SPEAKER_06 0:01

Hello and welcome back. It's the moment we've been waiting for all winter. The drivers are primed and ready to race. Pre-season testing is done, and the teams are packing the trucks ready to head to the East Midlands. Welcome to the first Friday Night F4 podcast of the year and our exclusive season preview, as we're just a week away from lights out at Donington Park for the opening round of the Vera Tools British F4 Championship. It feels like forever since we crowned our last champion, and it's about time to go racing again. And the grid for 2026 is groundbreaking. This season is a historic one as we head to Donington Park with the biggest grid in F4 history, and over 30 drivers looking to make their mark in this highly competitive championship. And it's a classic circuit for a reason. It's fast, it's flowing, and if the British spring weather holds true to form, we might see four seasons in one hour, like they did during the media test days. Precision is everything here. If you overcook it through the old hairpin, your weekend can go stout very quickly. But with 30 races across the season, including trips to Danfort and Silverstone, nobody is going to be holding back at the season opener. But the wise heads will know the championship isn't won on race one. It's not just the quantity on the crypto, it's the quality. This is a truly global field. We've got talent flying in from many countries, from the UAE and Sweden, to a massive American contingent to race against the field of homegrown talent. In this season preview, we will hear from a selection of the drivers and championship manager Eve Lake Grange, all of whom had a busy preseason media day recently at MS UK headquarters and at Donington Park. Speaking of the US, keep an eye out for the Felber Twins, Cash and Roman. Really nice guys, as it happens. They're making their debut with Fortech Motorsport. And it's clear there is some real sibling rivalry waiting to unfold. And it's not just the rookies. We've got some serious returning drivers this year as well. Ethan Jeff Hall is back with Argenty after finishing fifth last year. And fourth place finisher Tommy Harfield is returning with Chris Dippman Race, a proven race winner who knows exactly how to handle the pressure of a season opener. Let's talk about the new phases. The Rookie Cup is going to be a total shark tank. We've got Dries van Langendock stepping up with Rodin Motorsport. He cameoed last season and he's part of the McLaren Driver Development Programme, so you know the expectations are sky high. And don't overlook Chicago's Jackson Walney at XL or Timo Youngling over at JHR. These racers are coming straight out of top-tier karting where the racing is arguably even more aggressive. Transitioning that elbows-out driving style to single-seaters is what makes round one so unpredictable. It's a tantalising prospect for a cracking season opener. Throughout the season, you'll be able to hear all the interviews with the drivers on the Friday Night Podcast and the British F4 website. But for now, let's delve into the chats I had on Media Day as I go to find out more about the class of 2026. And joining the Vera Tools British F4 Championship, a big prospect ahead of you.

SPEAKER_04 4:05

Yes, uh should be a good season, hopefully. Uh looking forward to it. I love all the tracks I've been to so far. Uh yeah.

SPEAKER_06 4:12

What's your racing background, Cash? Because you've come over from Ohio, you've come across the pond to race in this championship. Tell everybody a little bit about your racing history.

SPEAKER_04 4:20

Yeah, so I started racing when I was uh 11 and a half, uh, started in go-karts, and then uh I got I was in a car at uh 13 and a half, and then um and then I when I was 15 we raced in uh F4 in the US. Uh it's called JFC. It's like the junior program, so it's Gen 1 cars last year. We raced that. Uh finished third in the championship in that, and now we came over here to race British F4. Uh so far I've had an amazing time over here.

SPEAKER_06 4:45

Oh, well that's good to hear. We'll talk about the cultural differences maybe in a in a moment. Um I mean, obviously uh it's a long way to come. It's a big investment as well. Why choose British F4 now?

SPEAKER_04 4:58

Uh well we uh tested, we tested in like Italy, we tried Italy, we tried here, uh, and uh we liked everybody here. You know, they speak English because in America we speak English, and uh everybody's very welcoming here, and uh yeah, when from yeah.

SPEAKER_06 5:13

So cultural differences. What have you noticed so far? You're settling into the UK, obviously, but uh what have you noticed so far about the cultural differences?

SPEAKER_04 5:21

Uh definitely food. I mean, I like the pies over here, they're really good. Um I like the USA steaks better, not gonna lie. I had a steak over here, it wasn't my favorite, but uh overall I love it over here. I mean, uh it's been uh a bit wet since I've been here. So uh yeah, but uh it's been getting a bit nicer out here ever since uh we came over here.

SPEAKER_06 5:42

Yeah, you will notice the weather features a lot in our conversations as well as uh how it affects the racing. Uh so what about um family? Is there racing in your in your background, in your family? Uh no, just me and my brother. Ah, you know, you mentioned your brother, uh Roman. He is your twin, isn't he? Yes. So there's two that's got to be competitive. Both in the same team, in the same car, your twin brother. How's that gonna play out?

SPEAKER_04 6:06

I mean, we just push ourselves to do better, you know. Uh we just you know compare data to obviously all of our teammates, but uh compare to him and uh see if he gains anywhere. Uh it's yeah.

SPEAKER_06 6:17

Is there a lot of competition between the two of you though? Yes, yes, there's definitely competition between us. Uh you've raced together before, have you? Yes, yes. Who's got the highest percentage win rate?

SPEAKER_04 6:26

That'd be me.

SPEAKER_06 6:27

Okay. Yes. I'll ask him the same question. This is what he says. Yeah. What about your um your ambitions in uh in motorsport, uh Cash? What do you want to achieve?

SPEAKER_04 6:37

Uh I'd like to be an F1 driver and uh I'd like to win an F1. Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 6:41

And is that you're obviously focused on that. Um but you you also must have you know the real reality button that says okay, it is gonna be possible. But um did you have a a plan B if you didn't manage to make F1?

SPEAKER_04 6:55

Uh I I mean I will uh maybe indie car back in the US, um maybe uh sports cars, because I love endurance racing. I do it all the time on the sim. So uh maybe maybe endurance racing if if F1 doesn't work out.

SPEAKER_06 7:09

Okay, so outside of racing, what do you get involved in? I mean, presumably you're having to build a whole new circle of friends now over here in the UK.

SPEAKER_04 7:17

Uh yeah, just uh back in the States. If I if I'm not racing, I'll uh uh probably go fishing, uh maybe play basketball in our front yard, because we have like a basketball hoop in the front yard. Uh and uh uh yeah, that's mainly it. And then uh over here, I just raced on our sim all day, to be fair.

SPEAKER_05 7:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 7:38

And uh but I do school in between that, and then uh yeah, that's really it.

SPEAKER_06 7:42

So I in terms of sim, you must have been doing all of the the UK um tracks. Have you driven any any of them before?

SPEAKER_04 7:49

Uh on the sim, yes. I've driven all of them on the sim that they have.

SPEAKER_06 7:52

But not actually on on the circuit yet.

SPEAKER_04 7:54

Uh I've driven most of them on the circuit, but um I think I still have two left to drive. Right, okay, which are uh Brands Hatch, uh Indy and GP, and then Zanvort. Zanvoort, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 8:05

That's gonna be an interesting one this year, isn't it?

SPEAKER_04 8:07

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 8:07

So who are your um inspirations in motorsport?

SPEAKER_04 8:10

Obviously Lewis Hamilton, uh Master Shopping a bit, because like he's like the GOAT right now, or he was the last like four years, five years, but uh yeah, definitely owes to.

SPEAKER_06 8:22

How is um sort of schooling going to work over uh here for you? Because you you must be you're needing to continue your studies.

SPEAKER_04 8:28

Yes, uh so we're completely homeschooled, so I have my laptop and then uh I do all the work that's on my laptop, and then uh yeah, it's just like an online school.

SPEAKER_06 8:36

And presumably you'll you'll use you know the online to keep in touch with your friends back in the in the States. Will they be following you throughout the season?

SPEAKER_04 8:43

Uh maybe, yes. Yeah. I race on the sim with a bunch of them back from the US. Uh have a good time on the sim.

SPEAKER_06 8:50

Um and you've got F4 experience uh uh previously, but jumping into this car uh in the UK, what's that been like so far?

SPEAKER_04 8:58

Uh completely different than the F4 in the US. Uh the F4 in the US, it's a Legion chassis instead of the TADIS chassis, so it requires a different driving style. Um there's a lot more arrow on this car than it is on the car in the US. Um, but uh really everything's different. Uh this one has a bit more overall grip and just overall grip in everywhere, the high speed, low speed, uh, and it requires just an overall different driving style. So uh yeah, it's been it's been a pretty fun transition though. I like it.

SPEAKER_06 9:26

How would you sum up your driving style? Are you are you a risk taker or are you the percentage man?

SPEAKER_04 9:31

Uh I think I'm a bit a bit of a risk taker or late breaker.

SPEAKER_06 9:35

Yeah. Late breaking. Okay, we'll we'll keep an eye out that for the for the season. Yeah. Uh in in terms of this year, um, Cash, let's break it down into the first half of the season. Well, what would you be happy with come uh the halfway point?

SPEAKER_04 9:48

Uh definitely a couple podiums for sure. Uh I'd be very happy with that. Um definitely if I'm like top five in the championship halfway through, I'd consider that very well. Uh so yeah.

SPEAKER_06 9:59

And presumably above your brother on the table. Obviously, that, yes. Friendly rivalry, that's uh that's what we like. Um, what are you looking forward to most uh this year?

SPEAKER_04 10:10

Probably probably Silverstone, not gonna lie. The racing around there is gonna be so fun. Long streets where you can just draft up on people. Uh the racing around there is gonna be really fun.

SPEAKER_06 10:20

Okay, you're gonna get a chance to play some basketball over here as well.

SPEAKER_04 10:23

Uh I haven't seen a basketball hoop over here since we've been here.

SPEAKER_06 10:26

You have to work quite hard to find them, in all fairness. What's so what's your team? Uh Fort Motorsports. No uh basketball team.

SPEAKER_04 10:32

Oh, I don't play a basketball team. I just play with my brother out front. Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 10:35

So I didn't know whether you supported an NBA team.

SPEAKER_04 10:38

Uh I mean I don't I I don't watch NBA that much, but if I if I had to support a team, it's gonna be my home team, the Cavaliers. Cavaliers, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 10:46

I'm a Brooklyn Nets fan and we've not had a very good season, so we'll we'll keep stubborn on that one. Yeah, brilliant. Cash, really good to see you. Welcome to the championship. Have a great year. Thank you. And uh we'll catch up again throughout the season, I'm sure.

SPEAKER_04 10:58

Thank you.

SPEAKER_06 10:59

Roman, good to see you. Welcome to the Vera British uh F4 uh championship. Smile on your face says to me that you're really looking forward to this season.

SPEAKER_04 11:08

Yeah, I'm excited, it'll be good.

