Dennis Hauger endte opp med en seier, en andreplass og en sjetteplass i de tre løpene i det britiske F4-mesterskapet på Snetterton i helgen. Han ligger på tredjeplass sammenlagt etter 18 løp og leder Rookie-mesterskapet.
Pressemelding fra Red Bull Jr Team:
#24 Dennis Hauger (NOR – Arden Ford)
Qualifying 1: 3rd – Race 1 Grid: 2nd – Race 1 Result: 1st
Reverse Race 2 Grid: 11th (PEN) – Race 2 Result: 6th
Qualifying 2nd time: 6th – Race 3 Grid 6th – Race 3 Result: 2nd
British F4 Championship position: 3rd – 233 points – after 18 of 30 races (1st Rookie)
#33 Jack Doohan (AUS – Arden Ford)
Qualifying 1: 5th – Race 1 Grid: 4th – Race 1 Result: 4th
Reverse Race 2 Grid: 3rd – Race 2 Result: 11th
Qualifying 2nd time: 5th – Race 3 Grid 5th – Race 3 Result: 1st
British F4 Championship position: 4th – 201 points – after 18 of 30 races (2nd Rookie)
A great weekend for the Red Bull Juniors at Snetterton with both closing significantly on the British F4 Championship lead. Norwegian 15-year-old Dennis Hauger scored a win in Race 1 and a second behind his Arden team mate, 15-year-old Australian Jack Doohan, in Race 3.
Hauger took a massive 39 points out of the championship leader with three superb drives even though qualifying hadn’t gone perfectly. “It wasn’t really the best because there was a red flag and when we came out again there was a short time left. I couldn’t position myself and everyone had to push straight away almost. So I didn’t get into my perfect rhythm but not too bad,” explained Hauger.
Hauger starts with a win
Elevated to P2 on the grid for Race 1 because of another driver’s penalty, Hauger went for it. “It was a good race with a lot of things happening out on track. I just had to try to stay calm. Simmons was slower through turn one at one point so I managed to squeeze past to take the lead. It’s always tough to pass Ayrton so I was pleased to take advantage when I could.”
It was Hauger’s fourth win of the season but unfortunately he was then handed a five-place grid penalty for ‘driving in a manner incompatible with general safety,’ meaning P11 on the grid for Race 2. “I just couldn’t see how that penalty was correct, especially considering other incidents where I have suffered and those drivers didn’t get penalised,” stated Hauger.
Hauger learning fast
He drove through from 11th to finish 6th in Race 2, recorded the fastest lap of the race and picked up valuable points and experience. “I made a mistake on an overtake into T1 that cost me maybe a position and I learnt from that and took two people in T1 in Race 3 by just setting them up better and using it to my advantage.”
“So really showed better race craft and this weekend was really good experience for the rest of my career I think.”
“I had a really nice pace in the last one as well but Jack (Doohan) was too far ahead to catch in 3 laps. Even so I did take like 4-5 tenths on him every lap, so that was a good way to end the weekend.”
Doohan drives to Race 3 victory
Race 3 started on a damp track but with everyone on slicks. “I got a pretty good start from P5, managed the wheelspin OK and took P3 after the second corner,” explains Doohan. “Then my team mate Patrik (Pasma) spun out of the lead. After that I was holding the gap to the new leader, then he spun off and I had P1.”
“Dennis (Hauger) then took second and was closing. I’d seen the guys go off ahead so I didn’t want to risk doing the same thing pushing too hard just to hold the gap. So I let it close but knew I had enough to hold it to the flag.”
A tricky start
“Today was the best day of the weekend for sure, Saturday could have been a bit better. I made a couple of small mistakes in Qualifying and it was so close that it was enough to leave us fifth fastest, it should have been better.”
“In Race 1 I had contact at Turn 3 on the first lap. That put me right back (9th) and I had to work my way up, I got up to third but then got pushed wide and ended up P4. In Race 2 I lost the front wing and had to pit for a new one so that wasn’t great. Overall we are a lot closer to the championship lead so that’s good,” concluded the Aussie.
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