Martin Molnár continued his strong start to the 2025 British F4 Championship with another impressive weekend — this time at the iconic Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit. Virtuosi Racing’s Hungarian driver claimed two podium finishes and set the fastest lap in the final race of the weekend.
Just one week after the season opener at Donington Park, the second round of the British F4 Championship took place at Silverstone — a venue that also hosts the Formula 1 British Grand Prix. Heading into the weekend, Martin Molnár had originally been credited with two podiums from Donington. However, following post-race appeals and the subsequent reversal of several penalties, his third-place finish in the final Donington race was revised to fifth.
That minor setback didn’t derail Martin’s momentum. In fact, he bounced back with even greater pace at Silverstone. He qualified third overall and set the second-fastest lap in the alternate classification, which secured him a front-row start (P2) for Race 1. Despite a slow getaway that cost him one position, the race was disrupted by two Safety Car periods and ultimately shortened to just nine laps. Martin held firm to finish third and secure another valuable podium.
“There was definitely more in qualifying — the pole was within reach — but I’m still satisfied with a P2 start and a P3 finish,” Martin said. “This is a very long circuit, and it’s hard to piece together a perfect lap, especially through the high-speed corners. I didn’t get the best start and lost a spot off the line. It’s tough to follow closely in turbulent air on such a fast layout, so I couldn’t really go on the attack for P2. Given the start, P3 was the maximum.” Virtuosi Racing Team Principal Mark Salmon echoed his driver’s analysis.
“Martin did a solid job. In Q2, there was still some margin left, especially in sector 2 where he made a small mistake. In such a tight field, hundredths make the difference, and that’s where he missed out on pole. The start wasn’t ideal, and in this format, where track position at turn 1 often dictates the outcome, it’s very difficult to recover — even on a wide, fast circuit like Silverstone. Still, P3 brings solid points, and that’s crucial for the title fight.”
Race 2 on Sunday featured the reverse-grid format, with Martin starting P10. He made a strong launch and looked poised to fight for points, but was forced off track midway through the first lap by a rival, dropping him to P17. Undeterred, the Hungarian charged back through the field and climbed back to 10th by the chequered flag, though that was just outside the points-paying positions.
“The first half of the opening lap went well. I had the pace and was fully focused on moving forward,” said Martin. “But then I was pushed onto the grass and lost a lot of ground. That’s always a risk in reverse-grid races — there’s more chaos, and less experienced drivers see it as their big chance. I did my best to recover and made some strong overtakes. I had a good pace advantage at the back, so I was able to pass several cars on pure momentum.”
In Race 3, Martin returned to the sharp end of the grid, starting from P3 once again. This time, he nailed the launch and swept into second by turn 1. For the full 25-minute race, he shadowed leader James Piszcyk and was consistently within striking distance — even showing slightly better pace at times. However, with Silverstone’s layout offering few overtaking opportunities when the pace delta is minimal, Martin had to settle for second place. He did, however, sign off the weekend by setting the fastest lap on the final tour.
“I got off the line really well and moved up to P2 straight away. I pushed hard to catch the leader and looked for a chance to attack, but following closely here is really tough. The Safety Car gave me some hope, and I managed a good restart, but even then it wasn’t enough to mount a proper challenge. The team gave me a great car all weekend — it was consistently fast, which is promising for the rest of the season. The title race will be extremely close, but I’m not looking at the standings yet. My focus is on consistency and scoring maximum points whenever I can.”
Team Principal Mark Salmon was full of praise after the weekend:
“Martin had a brilliant start in Race 2, gaining three places on lap 1. Unfortunately, that reverse-grid format means the faster guys start deeper in the pack alongside less experienced drivers, and one of them caused him to lose positions. It wasn’t his fault at all — it’s just part of racing. He didn’t score points there, but still drove a strong race. Then in Race 3, he had another great start and drove cleanly under pressure. He managed the restart well and nailed the fastest lap — overall, a very positive weekend with plenty of points collected.”
Salmon also highlighted the team’s progress since last season:
“To have scored more points in just two rounds than we did across five last year is a massive step forward. And this wasn’t even one of Martin’s favorite circuits last season, so to deliver like this at one of his weaker venues is very encouraging.”
The next stop in the 2024 British F4 Championship is Snetterton, with Round 3 scheduled for May 24–25. Martin Molnár will head there sitting fourth in the standings on 66 points, behind James Piszcyk (79), Deagen McLaughlin (71), and August Raber (68).