SPEAKER_06 11:09

Um now we should just clear this one up. Uh you have a twin brother who is also in the championship, cash. Um, that's gonna be a competitive season between the two of you, isn't it?

SPEAKER_04 11:20

Yeah, it will.

SPEAKER_06 11:21

Who's if I asked if I asked both of you who was the better driver, what what would what do you think he'd say?

SPEAKER_04 11:26

He would probably say me.

SPEAKER_06 11:28

I think he may have said that's already, which is good. So um the the whole family pretty much involved here. You've come over from the States living in Northampton. That's a big commitment in your time, which says to me a lot about your ambition. What are your ambitions in motorsport?

SPEAKER_04 11:43

Uh just to do well, you know, like yeah, just make it up the ladder and keep climbing. Is F1? Yeah, F1, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 11:49

Okay, so who do you follow in F1 that you'd like to emulate?

SPEAKER_04 11:53

Uh I don't really know. All of them. All of them. They're all good. Maybe if we're snapping on it. Just as long as you can get to F1, that's all that matters.

SPEAKER_06 12:00

Um so how much uh experience have you got in the in the F in an F4 uh car?

SPEAKER_04 12:05

Um we did an F4 in the US last year, but the cars were like a lot different. They were double like old gen, they didn't have a halo bar. So it's a bit a bit of a different driving style like to learn over here. But it's been pretty good, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 12:18

So jumping in uh the the British F4 car, the Tatos uh chassis, what was that like? What were the differences that you noticed?

SPEAKER_04 12:25

Um definitely braking a lot the way you break, just yeah, the braking mainly was a big it, uh the big bit. Um and then warming up the tires is a lot different because in America like they come in a lot faster, so you don't really need to do a whole lot of prep with them, but over here it's like you gotta do like a lot of prep with them, so like just like a lot of a lot of stuff with that.

SPEAKER_06 12:46

So, what's your what's your approach to racing? What's your driving style? Are you a are you a risk taker? You're smiling. Are you a risk taker or do you do you like to sort of sit and weigh things up?

SPEAKER_04 12:55

I'm a bit of a risk taker, I think, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 12:57

How do you do I I I is you and are you and your brother very similar in your your driving styles, or is there a very clear if I didn't know which one of you was in the car, would I be able to tell which one is?

SPEAKER_04 13:06

I'd say I'm a bit more aggressive than him. Oh, okay. Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_06 13:09

Racing wise. So you've you've obviously raced uh in other series and uh in other championships and things with with your brother. Um how has that been? Have you have you always sort of seen eye to eye?

SPEAKER_04 13:20

Has it been fair competition or uh Um yeah, it's been pretty fine so far. Uh I don't think we've crashed yet. But um Let's hope that doesn't hopefully yeah, hopefully that doesn't happen. But uh oh wait, uh yeah.

SPEAKER_06 13:32

Yeah, good. So uh you will be homeschooling, um I guess when you're what are your your good subjects? What uh what do you excel at? Uh none of them.

SPEAKER_04 13:42

None of them.

SPEAKER_06 13:42

None of them. Do you have any favourite subjects, things that you you do enjoy doing? Apart from racing, obviously.

SPEAKER_04 13:48

Uh I don't like doing school. I mean, uh not really any of them, but uh no, driving the sim.

SPEAKER_06 13:55

So how much time do you spend on the sim and uh and have you been sort of getting used to the the UK circuits?

SPEAKER_04 14:01

Um on i racing I spend like a lot of time because my sim's in my room. So I spend like every day on the sim.

SPEAKER_06 14:07

So do you have a full rig?

SPEAKER_04 14:09

Yeah, I have a full sim rig, yeah. Yeah, it's pretty good. And yeah.

SPEAKER_06 14:13

So how many of the UK circuits have you had experience on so far?

SPEAKER_04 14:17

Um I would say most of them. We went to Croft, uh, Throshine, Silverstones, um I think that's it.

SPEAKER_06 14:27

Yeah. Um, so you haven't you haven't been to Donington Park? Oh we did go to Donington before we did. I mean that's uh I think it's a lovely circuit because it's very undulating and and uh it's got a testing circuit. What did you make of that? Were you were you pleased with your your testing performance at Donington Park?

SPEAKER_04 14:42

I think it was uh yeah, I'd say it was pretty decent, but um there was a lot of historic arms out there, so we didn't do many laps of uh actual push-in.

SPEAKER_06 14:49

Okay. So with Fortech, uh the the team is coming together. Obviously, you know your your brother, your two um other uh uh teammates, uh Kit and Ethan, how are you getting on with them?

SPEAKER_04 15:00

Uh yeah, it's been great. We we actually knew Kit before we were with Fortech. So it was pretty cool that we're getting the uh like race with them this year. And Ethan, like yeah, we've been getting longer, I think.

SPEAKER_06 15:11

Cultural differences. I know your brother has has mentioned to me he spotted a couple of things between uh being obviously in Ohio and now coming to the UK. What have what have you spotted? What stood out to you?

SPEAKER_04 15:22

You call your fries chips here. Um uh you also guys drink a lot more tea. Yep. Yeah, we don't really drink tea in America. Um yeah, uh your steaks are a bit different. Um there's a lot of different I can't really think of any, but uh like those are the main ones I would I would say. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 15:44

Yeah, yeah. Fo food is the first thing that you tend to spot, isn't it?

SPEAKER_04 15:48

I like eating a lot. So Do you?

SPEAKER_06 15:50

I love eating.

SPEAKER_04 15:50

Could you cook? Uh I don't cook, but I like to eat. So what's your favorite foods? Uh sushi, burgers, like anything like.

SPEAKER_06 15:57

Oh, okay. Oh, it'd be interesting to you. Have you had burgers over here? Yeah, I have. I had one last night. And and how did that stack up to what you used to in the States?

SPEAKER_04 16:05

Um they're pretty good, actually, I'm not gonna lie. Okay. Yeah, they pretty stack up well.

SPEAKER_06 16:09

Yeah.

unknown 16:10

Good.

SPEAKER_04 16:10

Well you tick that box then.

SPEAKER_06 16:11

If the stakes don't tick the box, yeah, the stakes don't tick the box though. Sushi you might have to work a little bit harder to find. There are plenty of places about I don't know if there's a sushi place in um in Northampton, but I don't think there is. No, you might have to look. I know that some of the supermarkets now sell sushi, but it's not perhaps as good as you can. What are you gonna miss most about home? I mean, I I suspect your friends, but you'll be able to keep in touch with them sort of online. But what else do you think you're gonna miss most uh about being over here?

SPEAKER_04 16:38

Uh probably my mom and then my cat, probably, to be honest.

SPEAKER_06 16:41

Your mum and your cat.

SPEAKER_04 16:42

Yeah, my cat. Yeah, I like my cat. My cat. And my and my other sim at home. Yeah, I like my sim.

SPEAKER_06 16:47

Okay, okay, so so let's let's name check. What's your mum's name? Uh Trina. Okay, and your cat's name. Uh I have three. Three, okay. Marco, Wookiee, and Loki. Marvellous. So you'd be able to see them online through Zoom or something, won't you? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 17:01

Uh yeah, through FaceTime.

SPEAKER_06 17:02

Yeah. FaceTime, that's the one to do. So uh in terms of your your downtime, uh, what are you are you looking to do? I mean, are you looking to see a bit more of the the UK and find out a bit more about the UK culture, or is your downtime going to be based on your sim and uh being in the gym?

SPEAKER_04 17:17

Yeah, to be honest, I don't really care about like history and stuff. I don't I don't care to go like looking at stuff. I just prefer to drive a sim.

SPEAKER_06 17:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 17:23

Yeah, like out racing.

SPEAKER_06 17:26

Excellent. Um so you've left your your sim rig back in in the States, haven't you? So what are you using over here? You borrowed one?

SPEAKER_04 17:32

Yeah, we rented one from Pure Sims.

SPEAKER_06 17:34

Oh, okay. That's good. Right. You're looking forward to the start of the season. Okay, I can't wait. Yeah, absolutely. Uh just finally, um, let's let's take a uh a look forward to say the halfway point uh of the season. Where would you like to be? What would you be happy with at the halfway point?

SPEAKER_04 17:50

Probably top five, yeah. Top five, top seven, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 17:52

Yeah, and what do you do you think there's a good chance of that? You've had time to weigh up the opposition there.

SPEAKER_04 17:56

To be honest, yeah. Uh yeah, I'm I'm pretty good at like most tracks. Yeah. I don't like their track.

SPEAKER_06 18:02

Okay. And presumably the other most important thing is to be above your brother.

SPEAKER_04 18:06

Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 18:07

It's gonna be a fantastic and fascinating uh season to watch the two of you. Uh really good to see you. Welcome to VeraTools British F4 and uh have a great season.

SPEAKER_04 18:16

Thank you, good to meet you, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 18:17

Uh Ethan, good to see you, and I'm really pleased to say welcome back to the VeraTools British F4 Championship. Um, you uh no doubt are looking forward to this year because you've now got that year under your belt, aren't you? Look, you're you're trying not to smile because you know that that experience is going to stand you in good stead. Just very briefly, when the season ended um last year, uh were you already committed to this year or was there was there a gap?

SPEAKER_12 18:45

Um no, I wouldn't say we knew what we were doing straight after these the season. Um did a couple days with Argentie Justin in the F4 just to keep my foot in the door and keep testing and keep progressing. You know, there wasn't any plans at that by that point. Um and then I'd say kind of by maybe November time is kind of when we found out what we'd be coming back for the second year. Um but yeah, obviously here again and uh looking forward to it.

SPEAKER_06 19:16

Absolutely. Um I don't want to to dwell on last season. You had some tremendous performances last season, you also had some big disappointments, didn't you? I can remember the times when you climbed out of the car and your shoulders were down. But coming back with that year under your belt, with that experience, you're not a a rookie, you are in there with that knowledge and that learning. Um how have you changed? Do you think you've changed between last year and this year?

SPEAKER_12 19:40

Yeah, obviously this the second year experience is massive in in a championship like this. Um looking forward to to being at the sharp end. But yeah, I've been working working on myself hard in the gym. Notice noticeably, I've got bigger, stronger, so you know that's always a positive. Um yeah, I've been really working on my cardio, my strength, my my endurance sort of side of things. So yeah, I think there's been a lot of change from my side and also you know the team, we've got a lot of new stuff. Um so yeah, you know, there's been a lot of a lot of change this year, but hopefully it's for the best. And um yeah, I think we should be we should be in for a strong run this year.

SPEAKER_06 20:20

How has testing gone so far?

