The five drivers that raced under the Fortec banner this year all had very different seasons. Fortec took on three rookies: one that dominated the rookie championship, one that dropped out of the championship after a few rounds, and one often lagged behind his team mate in both competitions. Two more drivers also competed with Fortec: one that never seemed to have any luck, and another that would go most of the season unnoticed.
1. Donington Park Race One: Alex’s first race win
Alex Quinn would go on to be a real star of the championship. By the time the British Formula 4 circus arrived at Donington for the second round of the championship, the Racing Steps Foundation driver already had three rookie wins to his name, but he was yet to take his first overall race podium.
That was about to change.
Quinn had already taken pole position earlier in the day, and lined up at the front of the grid in wet conditions for the first race of the weekend. Starts had not been something the rookie had been able to master at Brands Hatch, but this time his pull away from the line was perfect and Quinn was able to start to build up an advantage.
From that point on, it was a simple race for Quinn. The rookie stayed in control, and crossed the line ahead of Luis Leeds to take his first win in car racing. The first of many.
2. Donington Park Race Three: Ross’ first podium
After a so far rather disappointing weekend – a pointless finish in race one and retirement in race two – Ross Martin was looking for a boost. Fortunately for him, teammate Quinn was able to give just that, when he struggled to get away from the line at the start of race three at Donington Park.
Martin was able to shoot past his teammate and up into third, behind Max Fewtrell and Luis Leeds. Fewtrell was already way up the road, there would be no challenging him, but Martin kept Leeds honest as the twenty minute race battled on. Martin handled the pressure well, taking the third place and his first (and only) rookie win.
3. Oulton Park Race Three: Nicolai’s first Rookie Win
By the time the third race at Oulton Park started, Quinn had taken eight of the eleven rookie wins on offer. His ninth would have to wait, though, as the Racing Steps Foundation driver suffered his first retirement of the season, with a gear box issue putting an end to his drive on the penultimate lap.
Teammate Nicolai Kjaergaard was the best placed to take advantage of this. A strong drive saw the rookie finish seventh overall, having to defend hard against Sennan Fielding, who was making his way up through the field. Kjaergaard was the best placed rookie of the three that finished the race, earning his first of four rookie wins.
4. Pre Croft: Jamie Caroline joins the team
Budget problems had already forced Ross Martin to drop out of the series, leaving a space open at Fortec, perfect for Jamie Caroline.
Caroline had already impressed so far in the season, racing with Jamun Racing with Pirtek sponsoring him, but Jamun wouldn’t be able to make it to the end of the season, meaning Caroline was looking for a seat elsewhere. Pirtek would follow Caroline to Fortec, where he would race for the remainder of the season.
Everybody at Fortec was excited about the new addition to the team. Caroline had already wowed crowds with his wet weather performance, taking four podiums in the opening three rounds of the championship.
5. Croft Race One: Frank’s first point & Nicolai’s exclusion
It was a far from spectacular race for the young racer, but it’ll be one he remembers from this season. Frank Bird started the first race of the weekend from the very back of the grid but, by the time the cars had completed their first lap of the circuit, the Fortec driver was up to twelfth. Points were within touching distance. A collision ahead of him promoted Bird into the top ten, awarding him a single point, the first of his season.
Unfortunately for Fortec, it would be Bird’s teammate, Nicolai Kjaergaard, who would involved in the accident. He would retire from the race but, to make matters worse, Kjaergaard was later excluded from the results and handed four penalty points for causing the incident.
6. Snetterton Race One: Jamie crashes at the start of the race
The British Formula 4 grid arrived at Snetterton to start the second half of the championship, and Caroline, like many other drivers, was looking to bounce back from a difficult few rounds before the mid season break. Things didn’t exactly go to plan, though.
Qualifying fourth put Caroline in a good position for the start of the first race of the weekend, but that was the last good thing to happen to the Pirtek sponsored driver at Silverstone. Caroline tried to make a move at the start of the race, only to crash into the pit wall. That was his race over.
From that point on the car didn’t feel right and, despite climbing back in the second race, Caroline would retire from the third race of the weekend too when the car bottomed out on a kerb and the Fortec driver span.
7. Silverstone Race Two: Alex wraps up the rookie championship
Having already taken fifteen rookie wins and more than seventy points ahead of his nearest rival, Quinn arrived at Silverstone with the ability to take the rookie title before the end of the weekend. Race one wouldn’t quite go to plan, with Quinn finishing behind Arden’s Ayrton Simmons, his main rival, but his chances of taking the crown at the Northamptonshire circuit weren’t over.
Quinn would start from pole for the second race of the weekend and, like his first overall win back at the start of the championship, it was a textbook race for the rookie. The Racing Steps Foundation driver got a clean get away, and was only hindered by a safety car that briefly halted his progress. Quinn took the win ahead of Raffael Martins and Luis Leeds and, though Simmons finished the second rookie, Quinn had done enough to step out of reach of the Arden driver, or any of his other challengers.
Quinn would eventually finish more than a hundred and fifty points ahead of Simmons in the rookie championship.
8. Brands Hatch GP Race Two: Jamie takes his first win
It was a long time coming but, in the penultimate race of the championship, Jamie Caroline took his first win of the season. The weekend up until that point hadn’t really gone to plan. Despite a promising qualifying, Caroline would start from the back of the grid in races one and three, after he was excluded for a technical infringement.
The climb up through the field in the opening race put him seventh overall and in pole position in the reverse race grid. Caroline said the car was “unreal” in the second race, and was determined to take the top step of the podium. It was a simple race for the Pirtek backed driver, who took the race win ahead of Petru Florescu and Max Fewtrell. He would end the season tenth in the standings, over a hundred and seventy points behind champion Fewtrell.
Image credit: Caroline Rhea
