Red Bull junior Dennis Hauger tops British Formula 4 media day

Photo: Elliot Wood

Red Bull junior Dennis Hauger topped British Formula 4’s media day at Rockingham, although only by 0.044 seconds over championship returnee Johnathan Hoggard.

Arden driver Hauger was third in the morning session, topped by Fortec Motorsport’s Hoggard, and spent much of the afternoon session sat in second behind the Englishman.

A lap late in the day put Hauger on top, a lap that went unbeaten for the rest of the session.

Ginetta Junior graduates Kiern Jewiss, who topped testing at Brands Hatch last month for Double R Racing, and Arden’s Seb Priaulx were third and fourth, while 2017 British F4 Challenge Cup champion Hampus Ericsson was fifth.

Just behind him was Ayrton Simmons, driving for JHR Developments, who he is set to sign for in the coming days for a third season in F4.

Arden’s remaining two drivers, Patrik Pasma and Red Bull junior Jack Doohan, were seventh and eighth, with Finnish karting ace Paavo Tonteri and Fortec’s returnee Lucca Allen completing the top 10.

The two sessions were red flagged multiple times, with the two mostly costly incidents occuring at the same corner.

Double R’s Manuel Sulaiman lost control of his car, damaging it severely enough to restrict himself to 26 laps of running throughout the day.

The other major stoppage was caused by a BRDC British Formula 3 car, with Fortec bringing along four of their cars. Its three confirmed drivers occupied their respective machines, with Malaysian driver Chia Wing Hoong, who is set to pilot a fourth car at selective rounds this year, taking and losing control of the fourth.

Doohan, who received a visit from fellow Australian and motorsport legend Mark Webber during the day, recorded the most laps with 133 in total.

British Formula 4 Media Day test results