. He did not put a wheel wrong and came home just 0.165 seconds ahead of Harfield to move into the points lead.

Behind them, a wide moment for Al Azhari allowed Bergstrom through to take second. Hitech GP’s Leo Robinson had passed Campbell-Pilling for fifth earlier in the lap and was not close enough to take advantage of Al Azhari’s mistake. He closed onto his gearbox, and as Al Azhari defended it allowed Bergstrom to pull away.

Al Azhari did a good job to hold off Robinson to the chequered flag, while Campbell-Pilling led a train of his own featuring Ethan Jeff-Hall and Fionn McLaughlin. The latter climbed up from 11th on the grid to finish eighth.

Rodin’s James Piszyck entered the race atop the standings, but started and finished 12th with a wide moment early on the only noticable event in his race. Title rival Martin Molnar (Virtuosi Racing) also failed to score in ninth.

Race results (11 laps)