SECOND POINTS FINISH OF SEASON FOR SCHREINER ON RETURN TO F4 BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIP AT ROCKINGHAM ISSC
• Carrie Schreiner marks F4 series return with top 10 points finish• Double top 10 for Zane Goddard at Rockingham with best of P9
German starlet Carrie Schreiner marked her welcome return to the F4 British Championship with a richly deserved second points finish of the season for Double R Racing at Rockingham International Super Sportscar Circuit over the weekend, 27th/28th August.
The 17-year-old, who is only contesting a part campaign on UK soil this year as she concentrates on her full-season challenge in the ADAC Formula 4 category in her native Germany, produced a terrific drive in a rain affected opening race on Saturday afternoon to finish inside the coveted top 10 in only her seventh race on British shores – and first in the wet.
Double R team-mate Zane Goddard finished just ahead of Schreiner in round 22, taking ninth place, before adding a second top 10 score in round 23 on Sunday morning and then finishing in 12th spot during the final race of the weekend, round 24, three places ahead of the German.
“Rockingham was definitely a bit of a mixed weekend overall but it was fantastic to see Carrie climb into the points in race one, especially in those conditions, on her first time back in the championship since Thruxton”, commented the Woking team’s boss, Anthony ‘Boyo’ Hieatt.
“After the recent podium success we’ve had with Zane at Croft and Knockhill, this weekend wasn’t quite what we’d hoped but we’ll be aiming to be back fighting at the sharp end when we head to Silverstone next month.”
Although lapping seventh fastest in both practice sessions on Friday, 26th August, Goddard had to settle for 13th on the grid for race one in a rain affected qualifying session while Schreiner, on her first outing in the F4 British Championship since May, qualified just three places further behind.
More rain during the preceding Ginetta Junior race resulted in a fully wet opening contest for the F4 drivers and both Goddard and Schreiner made up good ground on the first tour, moving up into 11th place and 13th position respectively.
Although edged back to 14th place on lap two, Schreiner profited from a couple of incidents – one involving her team-mate – to leap into 11th place on the third tour and she climbed as high as ninth position a couple of laps later.
Goddard dropped back to 14th on lap three, and lost significant time, after the aforementioned tangle involving Devlin DeFrancesco but he mounted a great recovery to battle his way through into an eventual finish of ninth, passing Schreiner at Deene on lap 10 en-route. Post-race, though, he was handed a five place grid penalty for race two for his part in the incident with DeFrancesco.
Schreiner ultimately ended her first British race in four months, and first track session at Rockingham in fully wet conditions, just outside the top 10 in 11th place when the chequered flag fell on lap 13 after a strong drive. As a result of a time penalty for Patrik Matthiesen, though, the German starlet was elevated into the points-paying top 10 after the race.
For round 23 on Sunday morning, Schreiner made a good start from ninth on the grid but a first lap skirmish resulted in the Double R driver running wide off the track on entry to Steel Straight and after a minor rotation on the grass she recovered, albeit down in 18th place. Goddard, meanwhile, started the contest in 14th spot and ended the opening lap in 13th before the Safety Car appeared.
Racing resumed on lap three but the Safety Car was required again just two laps later, so the second re-start came on lap six with Goddard holding 11th place and Schreiner 16th position as the close action continued.
Although edged back to 12th on lap nine, Goddard moved back into 11th place on the next tour and ended the race just outside the top 10 – post race, however, winner James Pull was excluded so the Double R car was elevated into 10th place. Schreiner, meanwhile, unfortunately retired on lap nine.
Both Double R drivers faced a big challenge in round 24 with Goddard starting 15th on the grid and Schreiner in 17th place. Making a great start, Goddard put together an excellent first lap to climb into 13th position and after breaking into the top 12 on lap two he stayed there for several laps.
Running tight in the wheeltracks of compatriot Luis Leeds, and latterly Matthiesen after Leeds got ahead of the Danish driver, Goddard tried absolutely everything to make the pass for 11th place but he had to ultimately settle for 12th spot. Schreiner moved into 16th position on the opening tour and spent the bulk of the race there, before moving into the top 15 on the final lap.
Silverstone National Circuit in Northamptonshire will host the penultimate event of the F4 British Championship season three weeks from now on 17th/18th September. One week earlier, Double R will be on track at Donington Park Grand Prix Circuit in Leicestershire for the decisive season finale of the BRDC British F3 Championship.
2016 F4 British Championship Driver Standings (after Rd24):8th Zane Goddard, 172pts; 17th Carrie Schreiner, 13pts
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