The 2025 British F4 Championship is entering its decisive final phase, with just three race weekends left on the calendar. The title fight remains wide open, and Martin Molnár heads into the Donington Park round sitting second in the overall standings. His objective for the weekend is crystal clear: to reduce the gap to the championship leader.
Unlike Silverstone and Brands Hatch – other venues of the British F4 calendar – Donington Park has only hosted a single Formula 1 Grand Prix. However, that lone race in 1993 went down in history, thanks to one of Ayrton Senna’s most legendary victories. On that rain-soaked day, the Brazilian icon showcased his unparalleled skill in the wet – a trait that may also be essential for the young F4 grid this weekend.
Unlike the season opener held on the shorter National layout, this round will take place on the full Grand Prix circuit, just like in Senna’s day. Drivers already completed two official practice sessions on Thursday. Martin Molnár clocked the 5th-fastest time in FP1 and improved to 3rd in FP2 – finishing ahead of current championship leader Fionn McLaughlin on both occasions.
“Overall, I’m satisfied – we were really close to the top in both sessions, and we know exactly where we can still improve,” said the Virtuosi Racing driver. “The second practice was run in wet conditions, so we gained valuable experience that could come in handy, as rain is still in the forecast. We continued the work we started during last week’s test and didn’t pay attention to what the others were doing – we just focused on ourselves. There’s still room to progress in both car setup and driving, but weather conditions will also play a huge role. Forecasts change quickly here in England – on Thursday they predicted rain all day, yet it was sunny until it suddenly started pouring before FP2.”
Molnár currently trails McLaughlin, a Red Bull Junior driver, by 40.5 points. While the gap is not insignificant, it’s far from unassailable, especially with 21 races still to go over the next three weekends. But consistent gains are needed if the Hungarian Motorsport Academy (HMA) driver is to mount a serious title challenge.
“Our goal is to be competitive on both days, close the gap to the leader, and keep ourselves in the title hunt,” said Tamás Őry, CEO of Motorsport Talent Management (MOTAM). “Unlike last year, the top three are very close, and any of them can still take the championship. It’s also important – and I always remind Martin – to enjoy the racing. That’s when he performs at his best. Donington is a fantastic track with an educated crowd, so everything is in place for a strong weekend. We’ve got good memories here: this is where Martin truly became a racing driver last year, and he also had a great run here at this season’s opener.”
Despite the mounting pressure, Molnár remains focused and grounded. “I’m not changing my approach. I won’t start doing the math – I just want to get the most out of every session and every race. And of course, I want to finish ahead of my title rival as often as possible. In the end, we’ll see where that gets us.”
The schedule of the Donington weekend (times are in local time)
Saturday
10.25 – 10.50: Qualifying
14.10 – 14.30: Race 1
Sunday
09.15 – 09.35: Race 2
13.15 – 13.40: Race 3