Martin Molnár claimed another race victory in the British F4 Championship by crossing the line first in the opening race of the Dutch round at Zandvoort – the circuit that also hosts the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix. The weekend marked the start of the second half of the season, and while the second and third races didn’t unfold as the Virtuosi Racing driver had hoped, the experience delivered plenty of lessons.
Arriving at Zandvoort sitting second in the championship standings, Martin returned to one of his favourite tracks to continue his title push. He topped one of the free practice sessions on Friday and then went on to set the second-fastest lap in Saturday’s qualifying session, securing P2 for both Race 1 and Race 3.
In the opening race, Martin launched off the line superbly to take the lead into Turn 1. Managing tyre wear and race pace with precision – while still clocking the fastest lap – he secured his second career win in British F4, reclaiming the lead in the drivers’ standings.
“Martin arrived at this weekend in a very strong mental state,” said Tamás Pál Kiss, sporting director at Motorsport Talent Management (MOTAM). “His energy was palpable from the very start. After qualifying, he simply said ‘it could’ve been better’ – a sign of a true racer who’s not content with second place. That’s how you know someone is serious about winning.”
Sunday’s action began with the reverse-grid race, where Martin started from P11. The initial start was red-flagged due to a major crash, and in the restart he climbed to ninth, but a mistake in the first sector saw him drop down the order to 14th at the end of Lap 1. From there, he fought back to finish eighth, right behind title rival Fionn McLaughlin.
Race 3 began with another strong getaway from the Hungarian, but McLaughlin – starting from pole – aggressively defended the inside line. The race was soon red-flagged due to barrier repairs following a crash, and resumed under a rolling restart. Martin continued to pressure McLaughlin but couldn’t find a way past. Later, a mistake allowed Adam Al Azhari to challenge him. While Martin defended bravely into Turn 1, a subsequent error into Turn 3 led to contact with the Rodin Motorsport driver, ending Al Azhari’s race. Martin continued, but with suspension damage, he was forced to retire in the pits. Post-race, he received a three-place grid penalty for the next round.
“I made a mistake on the opening lap of Race 2 and lost several positions. I was able to recover a few spots, but considering the car’s pace, I’m not satisfied,” Martin admitted. “In Race 3, I had a great start, but McLaughlin shut the door. I tried to pass him again on the restart but couldn’t make it work. Then I made a mistake in the final corner, had to defend from Al Azhari, and although I initially held him off, I made another mistake that ended my race. I’m now fully focused on the next round – I know where I went wrong, and that’s already behind us. All attention is now on Knockhill.”
Reflecting on Sunday’s challenges, Tamás Pál Kiss emphasized the importance of decision-making in the opening lap of reverse-grid races. “That’s where we need to do the most work with Martin. One wrong decision or missed opportunity can trigger a domino effect,” he said. “That’s exactly what happened. He didn’t capitalise on the first-corner opportunity, got boxed in, and lost several positions due to a single bad call.”
Despite the setbacks, Pál Kiss praised Molnár’s mental resilience. “Martin once again showed that no matter the situation, he can recover and salvage what he can. But we won’t improve unless we push beyond our current level and continue striving to be better.”
Regarding the final race, Pál Kiss called it “chaotic,” with another chain reaction of events. “Martin made a mistake heading onto the main straight, which allowed Al Azhari to put him under pressure. Martin should’ve defended the outside line better and forced Al Azhari to take the dusty edge. But after a big lock-up, he was under pressure and already thinking about how to defend. He knew he couldn’t afford to lose another position with so few laps left and got caught in a vulnerable part of the track, which ultimately led to the incident.”
In conclusion, the biggest takeaway from the weekend is the importance of learning from mistakes. “This is the category where drivers make the most errors – it’s early in their careers. They’re human like anyone else. What matters is drawing the right conclusions and moving forward without dwelling on the past. The focus must shift to the next race weekend.”
The 2025 British F4 season continues at Knockhill on August 16–17. Martin Molnár