Chase Fernandez and James Piszcyk made it three different winners from the opening three races of the 2025 Wera Tools F4 British Championship, certified by FIA season as they shared spoils on what was a super Sunday at Donington Park
In front of a capacity crowd at the Leicestershire venue, Fernandez (Xcel Motorsport) opened his win account for the year with a measured drive in the reverse grid contest, before Piszcyk (Rodin Motorsport) came to the fore in a frenetic feature race finale.
Basked in bright sunshine, the day’s opening encounter around the National circuit saw Fernandez withstand late pressure from Martin Molnár (Virtuosi Racing) to claim a maiden single-seater victory.
Starting from second on the grid, the Ginetta Junior graduate got the jump on pole-sitter Joel Bergström (JHR Developments) to take the lead on the run down to Redgate, while those behind jostled for position.
Towards the end of the first lap, the quartet of Henry Joslyn (Fortec Motorsport), Cole Hewetson (Xcel Motorsport), Yuhao Fu (Xcel Motorsport) and Ella Lloyd (Rodin Motorsport) all clashed at Coppice – resulting in a safety car to allow for Fu’s car to be recovered.
On the restart, Fernandez controlled proceedings out front, however last year’s Rookie Cup champion Molnár soon became the driver to watch as he found a way past Rowan Campbell-Pilling (JHR Developments) and Bergström on consecutive laps.
Posting successive fastest laps, it wasn’t long until the Hungarian was on the rear wing of Fernandez before drawing alongside him on the run down the start straight. Fernandez would hold firm and with Lloyd coming to a stop on the track after Coppice, the red flag was waved.
With two minutes remaining, Fernandez was declared the winner, while Molnár and Bergström completed the top-three; Piszcyk (Rodin Motorsport), Leo Robinson (Hitech TGR) and Harri Reynolds (JHR Developments) – the Challenge Cup victor – rounded out the top-six.
Hitech TGR’s Fionn McLaughlin bounced back from an early trip through the Old Hairpin gravel trap to finish seventh ahead of Campbell-Pilling, who had been given a five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits.
Completing the top ten was Adam Al Azhari (Rodin Motorsport) and Xavier Avramides (Hitech TGR).
The weekend’s third and final contest saw Piszcyk become the latest driver to stand on the top step of the podium after both August Raber and McLaughlin – who were running first and second respectively – were hit with time penalties for exceeding track limits.
Jumping pole sitter Joslyn as the lights went out, round one winner Raber wasted no time in establishing a lead at the front of the field, although the duo of McLaughlin and Piszcyk – who also dispatched Joslyn at the start – were within striking distance.
With very little separating the top three as the laps ticked by, McLaughlin became the first of several drivers to be deemed to have exceeded track limits, copping a five-second time penalty in the process.
Despite seemingly being in control of proceedings, Raber would soon become the next driver to be penalised for the same offence. Frustratingly, he would be unable to pull clear of the chasing pack too, as the red flag was thrown soon after following an incident between Lloyd and Bergström at Redgate.
Piszcyk was therefore declared as the winner, and he was joined on the podium by Challenge Cup winner Tommy Harfield (Chris Dittmann Racing) and Molnár.
Campbell-Pilling, Fernandez and Robinson filled the remaining top six positions, with Raber ending up seventh. Completing the top-ten was Ethan Jeff-Hall (Argenti Motorsport) and pole sitter Joslyn.
Leaving Donington Park, Piszcyk holds a two-point lead over Molnár in the Drivers’ Championship, while McLaughlin and Harfield lead the Rookie Cup and Challenge Cup standings respectively.
Molnár secured the Pirelli Hardest Charger Award on behalf of Virtuosi, having secured the lowest cumulative finishing positions from all three races.
The Wera Tools F4 British Championship, certified by FIA doesn’t have to wait long until it is next in action, as the series heads to the Home of British Motor Racing, Silverstone, this coming week (May 2-3) for Rounds 4, 5 and 6 of the 2025 campaign. Saturday’s two races will be live streamed on the championship’s YouTube channel.