SPEAKER_12 20:22

Yeah, really well to be fair. Um we've just just done the um first official test at Snetterton last week, ended that on on the top step. Um so yeah, you know, we've the pace is there, we've been fast. We've not done a massive amount of days, uh I think five this year so far, and obviously more before the the start of the season, but you know, every day we've done was being really productive, working hard, um working on myself, the car, just everything trying to trying to make it better. Um working on the consistency, qualifying runs. So yeah, you know, we've been working really hard and you know, hats off to the team, they've done a great job so far. So hopefully we can kind of keep this momentum up into this year and um be fighting at the at the front end.

SPEAKER_06 21:09

Yeah, it's a big grid this year, like this 31 um cars, which is you know a big chunk again on top of uh of what we've already had, which means it's going to be tight going into some of those first corners, particularly. I think about Donnington and Red Gate. Obviously, people can see you laughing. You know what's coming, don't you, there? Because there's a lot of new drivers in the championship this year who will all will you know want to make their mark.

SPEAKER_12 21:36

Yeah, you know, I think this is the biggest grid there's ever been in British F4, so it's great to be a part of that. Obviously, thirty one cars is fantastic. Um championship's done a really good job uh in in getting that many drivers on board. But yeah, it's gonna be tricky, it's gonna make the the racing side of things really hard. You know, qualifying is gonna be so crucial with with this many people on the track. Um and you know if you have a A bad qualifying, maybe start further down the order. It's gonna be it's gonna be tough, but yeah, it's gonna be interesting to see you know 30 cars pile into turn one. Um I'm sure along the way there might be a few accidents or whatnot, but yeah, it should be it should make some interesting racing, you know. There'll be battles all up and down the grid, and there's um a massive, massive level of talent. So, you know, there's there's many talented people, many championship winners, previous championship winners. So yeah, it's it's gonna be a fun year, uh, and I'm just excited to be a part of that.

SPEAKER_06 22:33

How important is this year for you in terms of your your ambitions in motorsport?

SPEAKER_12 22:38

Yeah, I mean, you never know what what is gonna come next, but it's always every every year you do is always super important. But for me, this year I think is one of the it's gonna be more one of my most crucial years of racing, you know. I think this year might determine the future. Um but yeah, I'm I'm I'm working hard. I can't really say what's gonna happen because you never know, but you know, I'm hoping to be fighting at the front, stay with the Mercedes group. Um that'd be that'd be one of my goals for this year and and just to progress into something like GB3, but maybe maybe Frecker as well, something like that. But yeah, I mean you can't say what what is gonna happen or what will happen if this year doesn't go well, but I mean I think I think it's gonna be quite crucial to be to be fighting at the front, and you know, especially from other people looking in, you know, it's my second year, and if it don't do well, then you know there might not be many opportunities off the back of that, but yeah, we'll we'll see at the end of the year, and uh I'll be able to probably tell you at the at the last rounds.

SPEAKER_06 23:40

So um, where are you in the the education process at the moment? Have you you've done GCSEs? Yeah.

SPEAKER_12 23:46

Yeah, I I've done GCSEs. Uh I did that in 2024. So I'm currently in my second year of college, um hoping to be finishing soon to be honest, getting my trying to get all my coursework out of the way. Um but I'd imagine around the start of the first season or maybe a couple races into the year I'll I'll be free of education. What are you doing?

SPEAKER_06 24:10

What are you doing at college?

SPEAKER_12 24:11

Uh I'm at the Motorsport UK Academy College, so obviously working with Motorsport UK and it's motor vehicle, health sport, well-being, esports, and uh another kind of lesson called Dice, um Diploma in Sport and Excellence. So yeah, there's a lot of a lot of things that are very relatable to motorsport there, so it's a really good college. I'd I recommend it. Obviously, that's another part of this interview, but no, I've been I've enjoyed it and it's it's definitely a lot better than being at at school uh and and it's based around racing, so it's only eight days a month. So I've got a lot of time to focus on myself and focus on the testing and the racing. So yeah, hopefully we can get my well, I can get my coursework out of the way and be leaving soon, but yeah.

SPEAKER_06 25:00

You mentioned an interesting phrase you said there, focus on yourself. So away from uh racing, away from college, away from the sim, what do you get up to?

SPEAKER_12 25:09

Um well to be fair, I've I've not been too busy over the the winter. I've done a couple days in the go-kart, a little bit of coaching, and then a day for fun at the new Silstone go-kart track, which is phenomenal. Really enjoyed it, but yeah, like I said, trying to get my coursework out of the way. Uh I've been working really hard in the gym, getting stronger, lots of runs, and then also just doing a lot of things that that needed doing for the the season. Uh, calls with the team, calls with my engineer, just discussing how this year, how how we need to plan for this year, and um obviously, yeah. Other than that, there's not been too much involved, maybe sorting out my team kit for this year, helmets, all that sort of stuff. Um I've done a sim race at Mercedes with uh Oli Meadow and uh a lad called Jacob Tofts, which was really fun actually. I've never really done a 12-hour race before, but you know, we did the 12-hour bath fest and that was great. So yeah, I've done a couple things, but it's mainly been downtime and kind of like I said, really focusing on that gym uh and and cardio sort of stuff. So yeah.

SPEAKER_06 26:22

Are you ready for 2026?

SPEAKER_12 26:24

Yeah, I believe so. I mean, I've uh obviously we've not raced since last round at um Brands Hatch, which was six months around six months ago. So yeah, I'm I've kind of got all this energy built up inside of me, and I'm I'm ready to go out and uh show everyone what I can do this year.

SPEAKER_06 26:41

Fantastic. I'm gonna look forward to uh seeing you do well this year, Ethan. Uh good to have you back and have a great season.

SPEAKER_12 26:46

Oh dude, thank you. Thank you very much for having me.

SPEAKER_06 26:48

Tommy, really good to see you back in the uh British F4 Championship. We uh we spoke quite a lot last year. You had some incredible performances last year. It was a pleasure to watch you race. At the end of last year, I think one of the last things I said to you was, Will we see you in 2026? And you weren't sure, but now you're back, you must be really pleased.

SPEAKER_11 27:10

Yeah, definitely really pleased. Um yeah. Um obviously different expectations this week, this year. Yeah, um but I should be at the front, should be winning races from the start.

SPEAKER_06 27:22

So I would hope so, because you'll carry on that momentum from last year. You proved that you were quick and and that you could uh race. Were you at the end of last season, were you pleased with what you achieved?

SPEAKER_11 27:35

For sure. Um yeah, obviously going into the year, um I was quite unprepared to be honest. Um yeah, I did I didn't know what to expect, so to come away P4 in the championship and three wins. I didn't even know if I was gonna do the full year.

SPEAKER_06 27:51

So no, absolutely. I and um I mean I remember that uh that first win that you had. I remember seeing you stood on the podium with with Chris Dittman, big smile on your face, an even bigger smile on his face. You made him a very happy man that day, didn't you?

SPEAKER_11 28:05

Yeah, that was definitely a cool moment. Yeah, um yeah, it was obviously a long time coming.

SPEAKER_06 28:10

So was that the highlight of the year for you?

SPEAKER_11 28:13

Um it was up there. There's quite a few. The F1 weekend was really cool. Yeah, a podium there was amazing. Uh the win at Silverstone National was also good, and I also think the very first race, like to get a podium first race, I really wasn't expecting that.

SPEAKER_06 28:32

No, very good performance. So that's last year. You come back this year a year older with that year of experience under your belt. Are you different now to last year? Is are you going to be a different racer this year to the one you were last year?

SPEAKER_11 28:47

Hopefully a better racer. Um yeah, I I think obviously it's a slightly different approach. I'll still be aggressive, still be um still probably race the same, but I know that well, last year I probably wasn't focusing on a championship at all, just going for every move. I need to be a bit smarter this year and just pick up results and because that's that's the way I suppose the three guys in front of me beat me. Like they weren't much faster than me, but just they strung together the weekends and got better results.

SPEAKER_06 29:22

W will your uh I mean, do you have a a ritual before you get in the car? Do you prepare yourself in the same way each time?

SPEAKER_11 29:30

Um it's definitely like something I've thought about a lot during the year. Like, what's the best way to like get me in the zone before uh before a race, which it's something I've worked on also for qualifying, because I think a few of the qualifyings I've not quite like I've not quite nailed, so um definitely like things to work on with zoning in and um like rituals. There's nothing I won't call rituals, but do you get in the car from the same side every time? Actually, to be fair, I actually do. Yeah, we've got them on well done.

SPEAKER_06 30:08

Now we just need to work out whether you put your left glove on first or your right glove. I don't think so. But uh and I I mean you you I I could tell just by watching you when you got in the car and when you got out of the car, you think a lot about what you're going to do in those races. You're you're extremely focused. You can you can see it in your eyes. And and how much of that preparation do you spend time on before you get to uh to a race weekend? Are you getting into that zone really early in the days beforehand?

SPEAKER_11 30:35

Yeah, like it's almost the only thing I think about really. Um yeah, I just want to do my best every time, so I I try and do what's what's needed to get me the best results.

SPEAKER_06 30:51

So uh a lot of I guess a lot of gym time, a lot of sim time uh and and talks with the team and testing that you have. Do you have any downtime? What else what else do you get up to?

SPEAKER_11 31:01

Um it pretty much is just that. I do a lot of watching sports. Uh I used to do football, used to do cricket, used to do running. Uh but now it is just solely focused on motorsports. So I still watch the other sports. Obviously, motorsport's my favourite sport. Um but I guess other than yeah, what you said, Jim, Sim, that's all I do.

SPEAKER_06 31:25

Jim and Sim, they rhyme, don't they? Which is uh hardly surprising. I remember last year you had to sit out one of the practice sessions because you were doing one of your exams, wasn't it? Two, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_11 31:36

Yeah, yeah. How did you get on? So uh in the exams, okay. Uh I wasn't expecting too much to be honest. Um so it went more or less okay. Yeah. I've still got to do a couple more this year, so I didn't quite do all of them last year, so right.

SPEAKER_06 31:51

Um and and what therefore comes next as part of your education? I mean you finish off these these two that you got to do, but will you do a college after that or what will you move on to other things in education or not?

SPEAKER_11 32:02

I I haven't thought I haven't thought about any of that. That'd just been last two years or last year. Yeah. Very focused on recently.

SPEAKER_06 32:10

Uh your ultimate ambition in motorsport, just remind me, is it is F1 now, for sure. When you say F1 now, is it not always been F1?

SPEAKER_11 32:21

Uh I've well a couple years ago it was such a long shot back when I was doing fiestas, um definitely I don't think anyone, even me, would have saw me being in this uh position being real, but for sure now now um after last year it seems like a more um achievable goal.

