British F4: Dries Van Langendonck claims victory in chaotic race three at Brands Hatch

Dries Van Langendonck took victory in epic race at Brands Hatch Indy in final race of the weekend.

The grid was supposed to be Adam Al Azhari starting on pole alongside Ethan Lennon while behind them was Lewis Wherrell and championship leader Ethan Jeff-Hall. The third row of the grid consisted of Tommy Harfield and Theo Palmer. However, a number of drivers came in on the first formation lap to switch back to slicks for the start meaning they started from the pitlane.

Al Azhari and Lennon stayed on wets and started well maintaining the same order from Jeff-Hall who managed to pass Wherrell on the opening lap. The front four would push on but as the track dried, the harder it would be to keep the tyres cool all while the slick runners tried to build heat into their tyres.

Palmer on the wets would fight with Joseph Smith on the run to Surtees before going onto the grass losing the position to Timo Jüngling in the process. A Safety Car would be deployed after Haarmi Sadiq went off the road and into the barriers allowing the drivers who pitted for slicks on the formation lap to catch back up.

The race would get back underway with twelve minutes to go with some driver still on wets and the drivers behind on dry tyres. Harfield and Dries Van Langendonck were trying to charge through the field on the dries, fighting with each other in the process and everyone who was still on wets before Harfield got caught up and took his front wing off. Meanwhile, Jeff-Hall would manage to get passed Lennon to move up into second place. Another Safety Car would be deployed after Wherrell went off the circuit on the exit of Clark Curve and into the gravel.

The race would go green once more with five minutes to go as Van Langendonck would continue to make up more places as he moved from tenth to sixth on the first lap after the Safety Car. He made another move passing Lennon as he falls down the order at Druids before trying to pass Jüngling into Graham Hill Bend with contact being made on exit. Langendonck would continue to push forward even after Proudford-Nalder slid off into the barrier at Clearways passing Smith for the final podium spot and knowing time is limited, he quickly caught his championship rival Jeff-Hall. Jeff-Hall would get a better exit out of Druids on the run into Graham Hill Bend. The pair would go side-by-side before making contact almost ending both drivers’ races. The pair would remain glued together but the yellow flag for Proudford-Nalder meant that Jeff-Hall would have to concede.

Langendonck would make one final pass with less than three minutes to go, using the better exit on the slicks against Al Azhari to make the move on the Brabham straight to take the lead. Kit Belofsky would also make his way passed Al Azhari and Jeff-Hall for second not long after. The pair who led the majority of the race would continue to tumble down the field as there wet weather tyres became too slow to compete with the slick runners.

Out front in the final race of the day, Van Langendonck took victory at Brands Hatch from Belofsky and Cole Hewetson who had come through the field themselves. Ethan Carney would finish fourth ahead of Harfield complete the top five despite having to make another pit stop for a front wing change. Vegard Klemetsen would finish sixth ahead of Chiara Bättig and Al Azhari while Mate Kopbakhidze and Joseph Smith completed the top ten.

This would leave Van Langendonck with a twenty-three-point lead at the end of the weekend from Jeff-Hall while Harfield at in third a further eighteen points back. Scott Kin Lindblom ad Joseph Hall would complete the top five in the standings with Smith gaining fifth on countback from Palmer.