Pembrey in South Wales was the latest stop on BRDC Formula 4 Championship team SWRs comprehensive pre-season testing schedule on Thursday, 4th April, with confirmed 2013 signing Matty Graham joined by aspiring F4 racer Jack Barlow.Although cold, and extremely windy, the day remained dry and enabled the Chipping Norton squad to make significant progress with both young karting graduates. Graham, the 2011 CIK-FIA Under 18 World Karting Champion, continued his preparations for the opening event of the season strongly and completed 114 laps in total.It was a good day, reflected the Edmundbyers-based 16-year-old, Weve had tests in the wet and dry now and that experience has been really good, Ive learnt from that and we also worked on learning some different lines and things.Im feeling a lot more confident with the car now, and also more confident with other cars around me on track which is very important. Now were looking forward to continuing the pre-season next week at Snetterton where the aim is to keep improving.Hastings 17-year-old Barlow, who is eyeing graduation into car racing this year off the back of a glittering British and European karting career, thoroughly enjoyed his maiden run in one of SWRs MSV F4-013 single-seaters. He quickly got down to competitive lap times and concluded the day with 108 laps under his belt.Like Graham, Barlow has a huge karting pedigree and won no less than three prestigious UK titles in 2011the Super 1 Junior Rotax Championship, Kartmasters Grand Prix and Rotax Cup. Debuting in 2007, he won the Formula Kart Stars Rotax Mini Max title two years later and during his final season of karting last year, he was third overall in the Super 1 British KF2 Karting Championship.Considering the last time I was in a car testing was at the end of last year, and that was in a BARC Renault at Brands Indy, I think the test went really well, said Barlow, It was all new to me, a new car, but we picked up steadily during the day and everything came really naturally.
F4 is definitely what were hoping to do this year, its what were focused on. I have an important sponsor coming to Snetterton next week for the test there so hopefully that will go well and well know at that point if well have the budget we need.SWR will be back on track at Snetterton in Norfolk next week where the team will run two of its three F4 cars for Graham and Barlow on Tuesday, 9th April, and Wednesday, 10th April.
Rounds one, two and three of the inaugural BRDC Formula 4 Championship season will take place on 27th/28th April at Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit in Northamptonshire.