SPEAKER_06 32:45

Absolutely. And and therefore how important is this year in British F4 to to that journey and what you hope to achieve in the future?

SPEAKER_11 32:56

Yeah, it's very important. Um like I think this year's the grid is as strong as ever. I think it's probably the strongest F4 grid this year. So I think winning it will mean a lot. There's obviously a lot of F1 juniors, um so to beat them would mean a lot and it would help me progress.

SPEAKER_06 33:16

Um the grid is 31 cars this year. Uh it is a lot more, which brings with it its own challenges. How much more important is qualifying going to be?

SPEAKER_11 33:29

Yeah, even more important. It was the most important session of the weekend, um of the weekends last year. It would be even more important. Brands Indy, if you qualify, if you qualify not too well, it could be a rough weekend.

SPEAKER_06 33:45

Yeah, that pole position particularly. I mean the front front half of the grid or front front three rows, two, three rows in Bournemouth. But it'd be nice to get the watch, wouldn't it? The pole position.

SPEAKER_11 33:54

Yeah, I didn't get one last year.

SPEAKER_06 33:56

Some people got more than one, which was selfish, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_11 33:59

Yeah, I I got loads of like the second best polls, but I never quite got the actual poll.

SPEAKER_06 34:05

We will celebrate when you get your first watch. Uh I think is the uh is the thing we should set together. Um, really good to see you back in the season. I'm genuinely looking forward to watching your race this year. Have a fantastic season.

SPEAKER_11 34:19

Oh well, thank you.

SPEAKER_06 34:20

Drees, good to see you again. Uh, and I'm delighted to say welcome back to the Vera Tools British F4 uh Championship. You had a bit of a barnstormer uh introduction to the series last season, didn't you? You arrived and everybody went, ooh, heck.

SPEAKER_10 34:35

Um yeah, it was it was a pretty special um start to last last season. Um obviously came in quite inexperienced and middle of the season as well. Um, but yeah, I mean, really good round at Donington. Um, did not expect to pull it and went on my debut, but um, yeah, just uh the work behind the scenes and a great team around me made it possible. So um yeah, just everything I guess played out, and then the two rounds after were also pretty good, uh, but more learning um than the first one, which is also really good, um, especially for my development.

SPEAKER_06 35:10

Does coming back this season sort of intimate that there's unfinished business?

SPEAKER_10 35:14

Uh yeah, for sure. I mean, obviously I'm aiming for the championship this season. Um, I think I've got a real good shot at it, especially since the winter series has gone pretty well. Um, but yeah, it's it's looking like a really strong grid. Um a lot of experienced drivers on the grid this year, so um yeah, gonna see how it goes and take it step by step and uh see where I end up.

SPEAKER_06 35:36

It is a strong grid. We've got 31 cars on the grid, which means less space for everybody. We'll talk about that in a second. Um, but for those people who um who didn't uh listen to any of the the stuff that we talked about last year, just give us a quick resume of of your motor racing career so far so far.

SPEAKER_10 35:53

Um so started at a national level in uh in Belgium, uh then slowly moved up until I got to Italy on the international level, and uh then yeah, just started to try and put some results in, try and keep progressing myself. I made a big come come through when I uh won the world championship in 2023, um, and then stayed with that team, which also gave me another another good good couple of championships, including the European Championship, and uh yeah, then mid-25 we decided to take an early step to um to Formula 4, uh the single seater path. Um, and then yeah, just just decided together with testing and together with the team to to try and do on my birthday the the British F4 Dollington round. So absolutely.

SPEAKER_06 36:41

Um how important uh to your future journey in motorsphere season, particularly in in British F4?

SPEAKER_10 36:51

Um, yeah, I think it's gonna be it's gonna be interesting. I think um there's always gonna be some form of pressure. Um but yeah, I mean it's always gonna be good to to win this year, um, especially against the strongest grid I think I've I've ever seen of the British F4. Um, and also just overall from all the F Wars together, I think it's gonna be a really tough year. Um, and yeah, it's always gonna be good, especially in the earlier years, to put me on the radar um and also keep performing for the people around me because it is you know it's always gonna be tough. Um, and the way to F1 is gonna be very tough along the lines, but um, yeah, I'm just gonna try and perform like I've always been and just try and do the best I can and uh want to end this season with being proud of what I have achieved and knowing I've done the best I can.

SPEAKER_06 37:42

Absolutely. So you're a year older. Um how have you changed? Uh are you a different person coming into this season than you were last season? Is your approach to driving going to be different?

SPEAKER_10 37:54

Um, I've developed a lot over the winter testing. Um, also the three rounds helped a lot. Um, I think I've learned a lot um about the single seater, about the Formula Four. Um, it's very different to karting. It's you know, the way you work, the way the the way the car handles the what you need to know about the car is just you know, and how you work, how you work with a team is just a completely different aspect. So um, yeah, there's been there's been some struggles over the winter testing, but overall I think I've learned massive amounts. I've never felt more prepared going into a championship than I've have now. Um so yeah, um, I think definitely as a driver and as a person, I've developed a lot, and I feel you know that I'm in a good position right now. Um, you know, five years down the line I'll be another person and I'll you know be be a better person every single day. But um yeah, just just the work we've done at the winter testing, I think has been really great, and I feel more than confident going into this season.

SPEAKER_06 38:52

I I mentioned at the top of our chat that you made quite an impact when you arrived in the championship at the back end of uh the the season last year. How would you describe your driving style? I mean, are you a risk taker? Are you an are you a percentages man? What what sort of a driver are you?

SPEAKER_10 39:11

Um well um in terms of driving style, I've always had a smooth sort of driver style. I like a really good front end, um, which uh a lot of drivers like, but um yeah, um as a driver I'd quite like to say that I'm quite calculated. It's you know, I like taking some risk, but always calculated risk. Um I've learned a lot over those three races last year as well. Um it's it's different to karting, you know. You can't you can't, you know, you don't have when you make a mistake, you're both out of the race. You know, it's not like in karting when you've got side pods and you can sometimes use them, but um yeah, I I mean I've learned a lot, and to be honest, I think it's gonna be interesting, but um yeah, my approach is always the same. I'm calculated and I'm just gonna try and do the best I can in my situation, whether that's if I'm quick in the race or I'm slow. If I'm quick, I'm gonna have everything to go through a win. Um, if I'm slow or just don't have the pace in that race, then I'm just gonna try and salvage all the points that I can in that race and just try and be as consistent and stay out of trouble.

SPEAKER_06 40:18

Before you climb in a race car, do you have any sort of ritual that you go through? I know you're the sort of person that puts a left glove on first or something.

SPEAKER_10 40:25

Um no, not really. I for me it's more just trying to stay relaxed. Um, sort of don't fully think about the race. I try to get in a bit of a zone, but I do that more when I'm inside the car. I try to have more of a bit of a laugh when I get in just to put my head about off uh you know the stress that you have going into a race. Um so yeah, I just try to take more of a relaxed um approach before I get into the car. And um no, in terms of Rachel's, I don't have anything particular, just try and be relaxed and put my head off off uh you know the the pressure and the and the stress. So um yeah, just a relaxed approach.

SPEAKER_06 41:04

Motorsport is full on because you've got your your fitness training, you've got time on the sim, you've got race weekends, you've got all the other responsibilities as well. So when you do get some downtime, I don't suppose it's very much. What do you do? How do you hang out with your friends? Do you go to cinema? Are you listen to music? Do you cook? What play other sports? What do you do?

SPEAKER_10 41:24

Um it's quite interesting because I I just keep racing when I'm at home. Uh I'm really, really into sim racing. Um, I'm always, you know, I'm trying I find it really interesting how the sim racists um are at the level that they are, because it I find it, you know, really, really difficult to, for example, win win like a top split i racing special event. Um, and you know, like I said, these people are just on the sim, they're incredible, they spend hours and hours preparing for this one event. And uh it's a good challenge for me myself to have and also develop as a driver to try and you know take on these sim drivers and try to develop in that aspect as well. Um, and yeah, mostly that obviously I'm in an esports team as well, and I'd try and to you know, in the future maybe do something with that as well. Um, and also you know, it's just just in sort of your you know your nature just to keep just to keep very checking.

SPEAKER_06 42:19

There could be something else outside of racing there. What about music? What do you what music are you into? Films, music.

SPEAKER_10 42:25

I mean I listen to music, but just when I'm stim racing, so what do you listen to? Uh uh loads of things. I like some colplay, I like some Drake, I like eclectic tennis, is it rather okay? I mean, I I did some tennis when I was younger. I do like to go with some just to do some paddle with my mum or everybody's playing paddle now.

SPEAKER_06 42:46

Yeah. What is which is tennis in a box, isn't it? What is it about paddle? If all the other drivers are playing paddle.

SPEAKER_10 42:53

Well, for me, I always like tennis, but um paddle is just uh it's really accessible, I guess, and everyone just seems to enjoy it, and uh competition is quite quite fierce in that as well.

SPEAKER_06 43:04

So it begs the question there for because you obviously have an interest in sport. If you couldn't be a top racing driver, what would you do?

SPEAKER_10 43:13

Good question. Um I um well, I don't think if I if I really put myself to work hard for something, I think I could become something pro in something else, maybe like like you said, a tennis player or a paddle player. But yeah, my my aim is right now on racing, and I hope it's it's not gonna change. But um, yeah, I I always thought if I if I put my mind to something and try and work as hard as I can for it, then there's always a possibility for anything.

SPEAKER_06 43:41

Absolutely. Um it's gonna be a great season. Thirty one very competitive uh drivers uh on the grid, the biggest grid we've ever had. Um which means there is gonna be less room for error, uh, which means being at the front is going to be incredibly important. You are incredibly focused and you've already said what what your intent is. What Position do you hope to be in by the halfway stage?

SPEAKER_10 44:04

Um hopefully with a bit of a margin in P1. But um yeah, like I said, the competition's gonna be gonna be fair. So I just I just hope to be champion at the end of this and hope you know to be to be happy with what I've done. I don't want to look back and you know think, oh, I should have done this, I should have done that. I just I just wanna wanna end and want to end my F4 campaign or F4 season this year, um just with a happy face and a happy smile. Like Donington Park? Like Donington Park, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_06 44:34

Redgate corner with 31 cars.

SPEAKER_10 44:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 44:37

We're both smiling because we know what's gonna happen. Drace, really, I'm genuinely pleased uh to see you back uh in the series. It's gonna be an incredible uh season, and if you pick up the mantle as you did at the end of uh end of last year and start that way again this season, it's gonna be a great one. Really good to see you. Have a good season. Thank you very much, Jackson. Welcome to the Virtuals British F4 Championship. Um, Chicago, Illinois, the windy city, all the way to the UK. That's that's a heck of a journey for you.

