Home Formula 3GB3 Middlehurst stays out of trouble to win race two at Brands Hatch

Middlehurst stays out of trouble to win race two at Brands Hatch

by Peter Allen
Chris Middlehurst

Photo: BRDC F4

Chris Middlehurst scored his first win in BRDC F4 in race two at Brands Hatch as others made errors ahead of him.

Will Palmer led from the reverse grid pole position, but was involved with contact at Druids with HHC team-mate Sennan Fielding, dropping them both down the order and affecting third-placed Jordan Albert too.

Arjun Maini swept into the lead ahead of Middlehurst, who had initially gone backwards after starting on the front row. Middlehurst was then handed the lead when Maini spun at Sheene on lap eight.

Maini recovered to push Middlehurst to the line, but the 2013 Protyre Formula Renault held on to win by 0.325 seconds.

After starting tenth, George Russell also stayed out of trouble to claim third and his first podium for seven races. With chief rival Raoul Hyman finishing one spot behind in fourth, Russell’s championship lead increased from one to three points.

Albert matched his best result yet of fifth from race one for the newly-Caterham backed SWR squad, while Struan Moore took sixth ahead of Palmer. Tom Jackson was eighth, Fielding recovered to ninth and Alfredo Zabalza completed the top ten.

Race one winner Gaetano di Mauro was a first lap retirement.

Race results
Pos Driver? Team Time/Gap
1 Chris Middlehurst Mark Godwin Racing 14 laps in 20:39.777
2 Arjun Maini Lanan Racing +0.325
3 George Russell Lanan Racing +3.099
4 Raoul Hyman HHC Motorsport +4.794
5 Jordan Albert Sean Walkinshaw Racing +5.210
6 Struan Moore Lanan Racing +7.400
7 Will Palmer HHC Motorsport +9.680
8 Tom Jackson Chris Dittmann Racing +10.962
9 Sennan Fielding HHC Motorsport +11.308
10 Alfredo Zabalza Hillspeed +18.773
11 Diego Menchaca Douglas Motorsport +18.915
12 Gustavo Lima Hillspeed +19.652
13 Connor Jupp Meridian Racing +20.205
14 Tom Bale Chris Dittmann Racing +29.020
15 Jai Nijjar Meridian Racing +39.789
16 Rodrigo Fonseca Douglas Motorsport +2 laps
Not classified
Rahul Raj Mayer Hillspeed +7 laps
Michael Claessens Mark Godwin Racing +9 laps
Gaetano di Mauro Petroball Racing +14 laps
Charlie Eastwood Douglas Motorsport +14 laps
Diego Borrelli Sean Walkinshaw Racing +14 laps