Martin Molnár’s season in British Formula 4 continues at Brands Hatch with his second race weekend of the campaign. Drawing strength from his third-place finish in the recent test here and the experiences of the first race weekend, the Virtuosi Racing driver is ready for the challenge ahead.
Molnár Martin’s Formula 4 season unfolds at Brands Hatch, in another legendary venue, renowned as one of the gems of British motorsport. Making his debut at Donington Park, the Hungarian Virtuosi Racing driver will tackle the shorter Indy layout.
With its storied history dating back to the 1940s, Brands Hatch has also hosted Formula 1 and IndyCar races. Bernie Ecclestone, former F1 owner even raced here in 1949, before attempting to purchase the circuit, although unsuccessfully. Post-World War II, Brands Hatch became England’s first purpose-built racing circuit (previously a grass surfaced track, as it was only asphalted in 1950), initially run in a clockwise direction.
In the early years its layout was even shorter than the 1.2 mile long Indy circuit. The longer 3916-meter Grand Prix circuit was completed in two stages by 1960 and has hosted Formula 1 races between 1964 and 1986 on twelve occasions. It will also host a British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) round later in the season, which the F4 field will also participate in.
Of course Formula 1 have made Brands Hatch famous worldwide, with iconic corners like Druids, Clark Curve, and Paddock Hill Bend. These are all present in the Indy layout, which due to its topography offers excellent viewing from any spectator point, fostering a stadium-like atmosphere with typical British motorsport fever for the BTCC and its support races. Martin can also look forward to his second F4 race weekend with optimism, having previously performed well here.
“I achieved my best result during the tests here, a third place, so I return to Brands Hatch with positive memories. Despite its short nature, the Indy layout is enjoyable and diverse. Although officially consisting of just seven corners, in reality, we only consider five. There are fast and slow corners, technical sections – Turn 1 is particularly daring; overtaking is possible at Turn 2; Turns 3 and 4 are more technical; while at Turn 5, braking is crucial.”
“Unlike Donington, this is a true classic venue with close walls, minimal run-off areas. Also factors like how the car behaves on the main straight are important, as it’s easy to bottom out on the bumps. The elevation changes add to the enjoyment too. For me, the key is Turns 3 and 4. Turn 4, in particular, has a lot of undulation; you have to choose your line carefully, it requires precision. Here, you can gain a lot, but you can also lose a lot.”
Having the fact that his test results don’t guarantee anything, Martin, a member of the Széchenyi University Group operated by HUMDA Hungarian Mobility Development Agency Zrt., can build on the experiences of the opening race weekend.
“I’m looking forward to the weekend with confidence because while I felt a bit nervous at the season opener due to many things were new to me, now I know what to expect, how to focus on the start or tire warming,” said Martin, who is also enjoying the support of ZalaZone Automotive Proving Ground/Hungary this weekend.
After the unconventional schedule at Donington, the field returns to its usual rhythm at Brands Hatch, with the program running from Friday to Sunday. The exact schedule is detailed below.
The schedule for the 2nd round of the FIA British F4 Championship is as follows (times are in local time, which is GMT+1):
Friday
11.10 – 11.55: Free practice 1
15.05 – 15.50: Free practice 2
Saturday
11.05 – 11.25: Qualifying
16.35 – 16.55: Race 1
Sunday
11.00 – 11.20: Race 2
15.45 – 16.05: Race 3