SPEAKER_02 45:06

For sure. It's it's been weird, it's been an adjustment for sure.

SPEAKER_06 45:10

We'll talk about that cultural adjustment in a moment, but just tell me a little bit about um your motor racing background.

SPEAKER_02 45:17

So I started about five years ago running the national US karting scene, like the UA, like USB KS, Scoozo, all that stuff. And I kind of worked my my way through the ranks towards the end. I was getting wins, fighting for a championship, and it kind of just got cut short. Like we funding became an issue, we had to take a step back, and the last year I moved up to cars just because it was cheaper than carts. I moved to Mazda's in the US, and that was kind of what it felt like the path was gonna be. We're gonna have to do some grassroots car racing, and and then I discovered early last year this fat carting series that they claimed to have a prize of a free F4C. So along with the Mazdas, which I was kind of working my way up, I was running this this carting series, and it was the first year, and throughout the year I just was mainly focused on Mazda, to be honest. And by the end of the year I was running good, and I happened to just win out the whole carting thing, and I was like, who knows where this is gonna go? Who knows if this is legit? And it turned out to be quite legit. I mean, I'm here now. So yeah, the the the beginning of this year I got invited to this shootout for the F4 and happened to win it. And it it it happened so fast. I mean, now I'm here, like literally within a week of finding out I won, I moved to the UK.

SPEAKER_06 46:53

Wow, that's some story, isn't it? You sort of having to pinch yourself to think this is now real.

SPEAKER_02 46:58

Yeah, yeah. I mean, I went from not even thinking I was gonna get to race uh barely able to race cars to getting an open wheel seat.

SPEAKER_05 47:07

So what the first time you climbed into this British F4 car, what was that like? Oh, it was it was eye-opening.

SPEAKER_02 47:16

Yeah, I mean I the whole all my car experience, everything was in a Mazda, like a low-level sports car, borderline, not a race car, you know. And I hopped into this thing and it was it was a world of a difference. It was it was awesome, so much quicker. Brakes were insane. It was it was fun.

SPEAKER_06 47:36

I I guess the first time you got out, you were quite wide-eyed, were you in it? Yeah, and a big grin on your face. For sure. So, how much um testing time have you had so far?

SPEAKER_02 47:47

About five days.

SPEAKER_06 47:49

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 47:49

That's it, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 47:50

Uh at which circuits?

SPEAKER_02 47:52

Uh the first one, Donnington, Druxton, and SNAT.

SPEAKER_06 47:56

Okay. They're three they're three very different circuits. I mean are you using the sim to learn the other circuits?

SPEAKER_02 48:02

Yeah. Yeah, I do I do a a little bit of sim racing. I'm not too serious, but I mess around with it. So I've been to most of these tracks already on the sim, so I have a good feel for them.

SPEAKER_06 48:13

So we have a big grid this year. There's 31 cars on the grid, which means it's full. Um and uh not all of the the circuits in the UK are are particularly wide, um, which you're you're smiling, so I think you've spotted that already. Uh are you gonna have to change your your style or your approach to racing from what you've been used to?

SPEAKER_02 48:34

You know, I definitely I mean the car is so much different already. The guys I'm working with. I'm working with Rob, all of Fat Racing, and they've they've really been they've been trying to develop me and I they they're the best, they know what they're they're talking about, they have the experience here, and I've just been trying to learn this new process, and it's been a struggle. Like it's it's very new, it's very confusing at parts. So for sure, like the driving style has to change, and I have to learn new fundamentals and relearn some things. But in terms of racing, I mean I was the a lot of the American circuits are quite narrow, quite small. So I'm kind of used to that that vibe of the very like sketchy circuits, I guess you could say.

SPEAKER_06 49:22

Yeah, I g I guess the difference is in open wheel racing, it's it's very different when you're shoulder to shoulder wheel to wheel, yeah. You need to be careful of. You um alluded to some of the the cultural things that you're you're getting used to being over here. Uh what what has struck you so far?

SPEAKER_02 49:38

Oh the words, man. I can't understand half these people. They'll say a phrase, I'm like, uh excuse me, what does that even mean?

SPEAKER_06 49:45

Like Yeah, I can I can see that. I can see that. Uh some of the the other uh drivers who've come from abroad, the first thing they say is the food. Everybody really talks about British food. What have you made of it so far?

SPEAKER_02 50:00

Um I haven't liked it, man. I I'm a big like I'm a big steak guy in the US, so I I love steak. But they have at least where I've been, they have not done it right.

SPEAKER_06 50:13

Okay. What aren't they doing right? Is the way they're cooking it?

SPEAKER_05 50:17

Yeah, they always overcook the steaks, man.

SPEAKER_06 50:19

Yeah, I c I can I can understand that. You have to specifically ask for how you want it. Yeah. Maybe get used to that.

SPEAKER_02 50:27

I might have to, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 50:30

Um in terms of of making friends over here, I mean you've got the team. I mean, are you gonna have much opportunity to to broaden your your social what will you get involved in when you're not racing? I mean, are you gonna be jumping back across the pond to the to the states when you can whenever you can?

SPEAKER_02 50:44

Yeah, yeah, pretty much. I mean, I have my buddies from over the states. I'm still I always talk to them. I have some buddies from carding still that I'm always staying in touch with. Um I I have a few kids I know from over here, they don't live in England directly, but they're over in Europe. So in terms of if buddies in England, I I guess it would just it'd be the team for now. But I mean I don't have much opportunity or time to really like step out and do something else. Yeah. But I do have a lot of buddies that I've already had for a while.

SPEAKER_06 51:17

That's good. I mean, you've got FaceTime and all the rest of it that you can keep in touch with people, isn't it? Which I mean, will they all be following you? I mean, they'll be online hopefully for you throughout the season. For sure, yeah. Yeah, no, you're international in your driving, which is which is good. How often do you think you'll be able to get back home?

SPEAKER_02 51:33

Uh it's looking not too great. I mean, I have a I have a week after the first race and then all of June. Yeah. So I have a little a good bit of time.

SPEAKER_06 51:44

Okay. That's not so bad. And what about family over here with you supporting you? Are you are you on your own or have you got family with you?

SPEAKER_02 51:50

No, it's my my family's been switching off. I don't really we don't really know anybody from the team yet. We I haven't been really staying with anybody. It's just been mom and dad switching off every couple weeks. Uh I think it's gonna be my my grandparents that come over for a good bit. Yeah. Um maybe more long term. My mom might move over here for maybe like a year.

SPEAKER_06 52:12

But a big commitment, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 52:15

It is, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 52:16

So what's your ultimate goal?

SPEAKER_02 52:18

My ultimate goal, man, is just race something. That's always been it. I just want to race anything. Uh whatever opportunity presents itself, I'll I'll go into it. And this is probably one of the best I could have gotten. So I'll just take it as far as I can go with it.

SPEAKER_06 52:32

The the international nature of of this championship is always fascinating to me. And drivers who come from different countries around the world come from different racing cultures. Um is the is the American way of racing different to the European way of racing? When you climb in the car, is your is your your mindset and your approach different?

SPEAKER_02 52:56

I wouldn't say so. I mean, i i it is different, right? There there's it's a much more uh I guess it depends also what series you're in. I I I spent a year in grassroots racing, so I'm I have a different sense of an idea for what I can go off of, but it's much more professional and organized, I guess you could say, over here. But I don't think the approach is a whole lot different. I'm still focusing on the fundamentals, I'm still focusing on what makes me fast. So that's that's always been the main focus, and I think it always will stay. But in terms of like the the racing differences, I mean I guess a lot more people they love NASCAR over in the US. I mean, it's it's awesome, that's like their thing. And over here, it's more open wheel stuff. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 53:41

So but Alan, you you'll be on the uh the weekend race package with the British Touring Car Championship, which is uh saloon racing, tin top racing, we we often refer it to, which is uh which is exciting to see as well. So you get some experience of that and the other series that are on. It's gonna be a good season, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 53:58

Oh yeah, it's gonna be awesome, man.

SPEAKER_06 53:59

Well just finally uh let's look ahead to sort of halfway stage. What uh what sort of line in the sand have you set yourself? What's your expectation for like the season?

SPEAKER_02 54:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 54:11

When we get to the halfway stage, where would you be? You know, you'll sat there having a burger and a and a good steak, thinking about what's what's gone on in the first half of the season. What would you be happy with?

SPEAKER_02 54:20

I I'm hoping mid-pack. You know, it's it's uh it's rough coming in with not much experience in the car. At least from what I've heard, a lot of these kids that that we're comparing to that I'm competing against have a lot more time in these cars. And it's plus I I just wanna I guess performative benchmarks aren't even the best right now. You know, I'm I'm working with with Rob and we're working on just the driving. You know, if I can do what they want out of the driving, if I can get the driving right, I think everything else will come later.

SPEAKER_06 54:55

Fantastic. It's good to have you in the series. Uh I'll I'll watch you with a keen eye during the season. But uh enjoy British F4 for 2026. Good to meet you. Thank you, man. Timo, good to see you. Uh we're uh not that far off the start of the British F4 season, and uh you're looking forward to it, I guess.

SPEAKER_00 55:15

Yeah, I know it's gonna be a big challenge. There's a lot of strong drivers in the field uh for this year, but I think it's gonna be an exciting season, and I just hope to deliver a good result for the team.

SPEAKER_06 55:26

You're with JHR developments, uh good uh good team to be with, and and uh some some good drivers that you're settling in with in that team, I suspect.

SPEAKER_00 55:34

Yeah, there's a lot of uh strong drivers in the in the team, which is good because I get data from them, yeah, and we can just all push each other uh more and more throughout the season.

SPEAKER_06 55:42

So remind us of your journey to British F4. What's your motorsport uh history?

SPEAKER_00 55:48

Yeah, so I started um when I was five just at Buckmore Park in the Bambino Cadets, and then I I loved it a lot because at that age it's it's too soon to tell um how it is. So um my dad bought me like a Honda Cadet cart, and then from there I did the Motorsport UK British Championship in 2021, uh which I won. And then from there I went to do junior tax with Dan Holland, and I won the World Championship Um in Bahrain, and then from there I joined Sodi in KZ2, and then I got second in the World Championship uh last year.

SPEAKER_01 56:25

Hmm. So now into British F4, why now and why this championship? I just felt like it was the right step up for my career.

SPEAKER_00 56:33

Like after I've say a quite successful carding career so far, I just want to step up into the single seater and just see what I can do, basically.

SPEAKER_06 56:42

Uh what's been your experience of the the car so far? What have you made of it?

