Debutant Lando Norris claimed a stunning Saturday double as he won both races on the first day of the 2015 Duo BRDC Formula 4 Autumn Trophy season finale at Brands Hatch today (November 14). After taking pole position in qualifying, the HHC Motorsport driver claimed a pair of dominant victories, as a race one retirement for standings leader Harrison Scott saw the battle for the Autumn Trophy title close right up ahead of the final two races of the championship tomorrow.
In difficult wet conditions, qualifying ahead of race one got underway and it was Fortec Motorsports Ben Barnicoat that initially set the pace with a 53.889s, but his session was soon over as he went straight on at Druids, breaking his front-wing and damaging his front suspension.
That brought out the red flag as his Tatuus-Cosworth was recovered by the marshals. The session soon restarted and it was Norris who moved to the head of the field, with a 53.407s. Douglas Motorsport’s Harrison Scott slotted into second and a half-second gap was maintained between the two as times improved, with 16-year-old Norris eventually lowering the benchmark to a 52.155s. Scott got to within 0.811s, as Ngebulana moved ahead of Barnicoat to go third fastest, before the red flag flew once again as the aforementioned Ngebulana spun into the gravel at Clearways and became stuck. When the session restarted with five minutes left on the clock, no driver could improve and it was the 2015 MSA Formula Champion Norris who claimed pole position.
As the lights went out to start race one, it was Harrison Scott who made the best start from the front-row and he passed Norris into Paddock Hill Bend. Barnicoat took third from Ngebulana but the South African retook the position on the very next lap.
Scott and Norris were both pushing hard in first and second, with the gap fluctuating over the opening laps. After the fifth circuit, he led by 1.121s from Norris but he pushed his advantage up to over two seconds by the start of lap eight. However, heading through McLaren’s and into Clearways, Scott lost the back end of his Tatuus-Cosworth and the Douglas Motorsport man slid across the track, into the barriers and into a costly retirement.
Norris therefore assumed a healthy lead but this advantage was wiped out by the deployment of the safety car to recover the stricken blue-and-white car of Scott. When the race got back underway, Norris stretched his lead as Barnicoat made a good restart to pass Ngebulana into Paddock Hill Bend for second. Al Zubair also slipped past Ngebulana as the South African ran wide, but the HHC driver retook third position, and the final podium spot, with a good move coming out of Graham Hill Bend and into Surtees.
After 25 laps, Norris came home a remarkable 13.550s ahead of Barnicoat, with Ngebulana a further 8.057s adrift in third. Fortec’s Faisal Al Zubair was the final classified finisher in fourth, just 1.770s behind Ngebulana.
By virtue of his fastest lap from race one, despite his retirement, Harrison Scott lined up on pole position with Norris for company on the front-row for race two. As the lights went out to start the contest, it was Barnicoat in fourth that made the best start and he immediately made his way past Ngebulana to take third. Race one winner Norris also made a good getaway and he moved ahead of pole-sitter Scott, with the Douglas Motorsport man dropping down the order yet further as the fast starting Barnicoat snatched second.
With clear track in front of him, Norris streaked off into the distance and opened up his lead to over seven seconds by the halfway mark. Scott pressurised Barnicoat in an attempt to retake second but the Racing Steps Foundation-backed driver defended stoutly, despite a number of close moments, to keep hold of the position. Sisa Ngebulana and Faisal Al Zubair had lonely races in fourth and fifth and, as the chequered flag came out, Norris came home 10.530s ahead of Barnicoat, with Scott a further 1.891s behind in third.
With his second place in race two, Barnicoat closes the gap to Scott in the Autumn Trophy standings to just 11 points, with a maximum of 70 up for grabs from Sunday’s two races, with qualifying action commencing at 10:25.
Duo BRDC Formula 4 Autumn Trophy - Brands Hatch Indy - Qualifying
1. Lando Norris, HHC Motorsport, 52.155s2. Harrison Scott, Douglas Motorsport, +0.811s3. Sisa Ngebulana, HHC Motorsport, +1.067s4. Ben Barnicoat, Fortec Motorsports/RSF, +1.734s5. Faisal Al Zubair, Fortec Motorsports, +2.734s
Duo BRDC Formula 4 Autumn Trophy - Brands Hatch Indy - Race One
1. Lando Norris, HHC Motorsport, 25 Laps2. Ben Barnicoat, Fortec Motorsports/RSF, +13.550s3. Sisa Ngebulana, HHC Motorsport, +21.607s4. Faisal Al Zubair, Fortec Motorsports, +23.377sDNF. Harrison Scott, Douglas Motorsport, 8 Laps
Duo BRDC Formula 4 Autumn Trophy - Brands Hatch Indy - Race Two
1. Lando Norris, HHC Motorsport, 25 Laps2. Ben Barnicoat, Fortec Motorsports/RSF, +10.530s3. Harrison Scott, Douglas Motorsport, +12.421s4. Sisa Ngebulana, HHC Motorsport, +31.980s5. Faisal Al Zubair, Fortec Motorsports, +54.083s
2015 Duo BRDC Formula 4 Autumn Trophy Standings after race six of eight
1. Harrison Scott, Douglas Motorsport, 152 points2. Ben Barnicoat, Fortec Motorsports/RSF, 141 points3. Faisal Al Zubair, Fortec Motorsports, 119 points4. Sisa Ngebulana, HHC Motorsport, 117 points5. Sennan Fielding, HHC Motorsport, 95 points6. Lando Norris, HHC Motorsport, 70 points7. Struan Moore, Hillspeed, 45 points8. Ameya Vaidyanathan, Hillspeed, 40 points
