Top seven split by just 0.092 seconds in Formula 4 test in Scotland

Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Hitech GP’s Gabriel Stilp was fastest in British Formula 4’s pre-event test day at Knockhill, with the top seven covered by less than a tenth of a second.

The test marked the series’ first running of the year in Scotland, with teams heading back on track on Friday for free practice.

JHR Developments’ Deagen Fairclough was fastest in the first session of the day, setting a 48.003s laptime to lead Hitech’s Kanato Le by 0.199 seconds. The top 14 were covered by 0.837s.

It got even closer in session two, as the pace was lowered, with Le topping the times by setting a 47.989s.

He was fastest by 0.018s over Rodin Carlin’s Louis Sharp, whose team-mate Dion Gowda was a further 0.016s behind in third place.

The fastest laps of the day were set in session three, with Stilp posting a 47.931s laptime.

That put him on top by 0.044s over team-mate William Macintyre, with James Piszyck completing a Hitech lockout of the top three by lapping within 0.075s of the pace.

Argenti Motorsport’s Griffin Peebles was absent from the action, with the Spanish F4 racer also missing from the day’s last session, leaving 18 cars on track. Virtuosi Racing’s Kai Daryanani propped up the timesheet by lapping 1.242s slower than Stilp, with the top 17 covered by 0.958s.

The pace was slower in the final session, which was topped by Le in another Hitech 1-2-3. His best effort of 48.122s was 0.024s faster than Macintyre in second and 0.028s faster than Stilp in third. Fairclough was 0.074s back in fourth. This time just 0.773s covered the top 17, completed by Ginetta Junior racer Finn Harrison who was driving for Chris Dittmann Racing.

Test results