SPEAKER_00 56:46

Yeah, it's uh very different for carding. I didn't expect like the jump to be uh as big, um, but it's it's very technical because obviously it's not a high-powered engine considering how heavy the car is. There's not too much uh arrow, so it's pretty hard to drive. You need to carry a lot of speed through the corner to make sure you get a good exit. Um it's very tricky.

SPEAKER_06 57:07

How does this fit into your um your vision for the future in motorsport? Where do you want to end up and how does the British F4 fit into that journey?

SPEAKER_00 57:15

Well, of course, F1 is my dream. I know probably a lot of drivers say that, uh, but it's just a goal of mine, something I've been working towards. And I think just British F4 is like the stepping stone kind of uh for my career. So if I do well this year, then I'll progress, maybe GB3, Freca, some something like that. Um, obviously, if I have a good season. Um, but I just think it's how you get started in single seaters, and I know there's you know the Spanish F4, yeah, the Italian F4, but I just feel like um the British F4, it's very equalised, there's very good drivers for this year, and it's a very competitive. So I think this is kind of the place where you where you want to be.

SPEAKER_06 57:51

It is competitive. You're right. We've got 31 cars uh on the grid this year, which is uh a full house pretty much. Uh have you had time during testing to to weigh up uh the other drivers and weigh up your competition?

SPEAKER_00 58:04

Yeah, I mean, of course I've been improving uh a lot with my driving. Obviously, I've I've not had so many days in the F4 car, but it's always it's too soon to tell where you are until early the season starts, which you don't know what different teams are doing, you don't know anything with the engines yet because they've not been equalised. Yeah, um, so I think kind of you tell where you are when um we're at Donington and qualifying. I think from there you can tell how how you are compared to other drivers.

SPEAKER_06 58:30

Do you like Donnington? I think it's one of my favourite circuits. Do you like it?

SPEAKER_00 58:33

It's a good track. You have basically a lot of different corners, like especially with the GP layout, you have the high speed, you have the low speed at the last sector. Um, so yeah, it's very technical.

SPEAKER_06 58:44

I suspect like a lot of the drivers, you spend uh plenty of time in the gym and and a lot of time on the sim as well. Um what else occupies your time? Do you get any downtime? And if so, how do you fill it?

SPEAKER_00 58:55

Yeah, well, I'm quite big into my fitness, so always when I'm not on the track, I'm trying to improve myself. Um so I do a lot of running, I do I go to the gym, I have my sim at my house, and I just spend time with my family.

SPEAKER_06 59:08

Uh is there motorsport in your family already? Is there anybody else who who raced in the past or races currently or uh no?

SPEAKER_00 59:16

My um my brother does KZ, just not just in the uh motorsport UK British Championship, so nothing like nothing in Europe. Um he just does it for a bit of fun. And my dad was always quite passionate about motorsport, he was never a driver himself, but that's kind of how I got into it because I'm a very competitive person even at like a young age, so I think motorsport just fits that criteria.

SPEAKER_06 59:39

Being competitive by your own admission, does that mean you put uh additional pressure on yourself?

SPEAKER_00 59:45

I would say so. I mean, there's good pressure and bad pressure. Um, of course, me wanting to win everything. Uh, sometimes it's it's not realistic because you can't always win everything. But I think just me having that mindset of okay, I'm gonna go in, I'm gonna try to give my best, I'm gonna try win. I think that's also good because I push myself more and more rather than just being like, oh, I'll just see what happens. And I think also having a brother, also at a young age, we're quite close in age, he's only like 16 months older than me. Um, so we always kind of challenge each other at uh racing throughout our whole life, you know, whatever we did like football, skiing, whatever. We always trying to be better than one another.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:22

Are you good at other sports? I mean, obviously you're you're good at motor race, uh driving, but are you good at anything else?

SPEAKER_00 1:00:27

Yeah, I did football when I was younger, I was quite good at that, but I stopped it to do uh to do cart karting. Um I was quite I'm pretty good at skiing. Like I like skiing a lot. I started also at a young age doing skiing, uh, but I just find that more for fun, nothing really for like my career.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:44

So what about um your social networks? I mean, it it's always difficult for young drivers like yourself because of the amount of time with perhaps schooling or college, plus you've got um gym time, you've got testing time, you've got race weekends. How do you you know what what sort of a social network of friends do you have and and how do you keep in touch with them?

SPEAKER_00 1:01:03

I mean, most of my friends just come from the car track because that's where I basically am most of the time or where I'm socializing. Um I do online school, so I I mean I can socialize with people online, and it's different from in in real life. Um, like for example, in in karting, especially in karting, uh I would spend maybe uh probably in a year like 300 days at the car track or with the team, so that I socialise, I'm I meet uh different people, I meet my friends there. Um so I don't really have enough time at home, so kind of like my main social network is all at the carting track.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:42

Right. I and in terms of family that that go around with you when you're racing, do you have a good support network there?

SPEAKER_00 1:01:49

It's normally just my dad. I know like most of my family, especially my my grandparents on my dad's side, they always they they love it so much, they always watch it online. But really, basically, it's just my dad who comes to all the races with me.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:00

And they'll be able to watch, of course, on on ITV uh this year because the Formula Four races uh on on the Sunday are on. I that's going to put you even more in the spotlight, isn't it? I mean you you've you've been used to having your photograph taken and being podiums and things in the past, but now this is this is TV. Does that step the whole thing up uh another level? Do you have to be slightly different now because of the potential for being on TV?

SPEAKER_00 1:02:25

I think everything's a bit more serious now that it's on TV. Um but I mean, like my my mindset going into it is always the same, like to win, so I don't really need to change how I behave. Maybe just sometimes be a little bit more um kind of open that there's a wider like audience of people watching it all all over the world. Um, yeah, that's that's about it.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:48

Uh for for people watching, how will they spot you as a driver?

SPEAKER_00 1:02:54

What's your style um that will enable them to say, do you know what I recognise Timo because of the way he took that corner or I mean I have to see them at me like in the lead of the race for apps?

SPEAKER_06 1:03:05

That's how you can recognise Timo you'll be at the front.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:07

I would say I'm I'm quite aggressive, and maybe my driving style is a bit different to everyone else, so maybe people can pick that out. But also I have a green helmet, so maybe on the TV it's you can see it.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:17

Stand out on the TV is the way to do it, isn't it? Um just finally, uh, you clearly want to do well, uh, and and like all the drivers, you're very focused. Come the halfway stage, for example. What would you be happy with in terms of what you have achieved in that first half of the season?

SPEAKER_00 1:03:35

I mean it's my rookie year this year, but uh that's not going to stop me from uh being at the front, or maybe I don't have enough days as these people um as well in the championship, especially in the second year. But I think I can give them a run for their money, you know, be at the front. Um, and that's my goal, you know, always to be to be at the front leading and just giving everything I have.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:56

What would you like people to say about you?

SPEAKER_00 1:03:59

That he's fast. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:04:01

That'll do. That'll do. That's brilliant. Timo, have a great season. Really good to see you in uh the championship and Donnington will be upon us before we know it. Yeah, thank you. Thank you. Chiara, lovely uh to meet you. We're uh about two, three weeks away now from the start of the British F4 season. Uh a new experience for you. Um tell me what your motorsport journey has been like so far. How do you arrive uh in British F4?

SPEAKER_09 1:04:31

So, yeah, from karting really um I started karting in the age of eight um but was always really competing in Switzerland, so national in X30 Mini and um the GR3 um motors, and then I stepped up in the juniors in the Swiss Championship. I also took part in the girls on track in 21. Um yeah, but always really national racing as well as 22 and 23, really, as well as 24. Um yeah, I was also part of the racer program from Alpine, I think it was in 23 if I'm right. Um yeah, and then 25 was really my first international year um with uh Victory Lane. It's a it's a French team, I'm not sure if you know.

SPEAKER_06 1:05:25

I'm not not fully conversant with them, no. So what were you driving then?

SPEAKER_09 1:05:30

Uh Victory Lane, it's the karting team of former F2 driver Victor Martin and the brother.

SPEAKER_06 1:05:38

Right, there'll be people listening to this saying I should know that, and they're right, I should, but uh okay. So, how did that go?

SPEAKER_09 1:05:44

Yeah, it was decent. Um, we started off the year with polling capillas in the European Championship and then had great speed, honestly, all the way through. Um, not always uh showing what we Can do. Um, yeah, and it was hard with the tyres as well, as there were some issues from the tyre manufacturer, but I mean it's racing, so it's really out of your control. And then in August, the Red Bull driver search in Esteril, my first time out in a F4 car, and yeah, it went well and I got picked. And since then, really, I was I was in the car, and then I had two days of F4 test, and then I literally went into my first race in F4 Saudi in Bahrain. So I had four days of experience before my first race.

SPEAKER_06 1:06:39

So just take your take us back to that point the first time you got into that F4 car and set off from the pit lane. What was going through your mind? How was it?

SPEAKER_09 1:06:48

Don't stop. But good advice. Yeah, I did I did a couple of times, it was a new thing, and with everyone watching, especially Helma or other people there, um, I was I think I was quite scared because I had no clue how it is like to be in a four car. I mean it's such a different thing. I think I also spawned one or one or two times on my on my outlap. Um but yeah. I think obviously when you when you're there you have a bit of pressure. I mean, I think that makes sense.

SPEAKER_06 1:07:21

Do you like the press? They say pressure is a privilege, don't they? Do you feel that?

SPEAKER_09 1:07:26

I mean it's kind of a privilege, I guess, but if you if you can handle it well, I mean there's also surely some points where pre too much pressure makes you do mistakes.

SPEAKER_06 1:07:36

But absolutely. So, what's your ultimate goal? What do you want to achieve in uh in motorsport?

SPEAKER_09 1:07:41

I mean, obviously everyone will say F1, but I think you need to do realistic first steps because if I would say now I would want to compete in Euro Cup or GB3 or F3, it's way closer to to F1. So I think now doing my four release journeys is a starting. I I want to show what I'm capable of, and I think if if I can do that, that will take me up f further steps. Um yeah. I mean obviously the goal I think for everyone is F1, but I think it's better to look at the next step and then the next step, and then you're you're always gonna get closer there.

SPEAKER_06 1:08:20

Okay. Uh how well do you know the circuits in the UK?

SPEAKER_09 1:08:23

I've I've been to three tracks.

SPEAKER_06 1:08:25

Okay, so there's quite a steep learning curve for you. You must have must have gone round all each of the circuits on the CIN, though, I guess, have you?

SPEAKER_09 1:08:33

I mean, I I was competing in the Formula Winter series now with uh Campos, which is in Portugal and in Spain. So I've been I've been to Silverstones, Netzerton and Croft. So next tomorrow will be the first time at Donnington, but obviously we'll we'll do a bit of simp prep forms.

SPEAKER_06 1:08:52

So you've got you've got a double learning curve there, haven't you? Two things, and and a very big and competitive grit this year. Um how feisty are you? How can you be aggressive? What sort of a driver are you?

SPEAKER_09 1:09:06

I mean I'm quite aggressive.

SPEAKER_06 1:09:07

I mean because you smile a lot uh and and you you sit there and you you could be like an assassin in a car, couldn't you? You could be the quiet one who I might am no.

SPEAKER_09 1:09:16

Um but yeah, I mean the grit this year so it's quite good. Um I have honestly no clue where we stand. As I I had my first test of this year with Hightech last week in Silverstone, but it went good. I mean it's it's a bit different, different, different car, different brakes. I mean it's a completely different things, but yeah, I mean it went quite well. I'm not sure how Donington will be tomorrow. We'll see.

SPEAKER_06 1:09:42

Absolutely. So, what about um the the family? Is there motor racing in the family or are you are you the the first?

SPEAKER_09 1:09:48

I'm the first.

SPEAKER_06 1:09:49

Wow, and uh so how does that go down with the family? Do they do they follow you and support you? Do they they come around with you or do they watch from afar?

SPEAKER_09 1:09:55

I mean my family is very supportive. I mean now I'm here with my grandma and my dad will come after. Um, but yeah, it's always someone from my family here supporting me. And yeah, I mean, I'm I'm I've just hit turned 16. I mean, they don't want me alone here in the country.

SPEAKER_06 1:10:12

Well, okay, okay, fair enough. I mean it's uh it's a competitive world motorsport as well, isn't it? And we've seen increasing numbers of women in motorsports um and doing incredibly well. You're coming into a to a series. I think there are two of you in the um two uh two women in the in the championship this year. Um how important is it for for you to do well as as a female, not just as a driver?

SPEAKER_09 1:10:39

I mean, me is now I I don't see myself differently. Um that that's really the thing, is like I I want to be the best of all. Yeah, um yeah, but I think it's nice to see more and more girls. I think when I started I was the only girl, and now seeing into FIA karting of WSK, you see so much more. So when I'm with F1 Academy, I think that there's more fans as well, like for girls, because I think usually I think in in the older time no one would think a girl could be quick. Yeah, that that's really how it was. Um but yeah, I think I think I'm I'm always happy to earn the respect from the guys because I think it's a bit harder to get it.

SPEAKER_06 1:11:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_09 1:11:19

Um but yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:11:21

Still feel you have to work that bit harder.

SPEAKER_09 1:11:24

Yeah, I mean, I don't know most of the guys here, but yeah, I think I think you have it a bit harder in a way and you don't.

SPEAKER_06 1:11:33

Um there have been some some great, really uh excellent drivers through the series. I mean, Alla Lloyd's been through here, Nina Gadman, Esme, and number of drivers who I've spoken to, and I've thought, you know what, you just give everybody a run for their money, which is really good. So I've got a feeling you're gonna have that sort of a season as well. Is that what you're hoping for? Um when you are not uh racing uh or in the gym or on the sim or doing whatever else, what do you do with your downtime? What do you do with your friends?

SPEAKER_09 1:12:00

Yeah, spending time with my friends, obviously, but I mean I'm never home. I think this year I um I went back home for my birthday for two days, now this weekend. So I literally was it was it was just for friends.

SPEAKER_06 1:12:12

And that was it, so that was your birthday?

SPEAKER_09 1:12:14

Yeah, it was good. I mean didn't really do much, but like when I go back home, I don't fancy doing so much because you need a break. Because you're just like travelling is quite exhausting. I think they see I've been home two weeks, so what I do is in my room having my own time.

SPEAKER_06 1:12:32

And and do your friends see you as two different people the one that chills and hangs out with them, sort of you know, doing whatever it is you do, and then the one that puts on a race suit and climbs in a race car?

SPEAKER_09 1:12:43

In Switzerland, really, the the racing c racing thing is not that big, so they don't know so much about it. Obviously, they know what I'm doing, um, but most of them haven't seen me race, so they can't really see a different person in it. But yeah, I mean they're excited, like they think it's a cool thing. Um yeah, I mean, obviously, I'm a bit a different person in a car, I can imagine, with the halo in the car around you. Sure, surely a bit different, but I think like my per personality in real life is quite similar to the one I have in the car.

SPEAKER_06 1:13:20

So I mean might be a bit more aggressive, but and what what personality is that? How would you describe yourself?

SPEAKER_09 1:13:28

Depends on the day. I can I can be quite funny. Um no, I think it it depends on the day if you have a good day or not. I think if uh if you're having a good day, you're quite talkative, um, quite funny. And then where you're not having the good day, probably I'm a bit moody, but that's just the thing.

SPEAKER_06 1:13:47

And will that come out in your driving? Will we see that in your driving?

SPEAKER_09 1:13:51

A bit moody.

SPEAKER_06 1:13:52

Yeah. Get out of my way, I'm coming through.

SPEAKER_09 1:13:54

Yeah, I mean in racing, you have to have that mentality in a bit. I mean, you have to come through. You can't be the fastest than being in P20, can you?

SPEAKER_06 1:14:02

You're absolutely right. I'm going to love watching you race this season, it's gonna be brilliant. Um, just finally, uh, look ahead, if you will, to say the halfway stage of the season. Where would you be happy being in the championship?

SPEAKER_09 1:14:16

It's hard to say. I mean, in in the UK, it's a bit different than to different series, like you're not allowed to test unofficial tests. So, I mean, I've been on three tracks now. We have we have Donington National coming up, and I think Brant Had Chindi. If I'm if I'm right, I mean I should know it, but but I think for me it's important to not do the same mistakes like I learn, like from one race, I learn this being there with the speed, obviously. I mean, I have a great team behind me, great engineer, great team manager, great mechanic. I'm not really worried about that. I think the important thing is that you don't do the same mistakes over and over, and also be comfortable with the racing here as the tracks are quite narrow. Um, but yeah, also quality getting like getting quality right, I think is quite important. Like, imagine Brand Had Chindy, you have uh something in quality, and you can't overtake on the race. So I think that that would be quite a tough thing. But obviously, I want to be there, and I think I'm having quite strong teammates with a lot loads of experience, and I think if I'm there around that, I'll be I'll be fine.

SPEAKER_06 1:15:24

Fantastic. Qualifying is going to be incredibly important this year with such a big grid. It's lovely to meet you, Chiara. Have a great season, and I've no doubt we'll catch up during the season as well. Joseph, really good to see you just ahead of the start of the 2026 Vera Tools British F4 season. Things are starting to get a bit serious now, aren't they?

SPEAKER_03 1:15:44

Yeah, I'm really looking forward to it. So, yeah, we've had a good testing programme, and yeah, looking forward to it and very happy with the progress I've made.

SPEAKER_06 1:15:54

What uh has been your journey to British F4, Joseph?

SPEAKER_03 1:15:59

Well, I started karting I think four years ago now. I'd done two and a half, I think, years of karting, and then I moved up to Janetta Juniors and I'd done half season of that and moved to F4 for the last three or four rounds, and then progressed from that.

SPEAKER_06 1:16:19

So when you moved from you went from Janetta's, which is a a good grounding uh for uh for f4, what was it like when you first got into the car and and how quick was your what was your learning curve like in the f4 car?

SPEAKER_03 1:16:30

Yeah, it's very different to Janetta Jr. I mean road tires and slicks are quite a different thing to feel, but yeah, it's it's similar to karting in the way with the slicks, how you warm them up and all that, but it's the speed which is the main difference because Janettas are so slow, therefore it just takes you a bit by surprise to start with.

SPEAKER_06 1:16:50

So, how has that development been for you? Are you getting more and more comfortable?

SPEAKER_03 1:16:54

Yeah, I feel like I'm at the point where I'm really comfortable, and yeah, I'm really enjoying learning about the car and making changes, learning how it acts and different changes. So, yeah, I'm really pleased with how it's gone so far.

SPEAKER_06 1:17:08

So you're racing with uh Virtuosi uh and you've got some good uh teammates in there. Um, it's a big grid this year, yes, um to say to say the least. Um 31 cars on the grid. That's gonna be a competitive year, isn't it?

SPEAKER_03 1:17:24

Yeah, very. I mean, I hope to finish top three, but the amount of quality of drivers, it's gonna be hard, obviously. There's um a few people who are really gonna challenge me and really push me on. But yeah, it's gonna be hard work and I'm I'm sure I need to work hard and it's gonna be a challenge for myself.

SPEAKER_06 1:17:46

So the the working hard isn't just uh on the track, is it? It's it's a lot of the work takes place beforehand. How do you structure your time uh in terms of uh getting ready for the racing element?

SPEAKER_03 1:18:00

I don't have a lot of time to be honest. I'm either racing, farming, or fishing, or going to the gym. Yeah, there's a lot behind the scenes which people don't really know about, like working, doing going to the gym. It's it's hard work, and people think who are not really into racing, it's just driving the car around and round. But it's really just not as simple as that. Two things you mentioned there. Tell me a little bit more about farming and fishing.

SPEAKER_06 1:18:26

You've got a farming background, A.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:28

Yes, my dad is a big farmer, so I do what I can to help out quite a lot. So I do a lot of work and stuff when I'm not doing my online skills. What sort of a farm is it that you have? So it's an arable farm, we do sugar beet and all the cereal crops, so big into sugar beet.

SPEAKER_06 1:18:45

So do you get a lot of time driving tractors? Yes, that's one thing I do get a lot of time. Have you got a really big one like on Clarkson's farm? Oh, bigger than the Lamborghini that he bought. Oh man. Yeah, wow.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:56

Um twice as much horsepower, so really, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:19:00

Gosh, that's that's a bit different, isn't it? Isn't it in a huge tractor and then into an F4 car?

SPEAKER_03 1:19:05

Yeah, three-meter beast and then into F4ka, yeah, it's quite different. And fishing, what sort of fishing do you do? I do cart fishing and pike fishing. I do a lot of that on the weekend in my free time. So yeah, I enjoy doing that.

SPEAKER_06 1:19:18

What about other sports? I mean, I just fishing is a sports.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:20

I do a bit of badminton. Um, yeah, I I used to play a lot of football and a bit of rugby, but mainly just badminton now. I feel like I like that a lot. So, yes, and maybe a bit of paddle. What are you looking forward to most about this season? That's a hard question. Um I mean, I just love doing laps, so probably just driving round and the racing and the experience as well. It's a massive thing. Hopefully, when I'm a bit older, I can look and think, wow, I've done this. So I'm gonna look forward to that and just embrace it also. Yeah. Hopefully, I want to get loads of good results. I'm looking forward to hopefully getting some good results, but yeah, I'm looking forward to all of it to be honest with you. What about your aspirations in motorsport? What do you want what do you want to achieve? Um, so a lot of people might think I'm crazy for not saying F1, but I want to be in the Le Mon stuff, all that stuff. So, yeah, that's my aspiration. I'll probably do one more year of single seat to like GB3 off record, then hopefully move to something like that, because that is the dream. What why that particularly? I just feel like it's more time on track, it's more time going around, and I like the fact that it's a massive team sport, so everyone contributes with pit stops, all that. So I'd like to do that, that'd be really good. So, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:20:50

Interesting. So you've had time to um because you've done some testing, haven't you? You've had time to assess the um the rest of the grid. Yes. How do you rate your chances this season?

SPEAKER_03 1:21:02

I like to think we have a really good cardisha. I mean, I I know we have a really good cardisha. I've been testing with it, Kyler. Oh I feel like there's a good chance I'll finish top five in the championship, just considering how strong I was at the end of last year, considering I've only done two test days before the first round, and I just got better and better, and I was into the top ten at the end. So I feel top five, top three in the championship is I think realistic. I feel like it's gonna be hard. There's a lot of good drivers. My teammates all we're all so close together, and they're very good drivers, so it's gonna be hard, but hopefully, I'd like to finish top three in the championship. Do you have a favourite UK circuit? Probably Fruxton. I like all the fast corners, it's different to everyone else, it's quite abrasive. Um, there's a lot of um a lot of fast corners, yeah. Lots of I don't know what to say, but like big ball corners.

SPEAKER_06 1:22:06

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:08

You need to concentrate a lot to be in Truxton, doing you can't just daydream, you just have to always be on it in the States. So yeah, I feel like as well, because it's quite different to everyone else in the fact it was dry, no, it was wet, it looked wet, there was spray coming from your tyres, and one slicks, and then we have grips somehow because it's so abrasive, and there's like spray coming out from behind, it's like really triffy, but yeah, that's my favourite trap.

SPEAKER_06 1:22:36

Absolutely. We kick off at Donington Park, uh, which is one of my favourite circuits. You're looking forward to that start of the season.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:42

Yeah, I'd say Donnington's probably my worst circuit, but I I'm definitely improving and proving every time I get there. It's not like I'm off there, it's just one of mine I struggle with. So yeah, I'm hoping me and the team can work together, get some good results, and be very consistent there.

SPEAKER_06 1:23:03

You're gonna have family uh track side cheering you on, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:06

A lot of family, so yeah, and all my dad's workers who want to come watch and all that. So I have a lot of people who keep an eye on my racing. So it's I like it. Good to have that support.

SPEAKER_06 1:23:17

Yes. Really good to catch up with you. Uh we'll be at Donnington before we know it, but have a great season. Thank you very much. Well, Eve, normally uh when we get to chat, I say it's coffee time because it's on a race weekend, but we've got our preview um to look forward to not that long before we kick off at Donington Park. Uh and I know that uh you're a bit like like an iceberg, aren't you, in the nicest ways? Well we see on the top, but underneath is all this stuff going on that you and the team have uh have been doing to set up. Uh what I what is in prospect is a fantastic 2026 season. Not least of all, because of the size of the grid. How many cars are we going to have on the grid?

SPEAKER_07 1:23:56

Um we are going to be uh over 30, let's say. Wow. We are going yeah, there's a there's a few chopping and changing, but um only because of sort of logistical things. So yeah, 30, uh 30, 31, 32, let's say.

SPEAKER_06 1:24:10

Gosh. Now isn't that going to make qualifying so much more important? And all the drivers seem to be aware of that.

SPEAKER_07 1:24:17

Yeah, absolutely. Um, I think it's just incredible. I've been part of this championship for so long. Gosh, and uh it's I've gone from you know, the days of are we gonna get 14 drivers on the grid? And it's just it's had such massive growth recently, and uh it is really, really exciting to see it so busy. Yeah, um, but it's brought so many new challenges uh because it's something that we haven't had to deal with before. So, yes, qualifying being one of them, and uh at Brands Indy, for example, uh we are having split qualifying for that for that race. So that's the first time we've ever done something like that before.

SPEAKER_06 1:24:57

Yeah. Um my biggest challenge is all these new faces and remembering all the names. And and of course, so many countries involved now a truly international championship.

SPEAKER_07 1:25:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:25:08

Which is quite something, which just sort of reflects the status of the Vera Tools British F4 championship, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_07 1:25:15

Yeah, I mean it sounds a bit cheesy, isn't it? But I think it's sort of a can of a place to race, you know. Um it's it's great that we attract so much uh talent from all over the world.

SPEAKER_06 1:25:24

Yeah, absolutely. Um Media Day uh was frantic uh getting everybody in because they do all their photographs and ITV and others and then social media stuff, and they've all it's all been like sort of just before the first day of school when everybody's come to sign on, hasn't it? Which has been really a good but uh there is a test day uh and there has been some really good pre-season testing. What has that thrown up?

SPEAKER_07 1:25:47

Uh it's gone really well. Um it's been uh great to see so many cars out there. They've uh they seem to have been fairly well behaved. I think a lot of them have had uh you know, over the winter they do their own testing anyway. Some of them have done winter championships, so it's you know it's um it's just been nice to see them all out on track together to be honest.

SPEAKER_06 1:26:04

Yes, just having had a a check on on the odd occasion at the uh the timings as well. It it isn't you know there isn't a big gap between front and back, is there? It's gonna be so close this year, um I think as well.

SPEAKER_07 1:26:16

First race, first corner.

SPEAKER_06 1:26:17

Yes, yes, we've talked about this Donington Park, Redgate Corner, yeah, 30 plus cars, all trying to get through. Do you know one of the drivers said to me, I said, How do you think that's gonna go? And he says, Well, I'm just gonna keep an eye on my mirrors to see what happens behind me. So that confidence about being in the front loved it, which was really good. Um I mean, apart from the racing, there's all the stuff that goes on that you get involved with, and the rest of the team get involved with sponsors so important to the championship. And I know um you can't make the announcement yet, but there are some new ones coming on board.

SPEAKER_07 1:26:48

We do have some new ones coming on board. I think you know we have we we already have some great um sponsors involved in the championship. We are excited to bring some some new ones on board, and it's just great that the interest is there that people want to be involved in the championship.

SPEAKER_06 1:27:02

Absolutely, which again comes back to you know the importance of the championship, not just for the drivers and their progression, you know. It's that step on the ladder, um, but also how important it is for the sponsors because of the TV coverage and and you know the global interest uh in the championship. Um and talking of global interest, another trip across the water to sunny Zandvoort. One very wet year, one nice year. So I wonder what this year's gonna hold. But that's that is another nice round, isn't it?

SPEAKER_07 1:27:33

Yeah, we love Zandvoort. But on the beach, how we not like it. Of course. Well, when it's raining. Um but no, it's uh I think the drivers love driving that circuit. Um it's and and and we like to visit there. I think there's we're on we're on with a good package, we do the summer trophy, uh, and we'll be sort of one of the headline headline acts this yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:27:56

Yeah, and I mean you get garages. It does. I know it's exciting. That is good. And again, just a reflection of how things are going. And you know, testimony to to what you and the team at MSUK have done in in terms of building this championship up. And there's the um Silverstone around as well, isn't there, with the with the trophy. That's going to be another one. All the drivers love doing Silverstone.

SPEAKER_07 1:28:17

Yes, that's on the GP circuit, and that's so that's the international trophy that is being brought back. So it's it's great to be a part of that. And again, we are the uh we are one of the headline acts there, and also in garages, you'll be pleased to know. So look at us.

SPEAKER_06 1:28:31

I wish people could see the grin in your face and your body language when you said that. It was it was really quite something to see. All that hard work is is going to pay off though, Eve, isn't it? And um, you know, we're looking for for big numbers, track side, there's the ITV coverage, um, all the social media stuff. There is a a big team of people who work behind the scenes on this championship, isn't there?

SPEAKER_07 1:28:54

Yeah, to bring everything together. And I think um it's we I think we've worked so hard to get it to where it is that it's now sort of about how can we elevate it, how can you bring it to a wider audience, you know, all those kind of things that we're really keen to do. There's so many new fans and faces, and you know, you know with the drivers but also with our fans. I think it's it's really great to see how it has evolved and where we can get to with it.

SPEAKER_06 1:29:19

Absolutely. I was just thinking before with the numbers of drivers we've got this year, at the beginning of the season, um the famous photographer Jacob Ebry uh comes along and takes the photograph outside the F4 race centre, doesn't he? And I was thinking how wide it was in two layers, some sit down, some stand up. That's going to have to move slightly one way to get them all in this year.

SPEAKER_07 1:29:39

I do know I hadn't thought about that, but now you have added that to my list of things to think about. But no, you're absolutely right. The the class of photos, what you call it, is is gonna be it's gonna be a big one this year. Wide lens.

SPEAKER_06 1:29:51

Why, absolutely. Just finally, uh, we are very close to the start of the season. Donington is always a good place to kick off. Uh, it's one of my favourite circuits as well. Uh are we gonna need to keep our fingers crossed for the weather, do you think?

SPEAKER_07 1:30:04

Oh, it's hard to say, isn't it? I think let's I mean let's do it anyway, just as a just as a precaution. But I think we are due, we tend to have a sort of on-off year, and I think we are due a nice one. And pre-season testing has been we've been we've been pretty lucky.

SPEAKER_06 1:30:19

I'm gonna tempt fate and pack some sun cream.

SPEAKER_07 1:30:22

I mean, that might be a little bit overboard. I'm trying to be optimistic and positive. That is way optimistic.

SPEAKER_06 1:30:29

And just very finally, um we have have our chats on uh on the Friday for Friday Night Live, uh, which will go out again uh every Friday night this year. Eve, good to catch up with you.

SPEAKER_07 1:30:40

And you, thank you.

SPEAKER_06 1:30:41

And that's about it for this season preview. As the season kicks off, the Friday Night F4 podcast team will be track side all next weekend, bringing you the important updates. Make sure you're following us on all the usual socials for behind the scenes clips from the paddock, including exclusive interviews direct from Qualifying and the race podium. Don't forget to join us at 6 pm UK time on Friday, the 17th of April, for the latest from Donington Park. The 2026 season is officially here. My thanks to the Friday Night F4 team, Eve Lake Grange, Flora Scott, Ben Wesnell, and Matt Jones. It's been a Create Media production for the Vera Tools British F4 Championship, certified by FIA. I'm Steve Taylor. Thank you for listening.